Cooking with Cast Iron

Cooking with Cast Iron

By Ryan Graden

Professionally, I am a Director at a church camp. To be honest, this career was never on my radar when I was younger. What I thought I wanted (desk job making lots of money) ended up being something I just couldn’t stand to do. Yes, I tried a desk for a few years, but the fit wasn’t good.

The daily duties of working at a camp has led me to love what I do. It has also allowed me to pursue my passion, the outdoors. Of all the things we do here at the camp, it all centers around this amazing creation that we all get to see on a daily basis here in Iowa! And sharing it with over 30,000 guests that make their way to our camp each year!
One of the pieces of my job I love doing the most is outdoor education. Taking summer camp students and teaching them basic camping and survival skills. One of the fundamental skills that we spend time doing every day is cooking over the fire. You won’t believe how many kids come to our camp and have never experienced that before! When I ask them if they’ve ever seen their parents do any outdoor cooking other than using a grill, most of them answer, “nope!”

My staff and I do our best with the task at hand, teaching kids how to cook over the fire. One of the most used items in this task is cast iron.them can make quite a difference.

The History of Iron
Using cast iron for cooking dates further back than you think! The first known use in the history of humankind was recorded during the Han dynasty in China around 220 A.D. The first known mention in english of somebody using iron to cook was about 679 or 680 A.D. Regardless of whomever was the “first” to use it to cook, cast iron cookware has been around for a long time.

It is known too that cast iron was a “must have” item for many settlers as America was being populated through the 1700’s and 1800’s. As wagons were heading west, most contained cast iron skillets and pots as a necessary item in their travels. They were a durable and valuable item to have. Recently, cast iron has been making a comeback in the cooking world. Of all the types of cookware available in our society and culture today, cast iron still seems to be the most dependable for a variety of reasons.

The Benefits of Iron
Why should you have cast iron in your kitchen? Well, maybe I can give you a few things to think about.

Cast iron is worth the investment for many reasons when it comes to cooking. One of the greatest factors for cooking is cast iron’s ability to endure high temperatures. Some cooking tools out there might be only made for a burner, or maybe for oven use only. Cast iron can be used for both! A meal that has to be seared on top of your stove and then finished in the oven could easily be prepared in a cast iron pot or pan. Additionally, cast iron will maintain its temperature keeping your meal hot and ready as people are scooting up to the table!

The more you use the cast iron the more your pot or pan will develop its “seasoning”. Seasoning on a cast iron is the layering of oil, grease, or fat that give the dish a great non-stick ability. The more seasoning cast iron takes on, the better it continues to cook.

This seasoning makes cleanup a cinch too! The more the pan or pot becomes seasoned, the less the food you cook in it will stick. A well-seasoned iron could be cleaned simply by using a paper towel to wipe it out.

Another benefit of cast iron is its variety of use. As I mentioned earlier, we use them to teach our students how to cook a variety of meals over the fire. We’ve cooked soups, stews, egg casseroles, bread, biscuits, and even layered meals like chicken and wild rice. We’ve fried eggs and bacon. Flipped pancakes, and even used them to boil maple sap down to syrup. The possibilities are endless!

Care of the Iron
The most important knowledge that you need when owning an iron is the care that it must have in order to continue to be a good cooking vessel. Cast iron is made of iron, and when exposed to certain environmental conditions, it begins to break down. That is where people get discouraged.
I remember when I first began to use some of the iron to cook with our students during the summer. I had pulled them out of a stash to find the ones that were used more often were in good shape. However, the ones that had not been used in years were completely covered in a thick layer of rust. Again, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Iron will rust over time. If not properly cared for and stored.

Now, first off, a properly cared for iron needs to be put away after use in such a manner that moisture will not be able to affect it. Remember, previously I noted that a great cast iron pot or pan should have a good seasoning. That’s what we want to guarantee. When you use a cast iron skillet, pot, or dutch oven, you should wash it thoroughly. Whether you wipe it clean, use a little bit of soapy water, or just blast it good with a sprayer, you will still need to add a thick layer of oil to the iron.

First, heat the iron just a bit. A hot cast iron will accept oil much better than a room temperature one. Take a paper towel or corner of a washcloth, dip it in regular cooking oil, and apply that to the whole cast iron cooking vessel. Make sure that it has a good “shine” when you are done. This will protect it from moisture that could cause rust and it will add another layer of season to the surface.

If you have a rusty cast iron cooking vessel, don’t lose hope. It can be revived!

First, with steel wool or some sort of steel scrubber, wet the surface and use the scrubber to get rid of as much rust as possible. Really, use some “elbow grease” here! Once you have scrubbed the rusty surface as much as you can, give it a good rinse, making sure to remove all of the orange colored rust dust.

Next, make sure the piece is completely dry! I would suggest even sticking it in your oven at a low temperature for 10-15 minutes. Assuring that all moisture has been evaporated from the surface.

After that, soak paper towels with cooking oil or a thick dollop of Crisco. Take that oil or Crisco and apply it heavily to the entire surface of the iron. Inside and outside! Once that is complete, heat your oven to about 350 degrees and place the iron in the oven for around hour. Allow those oils to seep into all the pores of the iron. It should begin to take on a darker color and time goes by.

When your time is up, take the cast iron piece out of the oven and allow it to cool completely! If you are still seeing some rust, apply the oil once more and bake it again. At this time, you should have a well-seasoned, revived, cast iron vessel that is ready to use for cooking.

Accessories for Outdoor Cooking
Another Advantage to Cooking with Cast Iron is the food seems to taste better! Premixed seasonings and blends taste divine when cooked over a campfire. There are a variety of accessories available that can help make cast iron cooking easier. Here are some accessories you may want to consider for your next camping trip. First of all, you might want a cast iron lid lifter. A lid lifter is a tool that makes it easy to lift the hot lid off of a dutch oven or other cast iron pot. It’s essential for safety and convenience, especially when cooking over an open fire. If you do not want to cook directly on the fire, consider tripods. Look for one that is sturdy and made from heat-resistant materials such as steel or cast iron. Investing in a heat gun can help you estimate the temperature your food is cooking at inside of your dutch oven. Meat thermometers will also help you to ensure meat is cooked to a safe temperature. Heat-resistant gloves will protect your hands from the heat of the fire when handling hot pots, pans, and utensils. Look for gloves made from heat-resistant materials such as leather or kevlar. Lastly, I recommend getting a chain link scrubber to help you remove food that may try and stick to your cast iron cookware.

So if you are an outdoorsman/woman or just like to cook at home, consider a move to cast-iron. Iron will give you great food, easy cooking, and many years of service. It just might be the change that lasts the rest of your life! Good luck!