Cast Iron Cooking

When it
comes to durability and versatility, there’s nothing quite like cast iron
cookware. Prized for its amazing ability to retain heat, cast iron has been
used in cooking for thousands of years. It’s also the original nonstick
cookware. The more you use it, the better it gets, and with proper care, your
cast iron frying pans and Dutch ovens can last a lifetime. Here are a few
tips for using cast iron cookware along with a few recipes to
try:

You’ve probably heard that cast
iron needs to be “seasoned,” but what does that really mean? It involves
coating the surface with a small amount of vegetable oil that gets baked into
the pan’s surface when heated to create a nonstick
finish. 

 

Many cast iron aficionados avoid
washing their cookware, opting instead to simply wipe it clean after each use
to preserve the seasoning. However, it’s perfectly OK to use a mild soap to
care for your cast iron. Just be sure to dry it immediately, then apply a
small amount of vegetable oil to the surface to refresh the seasoning. If you
have stubborn, stuck-on food, you can scrub it away with a paste made of
water and coarse salt. And never put your cast iron cookware in the
dishwasher when you use it at home.

 

Now comes the fun part — cooking
in cast iron! Here are a few recipes to try on your next camping trip:

 

 

½ lb. cooked smoked
turkey sausage

3-4 tbsp. olive oil or canola
oil

1 3/4 lbs. red-skinned potatoes,
unpeeled and cubed

2 medium onions, cut into wedges
or chopped

1 green or red pepper, diced

1 tsp. thyme

1 ½ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. each salt and
pepper

 

 

Pour three tablespoons of oil
into a 12” cast iron skillet and place it over the campfire or on the grill
to heat up and coat the bottom of the pan. Add potatoes, onions and peppers
and cook uncovered until potatoes are almost tender. Add sausage to potato
mixture, adding the rest of the oil, if necessary, to prevent sticking. Cook,
uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until potatoes and onions are tender and
slightly brown, stirring often. Add seasonings and cook for one more
minute.

 

 

 

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, cut into 2” pieces

½ onion,
chopped

1 tsp.
cumin

½ tsp. olive oil

¼ tsp. cayenne
pepper

1 green pepper,
chopped

1 15 oz. can yellow corn,
drained

1 15 oz. can black beans,
drained

1 package corn
tortillas

1 28 oz. can enchilada
sauce

1 small package cornbread mix
(plus egg and milk specified on the box)

1 cup shredded Mexican
cheese

 

Start heating your Dutch oven
over coals. In a separate pan, cook the chicken, onions and peppers in olive
oil and add the cumin and cayenne pepper. Add the corn and black beans to
heat through. Put one cup of enchilada sauce and one cup of the chicken
mixture in the bottom of the Dutch oven and cover with a layer of tortillas.
Repeat these layers. Mix cornbread according to package instructions and pour
it over the layers. Top it off with the cheese. Cook covered about 30 minutes
at about 350 degrees* or until contents are solidified.

 

 

Cobblers are a sweet way to
finish off a meal, and they’re so easy to make. To save time, mix the dry
ingredients together before you leave home and store the mixture in a zip
lock bag.

 

1 ½ cups rolled
oats

¾ cup brown
sugar

¾ cup white
sugar

1 cup flour

½ tsp.
cinnamon

¾ cup butter,
softened

6 cups fruit (peeled and sliced
peaches or apples or berries of your choice)

 

Place the fruit in the bottom of
a 10 or 12-inch Dutch oven. Add butter to the dry mixture and stir until
crumbly. Spread the topping mixture over the fruit and bake for 35-45 minutes
at 350 degrees* or until the topping has a “cookie-like”
texture.