Cast Iron Cooking

For decades, Murlo has cooked with cast iron cookware for camping and at home use on a regular basis with great results!

Murlo has used cast iron cookware for open flame camping and home cooking. We’ve cooked chili, bacon & eggs, bread and soup with excellent results.

Cast iron cooking seems to be making a bit of a comeback or at least interest in using cast iron cookware. We have provided links to experts to a number of websites on how to clean and season your cookware along with cooking tips.

The pictured to the left shows our three pieces we use regularly: Dutch Oven (10″ wide, 4″ deep with lid; two frying pans, 8″ and 10″) The lone lid fits nicely on the 10″ frying pan if needed.

Why Use Cast Iron?
better flavour (stews, soup, chilli, bread)
health – iron
High heat good for frying – wings, scallops
open flame, bbq, stove top, oven
handle and body are one piece

Here is a great CNN article by Lesley Kennedy, The Best cast-iron Skillets of 2021 on preparation, using and care of your cast iron cookware to ensure years of great cooking!

Seasoning
It’s a real thing. What is Seasoning? Seasoning is baking a layer of oil in your cast iron cookware before its first use. The more you use your cast iron cookware the better it will be for cooking as you build up more oil (seasoning). Always look for those old black well use skillets if you plan to buy pre-owed. They are the one you want!

Cast iron cookware needs seasoning, or a baked-on layer of oil, before you can use it. No, you don’t add spices—this seasoning is more like a polish that keeps your skillet from rusting or sticking to food.

My understanding is newer cast iron cookware already comes pre-seasoned. You must season your cast iron cookware before you first use them.

Here is a great article by Jake Smith called ‘How to Season Cast Iron Cookware the Right Way, According to a Pro Chef at the Prevention website.

Note:
1. The bread photo shows a previous blog recipe for Rosemary Garlic bread done in a cast iron Dutch oven.

2. Photo to the right shows a previous blog recipe for Murlo Easy Chili done in a cast iron Dutch oven.

Cast-Iron Articles
We have come across many articles by experts who tested skillets, how to season and care for your cookware on the internet. Here are a few for you to consider.

Another article by Jolie Kerr, “Cast-Iron Skillets Can Be a Nightmare to Clean: Here’s How To Do It Properly”.

Or, How to Care for Cast Iron Skillets, Griddles, and Cookware by the Spruce Eats.

Recipes
There are many cast iron recipes Murlo has yet to try
1. Cast Iron Skillet Recipes at allrecipes.com
2. 65 of Our Best-Ever Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes by Dana Meredith at Taste of Home.com

Murlo Observations
1. Frying Eggs – we’ve had mixed results frying eggs. The eggs either cook great and easy of flip or we had the opposite where we broke the yolk to have a scrambled egg!
2. The Lodge Cast Iron or Alice’s Kitchen website have great tips to fry eggs without breaking the yolk or difficulty.

Safe Cooking Temperature Guide

Cast Iron Cooking

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