Smithey Ironware Company creates a Southern staple for cooks around the world.
Open the cupboard in any Greenville kitchen, and a cast iron skillet is sure to sit nestled among the pots and pans. It’s tradition for Southern cooks to wield a 4- to 12- pound piece of iron for cooking cornbread and cobbler, steak, and bacon—plus ham and red eye gravy. Some chefs covet old-school Wagner and Griswold skillets seasoned to perfection, while Lodge, Craft, and Le Creuset make newer versions. Smithey Ironware Company in Charleston has slid to the front burner by blending the two types, creating modern cookware with vintage style.
Isaac Morton walks the warehouse at Smithey, tucked away on Pipefitter Street at the historic Naval Base. In 2016, he opened a small shop offering a traditional No. 10 skillet. “I stumbled into starting a business that happened to be a hobby,” explains the former real estate professional. “I collected old cast iron cookware and would refinish it for friends and family for wedding presents and birthdays. They just loved it. I got into it.”
Right as his burgeoning business started to simmer, he folded Robert Thomas into the mix. (The blacksmith is famous across Charleston for his iron gates and stairwells.) They partnered to create a carbon steel farmhouse skillet. It was so popular it’s grown into a line of carbon steel cookware. Today, across both lines, Smithey offers almost two dozen pieces, from griddles and roasters to Dutch ovens and woks. Headquarters underwent a $2 million expansion to cover growing sales at shops from coast to coast.
Since the beginning, Morton’s forged a vision promoting the emotional connection cast iron cookware brings families. More than two dozen Smithey artisans season, polish, and package new pieces that will get handed down from mother and father to daughter and son. They’ve also restored thousands of neglected cast iron pieces that customers have found in attics, flea markets, and on eBay.
“I love bringing it here and refinishing it to brand new and seeing what it looks like,” says Stephen McClellan, who oversees the restoration workshop. “It’s a nod to the people who came before us. The people who had to scrimp together the money to buy the cast iron for their wife, for their husband, to pass it down to their kids.”
“Cast iron lasts forever,” shares Morton. “It’s versatile and carries a sort of heirloom quality. It has lots of memories that are passed from generation to generation. On the design side, we’re making cast iron cookware that lasts forever. That’s something that’s really important to us.” The founder serves those who love to cook and appreciate fine craftsmanship. “It’s a very special piece of cookware. So, to that extent we can make it at Smithey, we’ll do our best to keep that going.”
Smithey Skillet Cornbread Recipe
Serves 6–8
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups fine stone-ground cornmeal, such as Geechie Boy
- 1 tsp coarse kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups whole-milk buttermilk
- 7 Tbsp (3 ½ ounces) unsalted butter or bacon fat
- 1 large egg, beaten
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Whisk together cornmeal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Fold in buttermilk
with a rubber spatula just until combined. Be careful not to over mix. - Add bacon fat or butter to No. 10 Skillet. Place in preheated oven until skillet is hot and fat is sizzling,
about 10 minutes. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the hot fat into the batter and stir to combine. Fold in the beaten egg. - Pour batter into the hot skillet. Return to the oven and bake until golden brown around the edges and
a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Serve warm.
You can also elevate the simple hoecake with a cast iron skillet.
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