There are very few things as appealing and timeless as cooking with cast iron. With its heritage dating to the establishment of the first foundries in the late 1800s, cast iron evokes something of exploring a frontier, like a modern-day Daniel Boone or John Wesley Powell. Whether you’re pushing your limits on a multiday river trip, horse packing in the Weminuche Wilderness or simply grilling in the backyard, cast iron lends a sense of comfort that can be matched only by grandma’s kitchen.
Two longtime river runners, Matt Gerhardt, general manager of 4Corners Riversports, and Scott Japhet, once a paddling instructor and river guide and now the owner of Body Wellness, are cast-iron aficionados, and each have go-to recipes.
The appeal of cooking with cast iron is that a properly maintained Dutch oven or griddle allows you to cook with the laid-back feeling of summer. And let’s not forget its greatest attribute – the distinctive “seasoned” flavor of a well-used pan, handed down through the generations, that will elevate any dish.
“The best part of cooking with a Dutch oven is that you can imbibe a few cocktails and play a game of bocce ball without having to hover over dinner like you would cooking with a normal skillet,” Japhet says. “It’s simple, really; once you smell your dinner, you know it’s done cooking.”
Notable benefits to cast iron also include, according to Japhet, a slight boost in dietary iron, the lack of worrying about scratching or eating Teflon and its timelessness in an era of “disposable everything.”
For Gerhardt, it comes down to simplicity. “Basically, you can cook anything you normally would at home, but think of building your meal in layers, more like a casserole,” he says. “Enchiladas, lasagna and cobblers are perfect for cooking in a Dutch oven, but you can cook damn near anything really – desserts, breads, there are even salad recipes.”
However, with every pro there is a con. “The greatest drawback to cast iron is the weight,” Gerhardt said. “If not properly rigged in the raft, I guess they could become a projectile and that’s a drawback too.”
It could be argued, though, that the greatest hindrance to cooking with cast iron is not its weight but in how to properly season a pan. This seems to be a common source of misinformation and quirky axioms, such as “soap is bad” and “you cannot cook spaghetti sauce in cast iron.”
The manufacturer Lodge Cast Iron, Gerhardt and Japhet all agree that the easiest way to season cast iron is to use a high-heat vegetable oil. Coat your pan in canola, peanut or soy oil. Then, place the pan into a heated oven between 350 and 400 degrees for an hour. Make sure to place the pan upside down to prevent oil from pooling in the pan. Wipe off the excess oil and allow pan to cool. A well-seasoned pan should remain “nonstick” for up to a year of use and should be cleaned with mild dish soap and dried with a lint-free cloth. If you cook excessive amounts of tomato sauce or acidic foods, you will have to re-season a pan more frequently, but you don’t have to shy away from these foods.
There are carbon, steel and aluminum alternatives to cast iron for those unsure about seasoning or for those looking to go lightweight. For a group of up to eight people, Gerhardt recommends a 10-to-12-inch Dutch oven and, for groups larger than that, he suggests using three to four ovens.
“The biggest rookie mistake when cooking with a Dutch oven is piling on the charcoal and nuking your meal,” he says. “Eight to 10 coals on the bottom and 10 to 14 coals on top is all it takes. Just remember, it’s all about simplicity and focusing on having fun.”
Contact Ben Brashear at brashearmedia@gmail.com.
Matt Gerhardt’s Dutch Oven Enchiladas
Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion
1 bell pepper
4 tsp. ground cumin
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 12 oz can tomato paste
1 10 oz can enchilada sauce
12 corn tortillas
1 avocado
2 lbs grated cheese
3 fresh tomatoes
1 head iceberg lettuce
Method
Mix wet ingredients and 3 tsp cumin to make sauce. Meanwhile, brown the beef with 1 tsp of cumin. Dip tortillas in sauce then line bottom of Dutch oven. Spoon beef over top, add cheese and fresh ingredients. Continue building layers of beef, cheese, tortillas and other ingredients until complete. Bake 30 minutes.
