Outdoor Cast Iron Cooking

More chefs are now using cast iron to showcase their specialty dishes.

Article by TAMRA BOLTON

Cast iron has been used to cook meals for more than 2,000 years.

What accounts for its longevity and continuing popularity? Could it be the connection with our pioneer ancestors or the glory days of the American West when Texas was young? Whatever the reason, using cast iron gets in your blood.

Cast iron aficionados are passionate and most of them are on a mission to convert the rest of the world to the joys of cast iron cooking. If you ever start using it, especially for outdoor cooking, you will likely discover its almost mystical allure.

In spite of my initial resistance, I’ve learned a lot about cast iron over the last 10-15 years. I’ve had to. My husband is obsessed with cast iron. Therefore, I am up to my eyeballs in cast iron cookware of every shape, size and make.

Recently, I spent some time talking with a few cast iron believers, and I want to share their helpful tips and a few recipes you can use with your own cast iron cookware. Even if you don’t own any cast iron, by the end of this article, you may just want to go out and find a pan or two…there are plenty of reasons to invest in these hefty wonder wares.

HISTORY OF CAST IRON COOKING

First used around 220 A.D. during the Han Dynasty, cast iron became more widely used in 14th century Europe when casting techniques improved. Then, in 1707, a fellow named Abraham

Darby patented the sand-casting method, which is a similar process to what manufacturers use to create the pots and pans we have today.

Cast iron is one of the most durable cooking implements you can purchase. Dutch ovens and other pieces have been used for hundreds of years, passed down from one generation to the next. If cared for properly, cast iron is seemingly indestructible.

The hey-day of cast iron usage in America was during the colonial period and on through the years of our expansion westward. Every wagon going west during the 1800s carried cast iron cookware, usually a frying pan and a Dutch oven.

The cattle drives that began late in the century also made use of the cookware. Every chuck wagon cook had a set of cast iron to fix the outfit’s hard-working cowboys’ breakfast, dinner and supper.

Old photos show the importance of this enduring cookware to every pioneer, trader and cowboy. Cast iron was also considered quite valuable. In fact, it was so important to daily life on the frontier that some early settlers’ journal entries mention it as being “more valuable than gold.”

While the popularity of cast iron waned somewhat in the mid-20th century with the advent of non-stick type pans, it has experienced a surge of interest in recent years especially among chefs. A growing number of health-conscious home cooks are also jumping on the cast iron cooking wagon, and cast iron cookware is experiencing an amazing 21st century comeback.

CARING FOR CAST IRON

Many home cooks shy away from cast iron for several reasons. They think it is too heavy, too expensive, too much trouble to take care of and everything sticks to it. To answer these doubts and other concerns I consulted with Omar Alvarez, a native Texan raised on King Ranch and World Champion Dutch Oven Cook.

He qualified his advice by saying, “If you ask 10 people, you will get 10 different answers.” Even so, I am confident that the tips Alvarez shares here are reliable.

While the initial outlay for good cast iron cookery may be on the expensive side, its longevity outweighs the cost factor. I can’t count the number of non-stick and regular stainless pans I have thrown away over the years.

Alvarez agreed, “You can buy a good quality cast iron pan today, and you will still be cooking with it years from now. You can also pass these pans down for generations. How many other pans can you say that about? Some of my pans are well over 100 years old, and I use them every day.”

As for the weightiness of the cookware, Alvarez said, “How many other cooking implements can double as a workout?” Enough said.

Cast iron, according to every expert I talked to, is naturally non-stick, if properly seasoned. Although there are various techniques to achieve this, here is one version: Carefully clean your pan using hot soapy water (Alvarez recommends Dawn), always making sure it is thoroughly dry with no rust spots visible; then spread a thin layer of shortening or vegetable oil over the pan (and lid, if it has one), and then place it upside down on the middle rack of your oven at 375 degrees for one hour. Let it cool in the oven. Placing a sheet of aluminum foil under the pan will help catch the drips and keep your oven clean. If your cast iron develops rust spots or starts sticking, follow these steps to re-season your pan.

Most of the time, all you need to clean your cast iron pan is hot water. People fear using any kind of soap on cast iron, but Alvarez says that Dawn dishwashing liquid is a safe choice for cleaning. Just make sure the pan is thoroughly dry before storing to prevent rust spots and preserve the seasoning. Putting a freshly washed and wiped dry pan on the stovetop on medium heat for a few minutes will ensure that the pan is dry enough to store.

Also, Alvarez warns against applying oil to pans you don’t use regularly.

Using charcoal for cooking can be done just about anywhere making it a convenient choice for outdoor cast iron cooks.

