Another cast iron thread, what we have cooked in ours!

[Cabin Fever]

We use our cast iron everyday on the stove, as well as, periodically on the campfire.

we have a few cast iron photos. The photo below is on one of my favorite dishes. It is Thai stir-fry green beans and pork. Very spicy hot (at least for this Minesota Norwegian)



Here's another one of campfire breakfast. Notice I never cook over flames.



Blueberry pancakes (I am stirring up ground coffee and an egg for Swedish egg coffee)

[7thswan]

Originally Posted by wildcat6

My wife recently inherited an 80 year old dutch oven and skillet. They were in pretty rough shape and I washed and dried them last night to try and get the grime off. Applied a coating of oil and put in the oven for a half hour; they are looking a little better. I am thinking about putting a layer of salt in it and putting it back in the oven and then scrubbing it out again and re-seasoning. anyone ever use salt to clean them before? Am I doing this correctly?

I have gotten some that had years of cooked on greese. I spray with oven cleaner then place in a plastic garabage bag,seal. It might take a few treatments like this. Then you can reseason them.

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by 7thswan

I have gotten some that had years of cooked on greese. I spray with oven cleaner then place in a plastic garabage bag,seal. It might take a few treatments like this. Then you can reseason them.

What!?!?! :eek" The cooked on grease is what makes CI non-stick! The more you use CI, the more non-stick it becomes.

[7thswan]

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

What!?!?! :eek" The cooked on grease is what makes CI non-stick! The more you use CI, the more non-stick it becomes.

I've bought then that were very gross, heavy thick grease,on the outsides, top inch of the inside,handle. Yeck,someonelses dusty cooked on grease.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

Originally Posted by 7thswan

I've bought then that were very gross, heavy thick grease,on the outsides, top inch of the inside,handle. Yeck,someonelses dusty cooked on grease.

and thats when they go int he wood stove for a reboot some times you have to start fresh , but adding harsh chemicals , no thanks

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by 7thswan

I've bought then that were very gross, heavy thick grease,on the outsides, top inch of the inside,handle. Yeck,someonelses dusty cooked on grease.

Whew! I would clean them too if I bought someone else's CI (whether or not there was a build up of grease).

[jamesdaclark]

I just did a biscuit top beef pot pie in my Dutch oven, and a frittata in the oven with lard baked biscuits.

[jamesdaclark]

pot pie, frittata

[braggscowboy]

Originally Posted by jamesdaclark

I just did a biscuit top beef pot pie in my Dutch oven, and a frittata in the oven with lard baked biscuits.

What is frittata, if you don;t mind me asking?

[Raven12]

Lodge Girl here

[jamesdaclark]

Originally Posted by braggscowboy

What is frittata, if you don;t mind me asking?

It's just a quiche with no crust. I usd leftover veggies, chicken, and 10 eggs. Start it on the stove top (on low) without stirring until the eggs just start to set, then put a little cheese on top and put it in the broiler until brown.

[Glacialtill]

If you have a dutch oven, and you make bread, I highly recommend trying no-knead bread.

This article has info and how to video and recipe:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/di...tml?ref=dining

We've been doing this for a couple years now and the results are always impressive.

Basically, you fix up a wet mix of flour and water and a tiny bit of yeast. Stir it up. You couldn't knead it if you wanted to. Leave for 18+ hours. Time does the work. After that, vaguely work it on a floured counter and let rise for a couple hours. Preheat oven with the covered dutch oven in it and flop the dough in when it's hot. Cook covered for a while. Then take off the cover and turn down the heat for the finish.

The recipe in the article has more accurate instructions but that's the short version.

Really, really great bread.

[suitcase_sally]

Originally Posted by wildcat6

My wife recently inherited an 80 year old dutch oven and skillet. They were in pretty rough shape and I washed and dried them last night to try and get the grime off. Applied a coating of oil and put in the oven for a half hour; they are looking a little better. I am thinking about putting a layer of salt in it and putting it back in the oven and then scrubbing it out again and re-seasoning. anyone ever use salt to clean them before? Am I doing this correctly?

I use coarse salt to clean my cast fry pans. I find it works very well for getting the sticky residue from frying meat off, or the gravy that's left after you scrape out the pan.

I would have put the washed pan in the oven WITHOUT the oil for 20 minutes or so to make sure there is no moisture in the tiny cells of the metal. Oil can trap the moisture and cause rust if it's not dried out well. Then wipe it down with oil and put in the oven upside down for an hour with the heat at 350º. Then turn off the heat and let it cool in the oven for an hour. Remove the pan, wipe it out REAL well (to the point of almost invisible oil) and do it all again - 3 times. It will turn out as smooth as a baby's behind.

[JustineInWA]

I've cooked all sorts of things in CI. Mostly eggs, but also potatoes, goulash, gumbo, fried chicken, etc. Love it

[7thswan]

Originally Posted by GREENCOUNTYPETE

and thats when they go int he wood stove for a reboot some times you have to start fresh , but adding harsh chemicals , no thanks

The chemicals get washed away with soap and water. I'll post a picture of a very old griddle I put in a fire to clean, it was the first and only time I tryed the fire burn cleaning. It is ruined now, unless it can be fixed by some kind of welding. It's outside hanging on the porch, so I post a pic. tomorrow when I go get it .

[unregistered41671]

Cabin Fever.....what kind of seasoning do you use on your Thai stir-fry green beans and Pork? Looks like something I would love.

[7thswan]

Check this scrubber for cast Iorn.http://www.cmscrubber.com/?gclid=CLu...FcZFMgodgRUAUQ

[farmgal]

Originally Posted by 7thswan

The chemicals get washed away with soap and water. I'll post a picture of a very old griddle I put in a fire to clean, it was the first and only time I tryed the fire burn cleaning. It is ruined now, unless it can be fixed by some kind of welding. It's outside hanging on the porch, so I post a pic. tomorrow when I go get it .

I will never burn clean again. It changes the composition of the metal, ruins them. You can see they get a red hue and they are brittle. Not good, I made an electrolysis devise with a battery charger and washing soda. Works excellent. Look it up to make one. When summer comes and I start to clean more, I will take pics or maybe a video and post it. I cleaned them with the cleaner also but I have so many, it was costing too much. I find them at the scrap yard and people give me them, because they think they are rusty junk lol

Heres a turkey, pic before cooking, thats a huge dutch oven. And everything is cooked right on top of regular wood stove, Its amazing, it cooks in the same time as an oven. So juicy too !


I cook everything with CI on my wood stove, bake pies, use the trivet thingy and smaller dutch oven, pot pies, oh the list is endless, in fact I do not own an oven and havent for 20 years lol Someday soon, I'll have one...lol

[farmgal]

Originally Posted by 7thswan

The chemicals get washed away with soap and water. I'll post a picture of a very old griddle I put in a fire to clean, it was the first and only time I tryed the fire burn cleaning. It is ruined now, unless it can be fixed by some kind of welding. It's outside hanging on the porch, so I post a pic. tomorrow when I go get it .

7thswan, I had one fixed and my parents had one we used that had a braised spot. The problem was the braising material is poisonous, from what I read, so best to use it for a flower pot and just get another, bummer I know.

[wally]

farmgal, I agree, if you cook it on top of the stove or in the oven I can cook it in my DO. I will admit I dont like to cook acidic foods in CI, but I have done it and will do it again