# cast iron, awsome stuff



## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

of course any good outdoorsman and cook worth his salt has a
collection of cast iron. dutch ovens, frying pans , cornbread molds, skillets, griddles.
one of my all time favorites is a simple round 12" flat griddle. this old timer, that once belonged to my grand parents has a permenent spot on the left front burner of our stove.
aside from the best pancakes in the world, and grilled cheese with balogna sandwiches...it hold a specia; place because of how fast it can make a quick easy dinner when your wore out from a hard day, and need something that tastes stupidly good.
in my 12 inch frying pan i dump some low colesteral oil, (read that as a small lake of real butter) into which i add for browning some chopped up onions, red or yellow sweet pepper. while that gets going i grab what ever bit of meat we might have on hand. a boneless chicken breast, pork chops, venison,, even plain ol hamburger. once cut to nice little slivers, i toss that in to the pan to brown . then throw on some rice in a pot. quick rice is fine,,its mostly to mop up the sauce.
once the meat ,onion combo is going i might add in some hash browns if i feel the need. then the secret,,,a package of fajita mix..i keep a bunch in the cupboard at all time that and a 1/3 cup of water into the mix and as i stir its time to heat up the grill.
that grill is perfect for toasting your fajita wrap. set out a jar of salsa, a squeeze bottle of sourcream,(which by the way is an invention equal in every way to the wheel) and a package of shredded cheese. and dinner is ready. takes 15to 20 minutes and results in very happy tummies.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

I know what you mean. I love my cast iron skillets. The prize of my collection is a #14 Griswold skillet. A natural gas or propane stove is the only way to go.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

I have several Griswold pieces that I love to cook with. Let me recommend one more. An iron "Peking Pan" wok. Very versatile.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

I used to think cast iron was the be all and end all of skillets. Then my wife and I picked up one of those ceramic lined skillets. NOTHING sticks to them, EVER. I want a biggfer one now.......


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## Magnet (Mar 2, 2001)

We also have a variety of Griswolds at the cabin.

Another nice piece is "The Ultimate Turkey Cooker". Throw whatever you want in it, put it on the woodstove, go hunting or whatever. When you come in, dinner is ready. That thing is heavy though.

Check it out here:
http://wowshopper.com/bbq-grill/roasting-accessories-ultimate-turkey-roaster.htm


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## tightlineyellowline (Mar 11, 2014)

Wonder how that Turkey roaster would do in a outdoor wood boiler ????????????


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## Magnet (Mar 2, 2001)

Not sure about the wood boiler.....

If you were to surf around a little bit, the cooker can be found for about 1/2 the price that they have listed on the link I provided above.

We also use it indoors on a propane gas stove.


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

Magnet said:


> We also have a variety of Griswolds at the cabin.
> 
> Another nice piece is "The Ultimate Turkey Cooker". Throw whatever you want in it, put it on the woodstove, go hunting or whatever. When you come in, dinner is ready. That thing is heavy though.
> 
> ...



I found the roaster at Sports Authority about 10 years ago at the end of summer. They were marked down real low. I picked up two for my friends and bought one for myself that came with a burner. I haven't cooked a turkey in it, but have used it for ribs and other things. It worked great up at deer camp. And it is heavy, very heavy.


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

We use cast iron all the time..I sorta have a pretty good collection. Griswold, Vollrath, Wagner, Chicago Iron Works, some great old stuff out there. Lasts forever. I pick up some fab deals at garage sales and junkin'..


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## Badgersbunk (Feb 7, 2011)

After my grandpa passed I got his cast iron collection from his cabin. It was in pretty rough shape but after some heavy cleaning and seasoning they're like new again.


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

Something to read on cast iron cooking utensils ...

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/06/how-to-buy-season-clean-maintain-cast-iron-pans.html


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Try flax seed oil. I found it works better than the oils mentioned.


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

I've been in the process of switching out my pots and pans. I finally got out my cast iron set, cleaned them up and re-seasoned them. Dutch oven, small and medium frying pans and griddle. I also started using an old 12 inch pan I got from my friends dad. That one must be 50 years old, but in very good shape but 8 pounds. I also have all stainless steel pots and pans that I like for some things like jambalaya, chili and spaghetti sauce that contain tomatoes. My wife doesn't like to use the cast iron because it is too heavy for her. That's fine, she can keep and use her non-stick crappy pans that stick all the time.


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## RMH (Jan 17, 2009)

alex-v said:


> Something to read on cast iron cooking utensils ...
> 
> http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/06/how-to-buy-season-clean-maintain-cast-iron-pans.html


 
I had a nice frying pan but it broke, got to hot I guess.
I was surprised to read this, all these years I gave cast iron this credit!


*"It heats unevenly.* Contrary to popular belief, iron is a poor conductor of heat, which means that the heat doesn't travel far from its source. Trying to use a 12-inch cast iron skillet on a 3-inch burner ring is an exercise in futility: the outer edges of the pan will never get hot. To effectively heat a cast iron pan, you need a large burner, and plenty of time for even distribution"


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

RMH said:


> I had a nice frying pan but it broke, got to hot I guess.


Never had it happen to me but I have read about it years ago. Some people would recommend putting a new pan or dutch oven in the fire or a very hot oven to start the seasoning process but I heard that could cause problems right away or down the line.

I have had pans on the stove slow cooking for hours and would often be able to pick them up without a mitt because the handle was not overly hot. But, the food inside was plenty hot. Putting the pan into a 350 degree oven is a different story.

BTW, a beef roast is slowly cooking away in a cast iron Dutch Oven in the oven right now. Later we will put some leftover mashed potatoes into a cast iron frying pan, put a lid on it, and put it into the oven to heat up.


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

While we were out and about this morning running errands, I had to double back when we passed the Salvation Army store. This is one of there larger stores in the area and I had not been in there for a while. You see, I check now and then for kitchen ware like cast iron and stainless steel pots and pans. Sometimes I find a good quality item for little money, like the Panasonic bread maker never used for $8.99 or the stainless deep pan for $3.99. Well, today was my lucky day. Low and behold, sitting on the bottom shelf below the aluminum pans was a cast iron oval fajita pan from the el paso chile co. It cost me $4.24. It looks like it was never used. It will be seasoned shortly after my sexy steak english cut is out of the oven. :woohoo1: :woohoo1:


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

I check garage/yard/estate sales. Most of the time, if I find cast iron it is way overpriced especially considering that it often needs some reworking and then re-seasoning.

I have cast iron lids that do not fit the pans we have. And, pans without lids that fit.


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