Kitchen Cookware Reviews and Recipes

For many people, a cast iron dutch oven is the best cookware they own.  It has a versatility that allows it to be used in the oven, on the grill, or even over an open camp fire.  Properly maintained, a cast iron dutch oven will last a lifetime.  Many people have cast iron cookware that is handed down from generation to generation.

If you have a brand new cast iron dutch oven it is important to season the cookware properly before it is ever used.

You may also have an old cast iron dutch oven that has been forgotten and over time allowed to show signs of rust  Never fear, you can clean up that old cast iron dutch oven and return it to its former glory.

The seasoning process involves baking oils into the surface, both inside and out.  Because you will be baking oils, you likely will generate a lot of smoke.  This is normal and nothing to really be alarmed about, but it would be better to do this outside.  If outside, it would be preferable to use a gas fired grill.  You could use a charcoal grill or wood grill, just take care to control your fire to minimize the amount of soot that may rise into the dutch oven.

Throughout this process, be sure to include the cast iron lid for your dutch oven.  It should be seasoned the same way to protect it from water and rust in the future, and to make cleaning the inside of the lid as easy as cleaning the dutch oven.

Before you start, be sure the surface is as clean as possible.  Unlike normal cleaning, since your purpose is to season the surface, you could use metal scouring pads.  In fact, if you are dealing with rust, you almost have to use some metal scouring pads or steel wool to remove the rust and reveal the bare metal.  However, using metal scouring pads could cause some discoloration that would be visible after the seasoning process.

Basically, by removing the rust, you expose the bare metal.  That metal will take a new seasoning that will not color match the old seasoning right beside it.  It will not affect the performance of the cast iron dutch oven, and it is necessary to remove the rust.  This is just a point to be aware of — after seasoning, the cleaned area may have a slightly different color.  Over time, this should even out and fade to match the rest of the dutch oven.

All rust must be removed.  In extremely bad cases or rust, you could use a power tool to polish or buff away the rust.  You would want to limit this to the extreme cases.

Take care to clean the outside as well as the inside.  If the cast iron dutch oven has been used over open flame, such as a grill ot camp fire, be sure to remove all soot from the outside.

Once the dutch oven is cleaned completely inside and out, rinse well with warm water.  Never use cold water, as it may cause the cast iron to crack.  It is doubtful that it would cause a cold dutch oven to crack, but always using warm water is simply a good rule of thumb.

Completely dry the dutch oven.  It is essential that the dutch oven is completely clean before you begin the seasoning process.

Once prepared, you want to rub down the inside and outside of the dutch oven with an oil.  There is a considerable debate as to what type of oil is best for seasoning cast iron.  Any of these oils are generally accepted for seasoning:

• vegetable oil
• olive oil
• lard
• do not use butter or anything that will burn at high temperature.

Whichever oil you choose, make sure the oil is not rancid.  If you use rancid oil to season cast iron, the rancid taste will be absorbed by the cast iron and then to the food it cooks.  This will take a long time to work its way out of the cookware.

Your target temperature is around 350 degrees.  Place your dutch oven upside down in your oven.  It is important to do this with the dutch oven upside down, so the heated oil will run and drip off the dutch oven.  This will help get a uniform coating over the dutch oven.  If the oven is placed in upside up, then the heated oil will collect in the bottom of the pan, resulting in an uneven finish on the dutch oven.

Allow the cast iron dutch oven, and its cast iron lids to heat for about an hour.  If you are doing this inside in your oven, be sure to monitor the smoke that is being generated.  I usually setup fans and keep many windows open to drive the smoke quickly outside.

After an hour you can turn off the heat, or remove the dutch oven from the heat.  If you are doing this inside, you could simply turn off the oven and let it cool off over time.  If you are working outside, you could turn off the grill or just let the grill burn itself out if it is coal or wood fired.

The cast iron dutch oven and the cast iron lids should be left alone for at least 30 minutes.  You could simply let it sit until it comes back to room temperature.

Even after 30 minutes, the cast iron will still be extremely hot.  Always use oven mitt if you need to move it before it cools to room temperature.

If you are working in a cold environment, such as outside in the dead of winter, you may need to take additional precautions.  The cast iron needs to cool slowly, and not be subjected too quickly to the cold air or it may crack.

Once cooled,  you should wipe down the entire inside and outside with a paper towel or clean rag,  This should bring out seasoned finish.

