Dutch Oven and Cast Iron Cooking, Revised & Expanded Third Edition E-Book

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 215

Beschreibung

Newly expanded with 20 more cast iron skillet and Dutch oven recipes, this is the ultimate guide to indoor and outdoor cooking! With over 125 campfire recipes, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron Cooking serves up tasty dishes everyone will love, from breakfast, breads, and dinner entrees to side dishes and desserts. Make delicious pot pies, stews, sandwiches, and casseroles, even cakes, biscuits, and brownies! Perfect for any camping or cooking enthusiast, most recipes include instructions for both indoor and outdoor cooking methods. Also included are valuable tips for seasoning, cleaning, drying, and storing cast iron cookware. Plus, you'll learn 22 camping hacks and tips, as well as know exactly what to bring on your next outdoor adventure with a helpful packing list!

Leseprobe

© 2013, 2017, 2020 by Fox Chapel Publishing, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Recipe selection, design, and book design © Fox Chapel Publishing.

Except as noted below, all recipes and photography © G&R Publishing DBA CQ Products.

All rights reserved. Dutch Oven & Cast Iron Cooking is a revised and expanded third edition of the 2017 version originally published by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc.

Print ISBN 978-1-4971-0101-2eISBN 978-1-6076-5813-9

Image here courtesy of Africa Studio/Shutterstock. Campfire icon on “Camping Tidbits” sidebars throughout courtesy of In-Finity/Shutterstock.

The Publisher would like to thank Donna and Colleen Sloan of A Happy Camper (www.AHappyCamper.com) for sharing their recipes and tips in this book.

The recipes here and here courtesy of Colleen Sloan and A Happy Camper (www.AHappyCamper.com). The text appearing here, here, the sidebar here, and the chart here courtesy of Colleen Sloan and A Happy Camper (www.AHappyCamper.com).

Sources for About Colleen Sloan (here): Moore, Carrie A. “Going Dutch: Utahn is expert at cooking with cast iron and coals.” Deseret News. July 14, 2004. www.deseretnews.com/article/595076993/Going-Dutch-Utahn-is-expert-at-cooking-with-cast-ironand-coals.html.

The Publisher would like to thank Ashley Burnstad, Le Creuset, Lodge Manufacturing Company, Emily Loeffelman, Tracy Melton, Kyle Murphy, Tasneem Rajkotwala, David G. Smith, Ruth Tam, Christie Vanover, and Beth Velatini for kindly sharing photos (pages noted below).

Ashley Burnstad (www.AshleyBurnstad.com, @ashleyburnstadphoto): 27 and 191

Le Creuset (www.LeCreuset.com): 15, 29 (right), and 155

Lodge Manufacturing Company (www.LodgeMFG.com): 10, 13, 26, 28 (skillets), and 30

Emily Loeffelman (www.EverythingEmilyBlog.com, @emilyloeffelman): 19

Tracy Melton (www.FocusLineArt.BigCartel.com, @focuslineart): 3

Kyle Murphy (www.KNMPortraits.com, @knmportraits): 33 and 167

Tasneem Rajkotwala (www.oughtsOverChai.net, @thoughtsoverchai): 5, 39, and 45

David G. Smith (www.PanMan.com), photos and captions: 50, 82, 87, 140, 151, 173, 181, and 192

Ruth Tam (www.CookTilDelicious.com, @rushyama): 71

Christie Vanover (www.Instagram.com/girlscangrill)

Beth Velatini (www.Instagram.com/mybizzykitchen): 43

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

Printed in Singapore First printing

This book has been published with the intent to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter within. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the author and publisher expressly disclaim any responsibility for any errors, omissions, or adverse effects arising from the use or application of the information contained herein.

