# Cast Iron/Dutch Oven Cooking



## Jessica_Morris (Mar 27, 2014)

Do any of you use cast iron to cook? We recently bought a Lodge Cast Iron and looking for some awesome things to cook in it. Any suggestions? What have you had good luck cooking in it? Thanks in Advance 

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## CraigC (Mar 27, 2014)

I use a CI, 12" fry pan on my jet cooker to blacken. I get it screaming white-hot. I also use a CI griddle and dutch oven occasionally.


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## GA Home Cook (Mar 27, 2014)

Keep this link  Black Iron Blog: Easy Cast Iron Skillet Reconditioning.  It will come in handy with your CI.

I like to use my to pan fry things that I want to get a crunch on.  Okra, squash, blackening fish or chicken.  I like to use it on my side burner on my grill to keep from smoking or stinking up the house.

I also like the easy of browning something and then sticking in a whatever temperature oven.

Plus it was my grandmothers, makes it very special.

Very versatile.

Hal


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## GotGarlic (Mar 27, 2014)

Jessica_Morris said:


> Do any of you use cast iron to cook? We recently bought a Lodge Cast Iron and looking for some awesome things to cook in it. Any suggestions? What have you had good luck cooking in it? Thanks in Advance
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 4 using Discuss Cooking mobile app



A Lodge cast-iron what?  Skillet? Dutch oven? 

You can cook anything in it. Fried chicken, steak, pork chops, cornbread, pineapple upside down cake, spaghetti sauce, etc., in addition to the items mentioned above. It's great for searing but does other things well, too.


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## Whiskadoodle (Mar 27, 2014)

Pot Roast

What I've made recent.  Stew, corn bread, soup,  chicken,  pork chops, sloppy joes, whatever burger + to initially make for a casserole.


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## Jessica_Morris (Mar 27, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> A Lodge cast-iron what?  Skillet? Dutch oven?
> 
> You can cook anything in it. Fried chicken, steak, pork chops, cornbread, pineapple upside down cake, spaghetti sauce, etc., in addition to the items mentioned above. It's great for searing but does other things well, too.



It's a 12' cast iron skillet. 

I've asked a lot of people their favorite things to cook in their cast iron cookware and just about everyone I know has mentioned the pineapple upside down cake. That was one of my favorites that my great aunt us to make for me.


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## Dawgluver (Mar 27, 2014)

Mmmm.  Pineapple upside down cake. Mmmm.

I've made some great seared tuna steaks, ribeyes, and scallops in mine.  And as has been mentioned, you can cook anything in CI.


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## Whiskadoodle (Mar 27, 2014)

Ah,  a skillet.  Take care of it and it will take care of you. 

Yes. Pineapple upside down cake.

Corn bread corn bread and more corn bread.

Bacon.  Put the corn bread batter on top of the bacon drippings.  (well, I filter/ pour off the drippings first,  wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and save up bacon drippings if not making corn bread immediately.  

Fried chicken.  A few pieces at a time.   Pan fried or breaded and oven fried pork chops.    The only time I heat my CI skillet really hot is if frying up a steak.    

I made Home Fries for dinner tonight in my CI Skillet.  Perfect.


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## jennyema (Mar 27, 2014)

Jessica_Morris said:


> It's a 12' cast iron skillet.
> 
> I've asked a lot of people their favorite things to cook in their cast iron cookware and just about everyone I know has mentioned the pineapple upside down cake. That was one of my favorites that my great aunt us to make for me.



A cast iron skillet is totally different than a Dutch oven (title of your post)

Yes, pineapple upside down cake rocks in a ci skillet

As does cornbread

Use it to roast a whole chicken

And then use it to make basically anything a stainless or other skillet would be used for.

Unless yours has a lid it can't be used for braising.  That requires a tight fitting lid.  Dutch ovens are for braising.


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## Andy M. (Mar 27, 2014)

I use my 12" CI skillet to make a one pan breakfast.  It's big enough to  cook a split english muffin, 3 links of breakfast sausage and a biscuit cutter to cook an egg in.  You start the egg inside the biscuit cutter after buttering the ring and skillet.  While that's cooking add three sausage links and the english that you've cut in half with a knife.  place some cheese on top of the egg.  When all parts are done, you can assemble your sausage McMuffin on a plate.

This multi-tasking also works for hash brown patties, sausages and two eggs.  One dirty pan you can wipe out with a paper towel and a hearty breakfast.

I've also used it for an upside down cake and for cornbreads although I prefer the 10" for cornbread.

Also, casseroles you can start in the stove top and finish in the oven.  Fried chicken, french fries, hash browns, home fries, steaks, burgers.

As jen said, anything that cooks in a SS, non-stick or aluminum skillet, fry pan or sauté pan can be cooked in a CI skillet.


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## cave76 (Mar 27, 2014)

I love cooking with cast iron 'anything'. When you get the hang of how to take care of it (isn't difficult at all) you'll love it.

I recently bought a Lodge cast iron griddle, grill marks on one side, smooth on the other. Haven't used it yet but I seasoned it and just waiting to grill sandwiches on it. My CI skillets aren't big enough to hold two sandwiches in it and this will eliminate having to do one then the other.

The only thing I'm cautious about is cooking tomatoes in a CI dutch oven (or skillet). I've heard that's not a good thing to do----- but I have friends that do.
Maybe I'm being too cautious.

And now that a pineapple upside down cake has been mentioned----- I remember the great ones I used to make in my CI skillet and will have to do that real soon!


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## Jessica_Morris (Mar 28, 2014)

With the title I was referring to both the skillet and a dutch oven. 

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## letscook (Mar 28, 2014)

Dutch Oven - great for Pot Roast, whole chicken, pork roast, beef stew, 
try Ole blue pork loin - delious!!!

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f49/melt-in-your-mouth-pork-loin-39428.html


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## NoQuinoaForMeThanks (Jun 10, 2014)

I use my dutch oven for anything requiring a slow cook such as lamb shanks, brisket, and ragu, as well as for every day cooking like bolognese, soups and sauces, 

I couldn't live without it!


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## chiklitmanfan (Jun 11, 2014)

Oh yes!  I own a 9"x12" Dutch oven and use it extensively.  That thing is so perfectly seasoned nothing sticks in it.  I use it for soups, stews, and it works as a fantastic Asian stir-fry pot.  I'll have to put it in my will because my children both want it!  One of these days I'll get ambitious and oven-bake some home-made bread or a whole chicken in it.

I also have a 12" cast iron skillet which I've cooked EVERYTHING in.

One essential safety item you need, especially if you're cooking with cast iron on a gas stove, is a set of quality HEAVY DUTY HOT PADS!  I've burned the !!%*^#@!! out of my fingers more than once.


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## Andy M. (Jun 11, 2014)

chiklitmanfan said:


> ...One essential safety item you need, especially if you're cooking with cast iron on a gas stove, is a set of quality HEAVY DUTY HOT PADS!  I've burned the !!%*^#@!! out of my fingers more than once.




I recommend silicone hot pads.  They work great for CI handles.  Also, look into getting a sleeve to fit onto the handle of the skillet.


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## AlisonC (Jun 11, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> I recommend silicone hot pads.  They work great for CI handles.  Also, look into getting a sleeve to fit onto the handle of the skillet.




I second that! I moved a skillet from my oven to my stovetop once and I *knew* it was hot, but as I was doing four things at once I spaced out and grabbed the handle to move it out of my way and ended up with 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my fingers and palm.... an experience I will not repeat. As soon as a hot skillet comes out of my oven a silicone sleeve goes onto the handle! Please learn from my mistake!


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