Cast iron makes great camp cookware.

Buy pots with two handles so you will be able to lift them when they are filled. Just keep it away from soap and avoid introducing hot cast iron to cold water. You can store it outside and when your ready to use, rinse it out. A light recoat of vegetable oil, and over the coals our cast iron goes. After the ovens and skillet have worked their magic, we scrub them with a plastic pad under plenty of plain water, and send them to bed with another quick swab of oil. Food refuses to stick, and rust has yet to rear its ugly head. With a little care, it can easily last hundreds of years. It is important to learn how to generate a continuous supply of coals. Fires burn better and generate more coals when logs rest directly on the ashes. Since cast iron holds heat, it is often not necessary to leave the Dutch ovens over the fire when the top coals are added. I often pull a dish, add coals and leave it to continue baking on the cook table. Look at your food, poke it, touch it and learn to determine what it looks like when it's done. On a windy day, cooking times will be longer and the use of coals more critical. Keep hardwood kindling on hand to "punch up the fire" and generate coals quickly. Hickory,mesquite, cherry, apple...many hardwoods chips can be used to add special flavoring. Soak crips in water for at least an hour before using. This will prevent flames and promote smoke! Stay away from red oak...it adds a bitter flavor. www.nwdos.org www.staubusa.com www.lecreuset.com

 

I adore my cast iron cookware.

Camping? Only if somebody else was willing to pack it.


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yea cast iron kick ass for camping..

few years ago, i went camping with some friends, caught some haddock
made deep fried haddock in cast iron.. mmm mmm mmm!! it was tasty stuff!

 

The seasoned walls of a well-used Dutch oven carry a pleasant flavor that's an amalgam of everything cooked prior but which can transfer to subsequently prepared food. It's a wonderfully complementary flavor addition for many dishes. For others, such as some desserts or recipes with a delicate taste, it is definitely not. Use aluminum foil lining for these types of recipes to minimize flavor transfer. When cooking over a campfire, the pot is not placed directly in the flame. You will have more control keeping food well above or beside the flame, and preferably over coals. Learning to maintain the fire is the single most important ingredient. www.lsdos.com

 

Some foods should avoid cast iron.

Tomatoes can pick up a metallic taste if they sit around in cast iron for too long.

The acid in them reacts with the iron.

It seems to be more of a problem after cooking rather than during, so when you're done, you should transfer them to another dish as soon as possible.


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Warm the pan briefly to make sure it is completely dry, then coat it with lard, shortening, or vegetable oils like canola or safflower, and bake it in the oven at 300 F. Resist the temptation to use olive oil, which will leave a sticky surface and can smoke during cooking. After baking the pan for 15 to 30 minutes, remove it to pour off excess oil, then return it to the oven to continue baking for two hours at 300 F. Otherwise, use a coals-only, gentle outside firepit. You don't want your pots to start smoking; the grease is too hot,then. (Make sure that the handle does not have a plastic coating that could melt in the oven.) Be aware that new cast-iron pans have a protective coating that must be removed prior to using them to cook food; use a scouring pad, soap, and hot water to do this. Enameled varieties of cast-iron cookware are also available. Acidic foods (such as tomato-based dishes, or dishes that require citrus juice or mustard), alkaline foods (such as beans), or anything with a high-moisture content (such as soups or stews) can strip the seasoning from newly-seasoned cast iron. Avoid cooking these types of food at first. At first, cook foods that are high in natural fat, or use alot of oil. When cast iron is really broken in, you can cook just about anything without stripping the seasoning. Don't store food in cast iron. The acid in the food breaks down the seasoning and the food will take on a metallic taste. When your done serving the food, transfer what's left to another container.

 

This was my thought exactly. Ever try to pack in a cast iron skillet and pot to a remote location? I will stick with my old boy scout aluminum mess kit.