There is a variety of meals you can make in cast iron cookware, including one-pot meals.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

CAST IRON: Back to the Basics

BREAKFAST

Zippy Scrambled Eggs

Simple Dutch Oven Omelet

Sizzlin’ Skillet Breakfast

Hungry Camper’s Breakfast Strata

Greens & Things Frittata

Fire-Kissed Morning Panzanella

Hearty Breakfast Pizza

Wake-Up Western Eggs

Hot & Cheesy Breakfast Sandwich

Filled Breakfast Biscuits

Toasted Bagel Sandwiches

Chicken Brunch Croissants

South Your Mouth AM Tacos

Pigs in Corn Bread

Sassy Sweet Potato Skillet

Country Sausage Gravy

Loaded Hash Browns

Fried Rice for Breakfast

Chickpea Veggie Hash

Iced Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

Apple-Cranberry Puffed Pancake

Filled Pancake Roll-Ups

Fireside Applesauce Pancakes

Hearty Cornmeal Pancakes

Easy French Toast Bake

Caramelized Peach French Toast

Stuffed Strawberry French Toast

BREADS

Bacon Lover’s Bread

Campsite Biscuits

Spicy Yam Biscuits

Italian Pesto Rolls

Sweet Dutch Oven Corn Bread

Skillet-Baked Southern Corn Bread

Cheesy Jalapeño Monkey Bread

Quick ’n’ Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Camper’s Focaccia

Easy Sourdough Bread

Jumbo Garlic Bread Ring

Cran-Orange Bread

Autumn Pumpkin Bread

Sweet Butterscotch Pecan Rolls

Quick-Fix Breads

MAIN DISHES

Deep-Dish Pizza

Rainy Day Pizza Casserole

Pepperoni Roll-Ups

Fireside Lasagna

Mama’s Chicken Pot Pie

Pie Iron Pot Pie

Citrus Chicken & Sprouts

Campfire Cola Chicken

Dutch Oven Roasted Chicken & Vegetables

Family-Style Chicken & Rice

BBQ Cheesy Chicken Sandwich

Hawaiian-Style Chicken

Hawaiian BBQ Quesadillas

Fajita Enchiladas

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Happy Times Skillet Nachos

Grandma’s Hot Dish

Beer Brat Hash

Skillet Kielbasa Hash

Fancy Beans & Franks

Beef & Bean Chimichangas

Crunchy Potatoes & Ham

Cheesy Spinach Calzones

Old-Fashioned Pork Roast

Toasty BLT

Cast Iron Pork Chop Bake

Pesto Panini

Hawaiian-Style Kielbasa

Parmesan-Pesto Pasta

Pan-Seared Steak

Chuck Wagon Beef Stew

Simmering Cider Beef Stew

Calico Chili

Fireside Sloppy Joes

Hearty Beef Goulash

Spicy Chili Mac

Dutch Oven Meatloaf

Simple Round Steak

Stuffed Portobello Bake

Barbecued Beef Brisket

Dutch Oven Stroganoff

Tender Beef Pot Roast

Swiss Crabmeat Bake

Fisherman’s Tuna Melts

Blackened Cajun Catfish

SIDE DISHES

Loaded Party Potatoes

Cheesy Puffed Potatoes

Easy Potatoes Au Gratin

Cheese & Onion Puffs

Simple Green Beans & Red Potatoes

Garlic Potato Wedges

Cheesy Baked Corn

Vegetable & Stuffing Bake

Quick Spanish Rice

Inside-Out Jalapeño Poppers

Glazed Autumn Vegetables

Spicy Baked Beans

Roasted Herbed Vegetables

Zucchini-Tomato Bake

Creamy Mac & Cheese

Hot Pimento Dip

DESSERTS

Jumbo Chipper Cookie

S’mores Hand Pies

One-Pan Brownies

Extreme Brownie Pie

Nutty Hot Fudge Cake

Flaky Walnut Pastries

Easy Spiced Peach Cake

Fresh Cinnamon Fruit Swirls

Hiker’s Cherry Almond Cake

Banana Upside-Down Cake

Caramel Banana Pound Cake

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Pie Iron Upside-Down Cake

Best Berry Crumble

Camper’s Dream Pies

Rhubarb Pie Dessert

Dutch Oven Cinnamon-Pecan Cake

Apple Cake Dessert

Caramel Apple Delight

Granny’s Apple Pie

FOREWORD

A Brief History of Cast Iron Cookware

The Dutch oven, once called the black pot or cooking cauldron, has been a popular cooking vessel for centuries. In fact, early references to the black pot can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. Christopher Columbus brought Dutch oven cooking pots with him on the voyage that led to the discovery of the Americas. In 1620, the Pilgrims cooked with them during their crossing to America, hanging the pots from ship beams and building fires underneath them in sand pits. The Dutch oven is now returning to popularity because of the tasty food it produces and because of the material from which it is made: cast iron.

