BBQ Disc Blade Seasoning and Care
The cutting edge of skillet cooking!! Call it what you like...BBQ disc blade, discada, cowboy wok, disco or plow disc cooker, this rustic looking skillet will cook just about anything you want to grill, sear, fry or stir-fry. With proper seasoning and care, this BBQ disc blade will last generations!
Initial Cleaning
When you receive your BBQ disc blade, there may be a bit of residual hardened vegetable oil in the bottom of your skillet. This is a vegetable oil coating that was applied by the manufacturer for rust prevention during shipment and has pooled in the bottom of the disc blade. The following steps will help you remove that prior to seasoning. We recommend having the following equipment on hand:
Heat source
BBQ Disc Blade
A gallon or so of water
Wooden or slotted spoon
Several dish cloths (We cut ours into quarters so they were more the size of wash cloths)
Plastic non-scratching scouring pad or salt
Tongs
Paper towels
Long pot holders
Trash receptacle
We used our ASC # 49469 Carolina Cooker® 12" cooker stand and burner as our heating source. The discada set steady and was at a good working height for us. You may prefer to use the 22" cooker stand and burner, ASC # 40322, for more height.
Step 1 - While the disc blade is still cold, add in one gallon of water or enough to cover the vegetable oil residue. Turn your heat on to medium - medium high and bring to a simmer. Make sure you do not have too much water in your disc blade as it could run over. After about 10 minutes you will notice blobs of the residue breaking loose and floating to the top. We removed these with a wooden spoon so they would not stick to the upper edges of the discada.
Step 2 - Turn off heat and allow the BBQ disc blade to cool enough to handle. Discard water.
Step 3 - Clean your discada thoroughly with a plastic non-scratching scouring pad or you can use salt and a dish cloth. There may be some discoloration and a small amount of vegetable residue still remaining in the skillet. Dry the disc blade thoroughly.
Step 4 - Place the BBQ disc blade back on your heat source. On medium, heat the disc blade. The residue will start to bubble. We used on old dish cloth and grilling tongs to carefully wipe out the remaining vegetable residue. Leave on the heat and clean out the vegetable oil to your satisfaction. Repeat step 3.
Seasoning
For seasoning, we elected to use good old lard. You can choose your own seasoning medium. For seasoning, it is a good idea to have the following equipment on hand:
Lard or other vegetable oil
Several dish cloths (We cut ours into quarters so they were more the size of wash cloths)
Tongs
Paper towels
Long pot holders
Trash receptacle
Step 1 - Place your BBQ disc blade on your heat source on low to medium heat.
Step 2 - Place one to two tablespoons of lard into the bottom of the skillet.
Step 3 - Using your dish cloth, rub the lard into the skillet in a circular fashion. We worked from the bottom of the disc blade to up on the edges.
Step 4 - Continue to heat the dish blade, the lard will start to smoke. We repeated the seasoning steps 2 and 3 one more time and then cut the heat source off to allow the disc to cool.
Step 4 - Using a paper towel, wipe out the excess melted lard.
Care
As with any good seasoned pan, never scrub with a scratching material to clean. In general, water poured into a hot skillet will removed residual food particles. For stubborn food, use a salt/water mixture or a plastic non-scratching scrub pad. We do not recommend using soap. Use the lightest pressure required to remove the food particles. Dry your discada immediately. In the beginning you may choose to apply a light coating of lard or cooking spray. Be sure to wipe this out prior to your next cooking adventure.
Helpful Hints
- The handles get hot so be sure to wear your oven or grilling mitts.
- The discada smokes when you cook with it so be sure to use it outside.
- During initial cleaning and seasoning paper towels tend to tear when rubbed along the disc blade due to irregular surface.
- Regular seasoning recommended.
- The bottom of the disc blade will season before the sides due to heat dispersion and oil accumulation. In time and after cooking use, the sides of your discada will season more.
Purchase your 22" Discada or 24" Discada here.