I purchased a lodge cast iron exactly one year ago and after a seasoning it once was able to cook dozens and dozens of perfect steaks throughout the year. I never had any trouble cooking or getting a sear, sous vide or conventionally cooking. Typically when I cook I use avacado oil and allow the pan to heat up for 2-3 minutes before putting the meat on.
However, after messing up a re-season (causing some sticky spots on the cast iron), it's like I've lost my ability to cook. No matter what I do, the steak won't sear or cook even if I leave it on there for 4 minutes. It burns my cajun seasoning (which can withstand the heat from a grill which makes no sense to me), and it consistently drips oil into the flame as I cook. I'm considering just buying a new cast iron, because I tried scrubbing off the old seasoning with steel wool and brillos to no avail.
What is happening here? My only explanation could be that the poor seasoning on the cast iron is preventing proper heat transmission. It's frustrating that I have to overthink how I cook steaks when before I would simply heat up the pain, apply oil, wait 30 seconds, and get that perfect sear every time. What is the problem here?