Cast iron was the material of choice for early cookware because of its ability to withstand high heat, frequent use and some rough handling. Until the start of the eighteenth century, iron was cast in baked loam or clay soil molds. This gave the finished product a rough surface, and the mold generally broke during removal. These early pieces were also very thick walled and heavy. The most advanced foundries of the time were located in or near Holland, and their high-quality cast iron products, including Dutch ovens, were imported to Great Britain and elsewhere in Europe. When people from Europe and Great Britain immigrated to America, they brought the cast iron trade with them.

In 1704, Abraham Darby, an English Quaker, traveled to Holland to inspect the cast iron foundries. As a result, he discovered that wet sand molds could be used to make lighter, thinner cast iron products at a much faster rate than with other methods. In 1708, Darby received a patent for his casting process and began manufacturing large quantities of cast iron products in a furnace at Coalbrookdale. By the mid-eighteenth century, Darby’s cast iron pots were being shipped to America.

This image from the mid- to late-1900s shows a Lodge Manufacturing Company employee creating the molds for Lodge’s cast iron products.

The first American casting was made in Massachusetts circa 1642, and afterward, small foundries began to appear in most of the colonies. Pots from this time period can often be identified by a round protrusion of extra iron, known as a sprue, formed on the pot where the iron entered the mold. Generally, the sprue is located on the bottom of a pot, so it didn’t affect the use of hearth pots, which were suspended over a fire or nestled in a bed of coals. As cooking ranges were developed, however, it became necessary to produce cookware with flat bottoms for use on a stovetop or in the oven of a coal or wood stove.

Two major foundries producing cast iron cookware during the eighteenth century were Griswold Manufacturing Company in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Wagner Manufacturing Company in Sidney, Ohio. With the invention of artificial nonstick materials like Teflon®, however, the cookware industry began to change, resulting in the closing of many foundries, including Griswold and Wagner. People wanted pots and pans that were lightweight, pretty and pretreated for nonstick cooking. Cast iron skillets, griddles and Dutch ovens were relegated to the back shelf in favor of the newest and “greatest” cookware available.

Camping Tidbits

Keep your eyes open for the camping hacks scattered throughout this book. Each contains a little bit of wisdom you can use to make your outdoors experience even more enjoyable and memorable.

References to the use of cast iron cookware (also known as the “black pot”) have been noted in the Old Testament of the Bible.

Today, cast iron cookware is being rediscovered as something that produces mouthwatering foods and is durable enough to be passed down through generations of cooks. These old standbys are onetime purchases with cooking surfaces that get better with age and regular use. Although the Griswold and Wagner foundries are no longer open, they remain well-known names among cast iron enthusiasts and collectors, and other companies, such as Lodge Manufacturing Company, continue to produce outstanding cast iron cookware today.

Some things have changed about Dutch ovens and other cast iron cookware, but they still make excellent cooking tools. It really thrills me to see so many people attending classes and demonstrations about Dutch ovens and cast iron cookware. Cast iron cookware is a lifetime investment and, if cared for, will be a family heirloom you can keep for generations. Make it your way of cooking today and carry on the old traditions.

Try your favorite recipe by warming your Dutch oven and lightly oiling it. Put your food in, heat the oven to 350 degrees, and wait for the smell—it will tell you when it’s done. Like my Grandma said, “Kissin’ wears out, but cookin’ don’t.” Cook with love—it’s the only ingredient missing.

— Colleen Sloan,

author of Log Cabin Dutch Oven

About Colleen Sloan

Colleen Sloan grew up on a farm in Utah, where she learned the basics of Dutch oven and camp cooking from her family. Recognizing that this traditional method of cooking was something worth preserving, Sloan has made an effort to bring Dutch oven and cast iron cooking to as many people as possible.