 

Rub with a solution of 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar mixed with 1 cup water, or a mixture of salt and oil. The outside can be cleaned with a commercial oven cleaner. "Horse-friendly". A cook fire needs to burn for at least 1-1/2 to 2 hours before cooking can begin in order to produce the coals needed for baking. Select the proper size Dutch oven for the amount of cake batter. Baking shallow, one-layer cakes makes it easier to control the heat and baking time. Some cakes are thicker than a one-layer cake and will take longer to bake - like a pound cake. If the cake batter is thick, it will be important to pull the oven from the fire after about 20 to 25 minutes, add top coals, and allow the cake to slow bake. The heat retained by the cast iron in combination with top coals will bake the cake...but be patient and allow about 1 hour or more for a thick cake batter. Don't be tempted to put the cake back over the fire. Adding bottom heat at this point will do nothing but BURN the cake! A thin layer of batter may require only 15 to 20 minutes over the fire before removing and adding top coals. Try not to fill your Dutch oven more than 1/2 full with cake batter, no matter what the size.Remember, cakes rise - and if too much batter is in the oven, the cake will stick to the lid, and possibly run out the top! If you want to bake two cakes at once, or two of anything - adjust the fire to be hotter under the highest hanging oven, with less heat under the oven hanging closest to the fire. Adjusting the fire in this manner will allow you to control the heat and time completion of several dishes at once.

 

One scoop of coffee for every two cups of water, depending on pot size. Dump the coffee right in the pot. Hang over the fire and bring to a low boil, then move to lower heat. Everytime...before a cup is poured...pour one cup of cold water down the coffeepot spout. This settles the grounds, and replaces the cup that is served to keep the pot going for most of the day. Add a few more scoops of coffee throughout the day as needed to keep it strong.

 

You can make your own pie crust for this recipe if you want to, but I use ready-made pie crusts to save on time, effort and clean up when cookin' outdoors. 2 round pie crusts, ready made. 6 large eggs, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 cups light corn syrup, 6 tablespoons butter melted and cooled. 2 shots Jack Daniel's whiskey, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips. 3 cups pecan halves. Whiskey Whipped Topping: 2 cups whipped cream, 8 tablespoons powered sugar 4 tablespoons Jack Daniel's Whiskey. Place pie crusts in oven-safe pie pan or dish. Beat eggs slightly in large mixing bowl. Beat in sugar, corn syrup, butter, whiskey, vanilla and salt, mixing well. Fold in chocolate and pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake over medium heat on middle hook for about 20 minutes. Remove and add top coals; continue to bake 20 minutes or until center is set. Do not over bake, as the pie will be sticky and stiff! Whiskey Whipped Cream: Beat whipping cream with powered sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in whiskey.

 

Cast iron is great for camp cooking, but as others have said it is a bit unrealistic to be hauling it through the woods if you are camping in the back country.

I am almost always cooking with my cast iron pan. It is the best! If you are going to use vegetable oil with it I have found the best to use is coconut oil. Though bacon fat is the best fat I have found to use overall.

 

Don't gallop into camp upwind from the cook when he's making biscuits and cover him in dust. He'll swat you worse than your mom did when you were in the kitchen trying to snitch some cookie dough. If cooking world class gourmet meals in the outdoors is for you, then the Dutch Oven needs to be the untensil of choice. We have some Nanbu Micro Cast Iron Pots (4 3/8 x 4 3/8, 3.53 lbs), Capsule ( 3 1/2 x 11 inches), and Sand (4 3/4 x 1 7/8 inches and 2.43 lbs), designed for solo use or smaller meals. You know it's a good meal when there are empty plates and they do the dishes...then start asking about the next meal.

 

2 cups flour. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. 1 egg. 1/2 shot of boubon. 1 capful vanilla essence. milk (enough to make a fairly stiff batter). 1 cup pecan nuts. 1 cup sugar. pinch each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. 1 small tart apple. a pat of butter for frying. sorghum syrup on top. Begin by mixing the flour, baking powder, egg, bourbon, vanilla essence and milk. Next take the pecans and put them in a pan with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cook slowly over a low heat until the sugar melts and begins to stick to the nuts. Stir until they are completely coated, being careful not to burn them, and remove to a dish to cool. Peel and grate the apple. Fry in butter until golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes and add to the batter. Fry the pancakes in butter. Top with the candied nuts and drizzle of sorghum syrup.

 

Brown a pound of ground beef and drain off some of the grease if it's, like, swimming and then add 2 tablespoons minced onion and cook it for a minute. Combine half the meat with a can of cream of chicken soup, then add the rest of the meat and top that with a can of cheddar cheese soup. Cover with 2 cups of shredded velveeta, and top of that put 20 or so tater tots in your dutchoven for about an hour.