Texas and the western frontier were dependent on cast iron cookware for meals on the trail.

“If you don’t use a pan often, there is no need to oil it before storing. If you do oil it and don’t use it soon enough, chances are the oil will go rancid and you will have to clean and re-season the pan before using it again.”

If you find yourself with a rancid-smelling pan, you can use apple cider vinegar and hot water to scrub it and remove the rancid smell, then re-season.

Owning and using cast iron can be a joy if you know how to properly care for it.

“I own about 65 Dutch ovens and around 35-40 frying pans… I’ve lost count,” Alvarez said. “I also have eight skillets that I keep on my kitchen counter. I cook everything in cast iron.”

DOS AND DON’TS WITH CAST IRON

Although most things are better cooked in cast iron, there are a few things you should avoid with cast iron cookware:

• Don’t put highly acidic foods such as tomatoes, vinegar or citrus juices in cast iron for lengthy times or marinate (with

A FULL MENU FOR A COOK-OUT WITH CAST IRON by TAMRA BOLTON

DUTCH OVEN BRISKET

1 16-inch Dutch oven sprayed with Pam 8 to 10 lb. brisket, trimmed 5 or 6 slices bacon Tenderizer Black pepper

Sprinkle both sides of brisket with tenderizer. Put into Dutch oven, fattest side down. Pepper top side and lay slices of bacon on top.

Put small amount of coals underneath and a small amount on the lid. Let brisket cook slowly till tender. (This recipe is from Sue Cunningham and sure to be a hit at your next gathering.)

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS (FOR A 16-INCH DUTCH OVEN)

4 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 4 Tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 cups buttermilk 8 Tablespoons oil

Mix buttermilk and baking soda in large bowl. Add sugar, baking powder, and stir. Add oil and stir; gradually add flour until firm enough to dump out onto a floured board. Sprinkle flour on top and pat to ½ inch thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter and place into Dutch oven (sprayed with Pam and with a small amount of oil in the bottom). Brush biscuit tops with melted butter. Bake with coals underneath and on top of lid. Check to keep from burning. (This recipe is from Sue Cunningham.)

REX’S HONEY BAKED BEANS

3 28 oz. cans Bush’s Baked Beans 1 bell pepper, chopped (any color) 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 cups cubed hickory smoked bacon 1 Tablespoon minced garlic ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup honey 1 cup BBQ sauce of choice (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s.)

Brown bacon in cast iron Dutch oven on medium fire— can cook over coals or an outdoor grill. Remove when crispy and set aside. Sautee onion and bell pepper in bacon grease until translucent. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add bacon back to Dutch oven and simmer 2 minutes. Add beans, brown sugar, honey, and BBQ sauce. Cook until bubbly, stirring occasionally. Remove from fire and ring that bell! This is an easy recipe for a family gathering. My family enjoys this side on the days when we are working cattle. It is a great accompaniment to steaks or hamburgers. (Recipe courtesy of Rex Holland)

QUICK PEACH COBBLER (FOR 16-INCH DUTCH OVEN)

¾ cup butter 3 ¾ cups sugar 3 cups flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon 6 teaspoons baking powder 3 dashes salt 3 cups milk 3 teaspoons almond extract 1 ½ gallon sliced peaches (less 3 cups juice)

Melt butter in Dutch oven. Mix batter: sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, milk, and extract. Pour into butter, and then put peaches in last. Bake 25 to 30 minutes with slow coals under the Dutch oven and hot coals on lid until done. Be sure batter is done. You can also cook in a regular oven at 375 degrees. (This recipe is a crowd pleaser too, courtesy of Sue Cunningham.)

Women are fierce competitors in outdoor cast iron events and win consistently in many contests.

bases using tomatoes or citrus juices) in cast iron pans; it can ruin the seasoning. It can also leave a metallic taste in your food, not harmful at all, just slightly unpleasant.

Spritzing lemon juice on a dish last minute or a splash of wine at the end of cooking won’t make a difference, if you don’t let your food sit in the pan for long. • Since cast iron is slightly porous, it tends to take on strong flavors that can linger for a bit. To avoid this, skip cooking garlic, fish, strong cheeses, peppers and such. If you enjoy cooking desserts in cast iron like many chefs recommend, getting a separate cast iron pan for your most delicate flavored dishes would be wise. • Delicate fish, even salmon, doesn’t always flip well when cooked in cast iron because it tends to fall apart. • For the first months of use, cook mostly steaks, bacon and other fatty fare. This helps enhance the coating of seasoning in the pan and ensure that it will become truly non-stick. If a pan isn’t used often, it will take longer before your pan will be able to handle such items as scrambled eggs, pancakes, etc. Most people don’t use their cast iron often enough and are disappointed when everything they try to cook seems to stick. Follow the suggestion above and you will enjoy cast iron’s natural non-stick advantages. • Never store food in your cast iron cookware. It will break down the seasoning and possibly promote rust.