For nearly two decades, Sloan has been introducing others to the delicious taste of food prepared with cast iron cookware. Driving across the country, she gives demonstrations and teaches classes about Dutch oven and camp cooking techniques. She eventually self-published her first cookbook, which features traditional recipes from her grandmother. The venture was largely successful, and several more cookbooks have followed.

To support her cast iron cooking craze, Sloan has a collection of more than 150 cast iron pieces, and that number is always growing. The set includes such standout pieces as a bean pot predating the Revolutionary War.

Today, cast iron products and cooking methods are climbing back into popularity, capturing the interest of people across the country. Sloan is incredibly excited to see this rising interest in the cooking methods she has been using her entire life.

The molten cast iron was poured by hand into sand molds.

The cookware shown here is ready to be distributed to customers.

CAST IRON:BACK TO THE BASICS

The rediscovery of cast iron cookware begins with learning about cast iron and how to care for it. If you’re a new cast iron enthusiast, start here to learn everything you need to know about different cast iron products, how to care for them and how to cook with them. When you’ve got the basics down, dive into the recipes for some delicious meals that are sure to go on your favorites list. You’ll find everything from quick and easy recipes that come together in minutes to hearty, from-scratch dishes. And be sure to keep an eye out for the handy sidebars and vintage spotlights that feature some great info about cast iron cookware.

Cast iron cookware is available bare and covered with an enamel coating. While the recipes in this book focus on the use of bare cast iron cookware, you might find you are attracted to the look of enamelware. See here for some helpful information about the difference between bare and enamel cast iron.

Characteristics of Cast Iron Cookware

It’s versatile. Made from a single piece of metal, it can go directly from stovetop to oven and be used with campfires and grills. It will handle any style of cooking that you need—you can sauté, roast, bake and more. You can brown food in a skillet and then transfer it directly into a hot oven to finish cooking. That’s one-pot cooking at its best!

It’s heavy. This means your cast iron pots and pans will maintain an even cooking temperature once heated. This also means your cast iron cookware is durable, and it only gets better with age. A well-maintained cast iron piece can last for generations! Because it is heavy, look for sturdy handles on both sides to make handling easier, and use both hands to lift and move pans.

It can handle high temperatures. You’re going to get great results with cast iron cookware. Food will brown nicely and crusts will be crisp. The pots retain heat, so you can serve meals right out of your cookware without any concern that it will go cold. Do remember to use good pot holders and trivets, though!

It’s inexpensive, green cooking. It’s not very difficult to manufacture cast iron cookware, so compared to other top-of-the line pots and pans, it’s relatively inexpensive. If the price tag is still making you hesitate, keep in mind that if cared for, your cookware will last for years—and probably beyond—and won’t have to be replaced any time soon. If you don’t want to buy new, shop at second-hand stores or estate sales for used cookware.

It’s natural, nonstick cooking. Unlike other nonstick cookware, there are no artificial chemical coatings to be concerned about with cast iron. And if you keep your cast iron pots and pans well seasoned, you will have a natural, nonstick surface—all of the benefits of nonstick cooking without any synthetic materials, just the natural oils you use to season the cookware.

It can add an important nutrient to your food. When you cook with cast iron, a bit of iron leaches from the pan into the food being prepared, bumping up the iron content for your body to absorb. So just by cooking your food, you are making sure your body is well nourished—no extra vegetables or vitamins required! (Acidic foods, like tomato sauces, pull out more iron from the pans, so limit the cooking time of these foods to 30 minutes or less to avoid any metallic taste.)

How Did the Dutch Oven Get Its Name?

Dutch ovens and other cast iron cookware were distributed throughout America by salesmen with wagons. When a salesman or trader was seen coming with his pots clanging on the side hangers of his wagon, people would say, “Here comes the Dutchman with his ovens.”

Cast iron cookware will maintain an even cooking temperature once heated.

