Finally Revealed: The Secret Agent for Seasoning Cast Iron BBQ Grates So They Don’t Rust

 

Science has a lot of neat applications around the house and in our everyday lives.

Here’s one of them.

I have a BBQ with cast iron grates and I have a love-hate relationship with the thing.

I love how the cast iron grates cook my food.  Their high thermal mass provides uniform heating and helps get my steaks done just right every time.  They just seem to cook food much better than stainless steel or other materials.

But I hate the cast iron grates because they rust.  No matter how careful you are with them, even if they are porcelain coated, which mine are, they will eventually rust.  And once they start, they can really, really rust.

Definitely not a good situation.

So, what is the solution?

Let’s take a look at what works and what doesn’t.

 

Cooking Oils:

A search on the Internet revealed that the accepted way to season (protect) cast iron skillets and BBQ grates so they don’t rust is to heat them with various types of cooking oils.  Vegetable oil, extra virgin Olive Oil, and Canola oil were the most commonly referenced oils.

Here are my experiences and observations with these oils:

Vegetable Oil: Ineffective in preventing rust.  Also developed a bad odor over time.

Canola Oil: Much better than vegetable oil for protecting against rust, although some rust still occurred.

Canola Oil with Flour as a Filler: Better than Canola oil alone.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Less effective than Canola oil.

Although some success was achieved with Canola oil and Canola oil plus flour, they were less than ideal rust preventers.  These oils burned off easily and had to be reapplied after each use of the grill.  Plus, to achieve good rust protection, multiple coatings were needed.

Overall, my results with the different oils were disappointing, so my search continued for a way to keep my grates from rusting.

 

Lard, the Ultimate Solution:

Lard is rendered pig fat.   I saw it mentioned in a comment on the Internet as a good agent to keep food from sticking to a grill.  Thus, I decided to try it to see if it could also season the grates.

Wow!  What a difference!

As soon as I applied the lard, it seemed to coat any rust present.  It was almost like a chemical reaction took place with the rust.  And it immediately stopped any further rust from forming.

After using the grill, the grates maintained a nice black protective coating.

Initially, I applied additional lard to the grates after each use of the grill.  However, once a robust protective coating has been achieved on the grates, additional lard shouldn’t be needed unless the coating is burned off or spots of rust are observed.

I’ve found that the lard coating is stable up to at least 400F.  I know that a lot of people like to sear their steaks at temperatures significantly higher than this.  If they find that the protective coating burns off, they will just have to apply additional lard after each use.  Not really a problem, but something to look for.

As noted above, lard is also good for keeping food from sticking to the grates so I’ve now adopted the practice of applying a little lard to the grates before each use to prevent food from sticking.

Initially, I applied the lard using a paper towel to smear it on the grates.  This is how I now apply lard just before cooking to keep food from sticking.  In this case, however, I only apply lard to the area of the grill that the food will come into contact with.

To apply lard to the entire grill, I now melt a small amount of lard in a paper cup in the microwave and then paint it onto the grates using a small paint brush.  This is much easier and faster then trying to apply the solid lard.

Lard is absolutely magical for seasoning cast iron grill grates and preventing them from rusting!

And lard is inexpensive, costing only about a dollar a pound.

 

Summing Up

I was just about ready to trash my grill and go out and buy a new stainless steel unit.  But now, I will be able to get several more years of service out of my current grill.

How great is that!

If you have a BBQ grill with cast iron or porcelain-coated cast iron grates, go out and get yourself some lard today and start using it.  You’ll be glad you did.