 

If you are using charcoal briquets to make coals, leave about a 2-inch-square space between briquets, forming a checkerboard pattern. In an 6 inch oven use 9 top and 3 bottom. 8" Top 11 Bottom 5, 10" top 13 Bottom 7, 12" Top 15 Bottom 9. Because they give off a great deal of heat, check food periodically until your sure how many briquets on both the top and bottom will give the right amount of heat for the recipe you are cooking. When you are using more than one Dutch oven, stack them in order to save briquets. Bake items in the lower ovens, and fry foods in the top one.

 

OH, FUCK NO TO CAST IRON!
as others here have pointed out... NEVER, EVER, USE CAST IRON FOR HARDCORE CAMPING!
just try hiking 10, 15 or, 20 miles a day with cast iron in your backpack.

oh, yes i agree 100% that, cast iron is the best cookware of all time, IF YOUR ONLY DOING SOFTCORE CAMPING! :cheers2:

 

Stainless Steel is best for camping I find

 

Spicy Mango Bonito: 2 tablespoons frying oil 1 fresh bonito, filleted (or 2 tuna fillets) 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 5 cloves garlic, minced 2 inches ginger, peeled and minced 1 tablespoon chili paste 1 onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/2 cup mango, orange, or pineapple juice 1/2 mango, cleaned and cut into chunks Juice from 1 lime 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1/4 cup water White rice, cooked. Heat a cast-iron skillet until smoking hot. Add frying oil, then sear fillets until cooked on the outside and rare in the center. Remove fish to a plate, covering with foil to neep warm.Wipe out skillet and allow to cool slightly before adding sesame oil. Over medium heat saute garlic, ginger, and chili paste in oil until hot and fragrant. Add onion and pepper. When vegetables are soft, add soy sauce and mango juice. Reduce heat and simmer. Toss mango chunks in lime juice; set aside. Mix cornstarch with water and stir in slowly to sauce in skillet until thickened. Remove from heat. Adjust seasonings. Slice fillets crosswise with a sharp knife. Mound white rice on each plate and top with sauce. Lean slices of fisk against the rice. Garnish with chunks of mango. Serves two.

 

3 cups flour 2 t ground ginger 1/2 t ground cloves 1 t cream of tartar 1/2 t salt 1/2 t baking soda 1 t ground coffee (optional) 1/2 cup baker's cocoa 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup butter, softened 2 eggs 1/2 cup molasses 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup sour cream For garnish: whipped cream, fresh figs, and crystallized ginger. 1. Preheat oven to 350 f. Lightly spray or wipe a 10" cast-iron skillet with oil. 2. In a large bowl, combine flour, ginger, cloves, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, coffee, and cocoa; mix well. 3. In a medium bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in molasses,milk, and sour cream and blend well. 4. Pour batter into skillet (we use a 6" skillet and a 4" skillet, but a single 9" skillet will do), and bake for 55 minutes. Serve with whipped cream and garnish with fresh figs and crystallized ginger. Makes: 12 servings

 

1 8-ounce rib-eye steak for each cowboy 1 bowl of flour 1 bowl of eggs (broke open, no shells), mixed up good 1 skillet of lard (1 gallon lard in 22-inch skillet) Assortment of secret spices Ground black pepper Meat tenderizer Several cold adult beverages on hand during cooking A good-size bundle of mesquite (dry). Start a good roaring fire with the mesquite wood. Cut the extra fat from the steaks and hammer 'em out...but don't beat 'em to death. Season the steaks with meat tenderizer and your favorite brisket rub. Let the steaks sit out for at least 2 hours so they warm to the air temperature. Season the flour in the bowl with salt, pepper, and secret spices. Dip the steaks in the egg, then flour...twice. Once the lard is 350 degrees, put the steaks in. Turn the steaks once (and only once) when the blood rises to the surface. When they're golden brown on both sides, stick 'em, let 'em drain, and pull 'em. Stand 'em up on edge on a towel in an extra Dutch oven...warm, of course. Serve it hot and smother it with gravy. You'll need a gallon of milk, the leftover flour from the bowl, plus salt and pepper. Dump all but about 1 cup of lard from the skillet...and don't let it catch fire! With a large three-tong fork, quickly mix in about a cup of your seasoned flour. Keep the fork moving until you have a nice golden paste. Now pour about a quarter of the milk into the paste and mix the heck out of it. Add pepper and salt; then slowly pour in the rest of the milk. Keep mixing until the milk boils good. Ready to eat...but don't forget the taters and biscuits.