Prepping & Caring for Cast Iron

Seasoning

Seasoning is the process of preparing the cast iron cookware for use. There are two objectives to this process:

1.Coat the cookware to prevent rust

2.Create a natural, permanent, nonstick cooking surface

Seasoning is an easy, but very important, first step when using cast iron cookware. Unlike synthetically coated cookware, cast iron items can be seasoned and their cooking surfaces restored. When you season a cast iron utensil, you are preventing rust and providing the cookware with a natural, permanent, nonstick surface. Remember: It takes some time and use after seasoning before a pan will develop the shiny, black surface of your grandmother’s cast iron cookware. A black, shiny skillet is a well-seasoned skillet! Follow these steps to season your cast iron cookware. Never season your cookware inside because of the smoke, smell and potential fire hazard that are part of the process.

New Dutch ovens and other cast iron pieces have a protective wax coating to prevent rust during shipping. If you have a new cast iron piece, remove any paper labels and place it on heat on a barbecue grill to burn off the protective wax coating.

Lightly grease your cookware, inside and out. Suggested oils for this process include vegetable oil, solid Crisco, bacon grease or lard because they offer a low burning point.

Place your cookware in your barbeque grill or outdoor cook stove. You do not want the oil to pool anywhere in your cookware during the seasoning process, so be sure to turn it bottom side up. If you are seasoning a Dutch oven, put the lid on top of the legs. Heat the cookware on medium heat until it turns black and the oil is burned into the surface. You will want the heat around 500°F–550°F to burn the oil in. If you are using an outdoor cook stove, put about 25–30 briquettes into the stove to reach the proper temperature. You will notice that sometime during this process, smoke will come out of your barbecue grill for about 20 minutes or so. This is normal. Remember, you are burning oil into the pan, creating the nice black look that you want. After one hour, turn off your grill and let the cookware cool by itself. Your cookware will be EXTREMELY hot, so cooling will take some time. It is helpful to let the cookware sit overnight. Then, it will be cool in the morning.

After your cookware has cooled, check your progress. Your cookware should be a nice black color. If you see what look like freckles on the surface, part of the protective wax coating was not removed before seasoning. To address this, scrub those areas to remove the wax, and then repeat the seasoning process.

If the cookware is not as black as you’d like, repeat the process using a slightly higher heat setting on your grill. Remember, you want your cookware to be black, not brown. A brown color means you need to season at a higher temperature.

Acidic foods, such as tomato sauce, might remove some seasoning. Lightly oil your cookware after preparing acidic foods and place it upside down in your grill for 30 minutes to reseason it.

Every part of a cast iron cookware item will need to be lightly greased with vegetable oil or shortening, bacon grease, or lard—not just the interior.

If cast iron cookware is maintained and seasoned properly, it will retain a natural, nonstick surface.

After seasoning, allow cast iron cookware items to cool overnight in a grill.

Keep Mosquitos at Bay

Add some sage or rosemary bundles to your campfire to repel mosquitos. Your campsite will smell amazing and become a bite-free zone.

Once seasoned to a shiny, black finish, your cast iron cookware can be used to cook a variety of delicious meals.

A mixture of water and apple cider vinegar can be used to clean off any leftover food particles.

Cleaning

Pans may be cleaned without water by scrubbing them with coarse salt or a plastic scraper and then simply wiping them with a clean rag or paper towel. They may also be washed with very hot water and a stiff nylon brush or scrubber, rinsed and wiped dry. It’s best to avoid dish soap (it strips off the seasoning and can seep into the metal), but if you feel it’s necessary to get your pan clean, use it sparingly and then refresh the seasoning.

Natural apple cider vinegar is also an excellent cleaning tool for cast iron. Mix 4 parts water and 1 part vinegar together and put the mixture in a spray bottle. While your cookware is still warm, spray it with the water/vinegar mixture and cover it with the lid for a few minutes. You will notice that any food left in the pan will become soft. Just use coarse salt or a plastic scraper to scrub off the food residue. Then wipe with a clean rag or paper towel. Repeat as necessary.

To evaporate any remaining moisture and prevent rust, heat the cookware on a stovetop at a low heat.

