I really wonder what the health inspector would say about the ring around the soup.

No thanks. I'll stick with my New England clam chowdah.

You gotta ask how many folks gotten ill from it.

Hmm.

Well, you know what they say about cleaning iron skillets...

Never do it. The leftover bits add flavor.

My Gammy, RIP, had a deep black iron pan that she never clean with soap and a sponge. She rinse it with water and that was it. She cook everything in it. Chicken, chops, steaks, stews, fried eggs, soups, you name it.

I wash my cast iron like anything else - only difference being that it needs to be immediately and thoroughly dried.