BENEFITS OF CAST IRON

Not only is cast iron great for cooking most anywhere, it is also good for your health. Listed below are the many benefits of using cast iron:

✓ Cast iron can be used in the kitchen, on the stove top, in the oven, on your grill, on a campfire or a camp stove. ✓ You can cook with cast iron using gas, wood or charcoal and can even bury your cast iron in coals without hurting it. ✓ Cast iron can be heated to extreme temperatures without any negative effects, while some of our modern non-stick pans release toxic fumes when heated beyond a certain temperature. ✓ Cast iron holds heat longer than other types of cookware and will keep food warm for longer periods without drying out. ✓ Cast iron will last longer than you! Good for hundreds of years, your cast iron cookware can be a lasting family heirloom. ✓ Your cast iron is one thing that will get better with use. ✓ Lifting your cast iron skillets can give your arms and shoulders a workout, increasing muscle mass and building endurance. ✓ Eating foods prepared in cast iron adds iron to your diet, making it an easy way to boost your iron intake. ✓ Good cast iron cookware is still less expensive than big name-brand cookware. ✓ Cast iron cookware is a hot new collectible with antique pans commanding top dollar.

OUTDOOR COOKING TIPS

When I asked my experts what advice they would give someone just starting out in outdoor cast iron cooking, they all said the same thing: Practice. Practice. Practice.

Like a lot of outdoor skills, the basics can be taught; but to really finesse your abilities and become good at outdoor cast iron cooking, you have to start where everyone does…as a rank amateur.

I remember my first attempts at cooking with cast iron over a campfire—it was in the Boy Scouts Venturing program (offered for girls as well). I was supposed to be helping my daughter with

The key to cooking any recipe properly is making sure the coals or briquettes are evenly distributed on the bottom of the Dutch oven and on the lid.

her outdoor cooking badge but like many first attempts, it didn’t turn out well. Burned peach cobbler that is still raw in the middle isn’t too appealing, even to a bunch of starving Scouts.

Sue Shepherd Cunningham has been cooking Chuckwagon style for more than 30 years. She and her family have won four World Championships and 10 National Championships with their Dutch oven cooking. Sue and her late sister Jean Cates, were also inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 2014 for their award-winning Chuckwagon cooking.

She also has a series of cookbooks dedicated to this type of cooking and was even a judge on the popular show Throwdown with Bobby Flay when he challenged legendary Chuckwagon cook Kent Rollins. I figured Sue must know her stuff, so I asked her for some tips on cooking outdoors in a Dutch oven.

Sue’s method of cooking over coals is her own: she adds that everyone has their own way of doing it, but this is what works best for her.

“Dig a hole about 2 ½ feet in diameter and about 6-8 inches deep,” she said. “Make the sides slanted so you can get the coals out easier. Build a fire with mesquite wood and keep adding wood until you have the coals you need for cooking. Arrange the coals in a ring, about 2 inches wide, to set your Dutch oven on—don’t put any in the center because the heat will go to the center. Same thing with coals on the oven’s lid, only put them in a ring along the outside edge of the lid; the heat will travel to the center. Watch your food carefully, and don’t overcook. Cast iron holds heat and will continue to cook a little even off the heat. If you want the top more brown when you’re cooking biscuits and cobblers, put the lid back on (with the coals) for just a little longer. The wind also plays a factor in outdoor Dutch oven cooking. If the wind is up, your coals will be hotter and everything will cook faster; if it is still, you need to allow more cooking time as things will cook slower.”

Alvarez also has some important tips for cooking meat in the Dutch oven. Learning how to control the temperature using coals or charcoal is one of the keys to success; using a digital thermometer for checking meat and determining when it is done will take the guesswork out of much of Dutch oven cooking.

“Time is not the biggest factor,” Alvarez adds. “The internal temperature of the meat and your nose will tell you when it’s done.”

TIME TO TRY YOUR HAND

Hopefully, the tips and information here will help you venture into the world of outdoor cast iron cooking with some measure of confidence. If you’re still not quite sure if you’re ready for the challenge of charcoal or coals, maybe you’d like to try your hand at a little cast iron cooking in the kitchen.

There are plenty of reasons to make the switch to cast iron and enjoy its many benefits. Who knows…maybe someday you’ll find yourself camping or on a trail ride and you will be able to “wow” your friends with your amazing cast iron cooking skills. You can tell them you learned from the best!