Cast iron cooking is an iconic campground staple, but it can be pretty intimidating if you don’t know what you’re doing.
And many of us don’t.
Sure, we’ve seen the pretty pictures of a dutch oven over a crackling campfire. And we want that authentic camp cooking experience. But we’ve also heard people talking about seasoning their pots and pans, cleaning with kosher salt, and debating between traditional and enamel finishes. It can all feel a bit overwhelming.
Luckily we have our very own Kate Dunbar from Kate’s Curious Kitchen to break it all down for us on this episode of the RV Family Travel Atlas podcast.
A few months ago, Kate wrote a fantastic guest blog post on RVFTA.com, breaking down the basics of cast iron cooking. It was very popular and helpful for our blog audience, so we decided to bring her onto the podcast for more cast iron cooking content.
If you want a very detailed breakdown on buying, seasoning, and cooking with cast iron, make sure you check out that post and listen to this podcast episode!
Segment One: Buying and Caring for your Cast Iron Cookware
If you’ve ever walked into a housewares store, you know that there are endless options for cast iron cookware at a variety of different prices. In this segment, Kate talks about the top cast iron brands, and explains why Lodge has become such an iconic company within the space of outdoor cooking.
We don’t all need the dozens of cast iron pots and pans that Kate owns, but to build a basic workhorse set she recommends buying:
12″ Cast Iron Skillet from Lodge
3.2 Quart Cast Iron Combo Cooker from Lodge
In this segment, Kate also demystifies the whole seasoning topic, walking us through the process of getting our cast iron pots and pans ready to make amazing food!
Segment Two: Cooking with Cast Iron at the Campground and at Home
Like most folks, we use our cast iron pots and pans both at home and at the campground. So we asked Kate to walk us through the different techniques you can use for both types of cooking.
Cast Iron at the Campground
The key to using cast iron at the campground is getting that pan up to temperature. Kate tells us exactly how to build a fire that will cook those steaks perfectly.
Cast Iron at Home
Cooking with cast iron can look a lot different when you have an oven to preheat your pots and pans in. We learned how important it is to put that cast iron pan in the oven before moving it onto the cooktop for searing that meat. Game changer for sure!
Segment Three: Recipes and Kate’s Favorite Resources for Cast Iron Cooking
We couldn’t let Kate get away without sharing another one of her favorite recipes for cast iron cooking. She walked us through making Brown Butter and Thyme Chicken Thighs.
You can download the complete recipe here!
Plus, check out Kate’s Cast Iron Cooking blog post for a delicious pork tenderloin recipe!
We wrapped up this show by asking Kate to share some of her own go-to resources for cast iron cooking. Here’s what she talked about…
Lodge Cast Iron Nation Cookbook
Cast Iron Skillet: Recipes for the Best Pan in Your Kitchen
We’d love to hear about your favorite cast iron dish to cook at the campground! Comment below, or head on over to our friendly RVFTA Facebook Group and share your pics…
See you at the campground,
Stephanie and Jeremy
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