If you were trying to recover old cast iron that was in extremely bad shape, you could repeat the seasoning process if necessary.  You can judge this by examining the seasoned finish to determine if it needs another coat… or three.  It really is a judgement call.

I have a young boy that loves to eat anything meat — meatloaf, hamburger, hot dogs, chicken, fish.  Practically anything, but roast.

For the longest time, much to my wife’s chagrin as she loves pot roast, she could not sneak roast by him.

The first time she served him pot roast, he refused to eat it.  She was shocked — he had never refused meat in his life.

She tried adding ketchup, no dice.

Every time she tried pot roast — no matter what she put on it he would taste it, shake his head then eat the rest of the plate.  Always handing back an empty plate with the now discovered roast left untouched.

She even tried roast beef on a sub hidden with other cold cuts — he handed her back an empty plate with the roast beef piled up on the side.

Every form of roast she tried to sneak by him, he found it and handed it back.

One weekend, my mother handed him a plate with roast on it.  He asked what it was, and she simply responded ‘it is meat — you will like it.’  He ate it and asked for more.

To this day, our house refers to this as ‘Meat Dinner’.  And he gobbles it down.  My wife is pleased.

2 tablespoons of Vegetable oil
4 lb Pork shoulder roast
1 can Cream of mushroom soup
1 Pouch dry onion soup mix
1 1/4 c Water
1 teaspoon Thyme leaves
1 Bay leaf
8 medium Potatoes; quartered
8 medium Carrots; cut into 2 inch
2 tablespoons of Flour

I usually start by turning the oven on to 350 degrees to preheat while I prepare the roast.

In your Dutch Oven, heat the vegetable oil.  Once the oil is hot, sear the roast on all sides.  Once the roast is browned on all sides, set aside covered in aluminum foil.

Remove any fat left standing in the Dutch Oven using a spoon or a turkey baster.

Add the water, thyme, bay leave, the can of soup and the onion soup mix.  On your stove top, bring the mixture to a boil.

Put the roast back in the Dutch Oven and cover.  Place in the oven, cook for 45 minutes.

Turn the roast over, and add the vegetables.  Return to the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes.

The vegetables should be fork tender and the roast should be done.  Move the roast to a platter and cover with aliminum foil.  Let the roast rest for 15-30 minutes before slicing.

While waiting, you can turn the liquid in the pan to a gravy.  Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter.

On the stove top, liquids in the Dutch Oven back to a boil.  While waiting, combine a 1/4 cup of water with the flour.  Once boiling, slowly add the water/flour mixture.  Stir constantly until the gravy begins to thicken.

By maintaining the seasoning on a Dutch Oven, you can make clean up quick and easy.

The first step to cleaning a Dutch Oven will be to scrape any excess food using a plastic scraper.  It is important not to use any metal utensils or scouring pads on the Dutch Oven.  The abrasive nature of the metal could take off the seasoning on the Dutch Oven.  If the seasoning is lost or damaged during the cleaning process, it is important to restore that seasoning to protect the Dutch Oven from rust or to cause food to stick next time you use your Dutch Oven.  So, plastic scrapers are best to remove excess food.

Using warm water and a clean dish rag, clean the inside of the Dutch Oven.  If the Dutch Oven is seasoned properly, this should be easy — nothing should stick to the Dutch Oven.  Never use cold water, especially if the Dutch Oven is hot or warm.  Cold water can cause the Dutch Oven to crack or could cause damage to the seasoning.  Warm water should be all you need.  Try not to use dish soaps on the Dutch Oven, as the soap could leave a residue on the seasoning that will transfer to the food the next time you use the Dutch oven.

After the Dutch Oven has been wiped down with warm water and a clean dish rag, rinse the Dutch Oven thoroughly with just warm water.  You can now dry the interior with paper towels, or simply heat the oven enough to dry the Dutch oven.

If you are still building a good seasoning, you may occasionally need to wipe down the interior of the Dutch Oven with a thin coating of vegetable oil.   This step is not necessary for a well seasoned Dutch Oven.

Once cleaned, be sure to store your Dutch Oven somewhere where it will stay dry.  Some people  will hang a paper towel over the edge of the Dutch Oven lip with the lid partially o, holding down the paper towel.  This will help keep the air dry inside the Dutch Oven to try to keep rust away.