Drying

Wipe cookware with paper towels or old towels (cast iron can leave black stains). Then, set it on a burner over low heat to remove remaining moisture and prevent rust. Periodically, lightly coat the inside of the warm pan with oil or shortening and return to low heat for 1 to 2 minutes to refresh seasoning. This is only recommended if you intend to use your pan again within a short period of time. Otherwise, do not oil your pan, as the oil can become rancid if left for a long time between uses. Let the pan cool completely before storing. Remember, cast iron cookware can get hot fast! Use a hot pad!

Storing

After all the moisture has been removed from your cookware and it has cooled down, put a paper towel over the top so half hangs inside and half hangs outside the cookware. Then, put the lid on. If you have a storage bag, place the cookware in the bag. Store it in a dry location. Remember not to reseason your cookware before storage unless you intend to use it again immediately. Otherwise, the oil could go rancid before your next use.

Do not reseason cookware before storing unless it will be used immediately—the oil could become rancid if it sits for too long.

Removing rust

If you have inherited an old cast iron piece or stored one that still had some moisture in it, you might encounter rust. If the rust is just beginning to appear, scrub the piece with a scouring pad, sandpaper, steel wool or a rust eraser (available at your local hardware store) and rinse well. Once the rust has been removed, make sure you dry your cookware over a heat source to remove all the moisture. Do not let your cast iron cookware air-dry, as this can promote rust. Then, reseason your cookware.

Profile rust is rust seen and felt on the cookware. To remove this type of rust, use a very fine grade of steel wool or an abrasive soap pad to scrub the affected area. When the piece is scrubbed down to the raw cast iron, it should be reseasoned immediately. If you have put any water on the cookware, you should dry it over heat before reseasoning.

Rust covering the majority of the cast iron is considered severe. You might encounter this on an older piece that has been neglected. You have two options to refurbish this cookware.

First, purchase a metal brush that will fit on a hand drill. Attach the brush to the drill and use it to scrub away the rust. Then, season the pan immediately.

Second, you can soak the cookware in vinegar and water to remove the rust. Place the cookware in a large container and surround it with hay. Fill the container with enough water to cover the pan, adding 2 cups of cider vinegar for every gallon of water. Let the pan soak for about an hour. Then, check to see if the rust has been removed. If not, scrub the pan a little and let it soak for an additional hour. Repeat until all the rust has been removed—this may take 12 to 24 hours if your pan is extremely rusty. Then, scrub it with a scouring pad and rinse and season the pan.

More extreme measures will have to be taken to rid a cast iron pot or pan of severe rust damage.

Removing rancid oil

Without frequent use, the oil used for seasoning cast iron can become rancid and affect the taste of your food. To prevent this, do not reseason your pan before storage unless you know you will use it again shortly. If you find your oil has become rancid, you can remove it using the following process.

Put your cookware on a heat source and add 1 cup of vinegar and enough water to fill the pan. Boil the water and vinegar for about 30 minutes. As you boil the water and vinegar, you will see the oil start to pull out of the sides of the cookware. When this occurs, your pan is ready for use. Pour out the water and return the pan to the heat source to dry if you don’t plan to use it immediately. If you wish to begin cooking, spray the pan with some oil and you’re ready to start!

Boil a water and vinegar mixture in cast iron cookware for about half an hour to remove rancid oil.

Caring for Cast Iron

▪ Don’t put cold water into a hot pan (or hot water into a cold one)—it can crack.

▪ Never leave cast iron soaking in water—it may rust.

▪ Don’t wash cast iron cookware in the dishwasher unless you need to strip the pan to prepare it for the seasoning process.

▪ Cast iron holds heat, so use thick pot holders when handling pots and pans.

▪ Enamel-coated cast iron is not designed for outdoor cooking and requires some special care.

Types of Cast Iron Cookware

Dutch oven: A deep, thick-walled cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid.

Camp-style Dutch oven: Used primarily for cooking with a campfire.

Features: 3 short legs, flat lid with a vertical lip (to hold hot coals), sturdy cast iron handle on lid, strong wire handle attached at the sides (to lift or hang pot).

Kitchen-style Dutch oven: Used for cooking on a stovetop, in an oven, or on a grate or propane burner.

Features: