Cast Iron And The Charcoal Grill
2 min read
Cast iron pans were designed for cooking over an open fire. Its okto throw them on the grill from time to time. Bust out your cast iron comrade to make your grilling better.
Here are five ways cast iron makes grilling better.
1. Cast iron lets you bake on the grill.
Because of its ability to retain heat evenly, cast iron is the best vessel for baking on the grill. Quick breads, biscuits, pizza, and simple cakes bake best in cast iron skillets. They have a relatively short baking time.
Use a Dutch oven to bake heartier bread, like no-knead, and be sure to preheat the Dutch oven before baking in it.
Score the perfect Cast Iron Accessory from 212 quality items for your grill!
2. A cast iron pan on the grill keeps smaller foods orderly.
You can blister a bunch of shishito peppers on the grill or even roast cherry tomatoes. A cast iron pan on the grill is your best friend. Convection allows the smoky aromas of the grill to flavor these small foods without employing a grill basket or worrying about losing food between the grates.
3. Cast iron on the grill gives an excellent sear.
If you want a really juicy burger or steak, and don’t want to worry about flame flareups, then throw your favorite cast iron skillet onto the grill and use it to sear the steaks or burgers. All the juicy fat will collect in the pan AND you’ll still get that distinct grill flavor.
4. You can put your cast iron right into the charcoal.
There are three primary reasons to set your pan onto the roaring coals. First is to bring a Dutch oven of water to a boil for making potatoes or cooking crab beach-side. (You can easily make soup this way too.) The second is to create a bi-level cooking setup. This is ideal for those times when you want to sear a large piece of meat, like a pork shoulder, but also cook something smaller, like bacon or corn on the grates. The 3rd reason is ….
5. Cast iron pans turn your grill into a smoker.
The final reason to stick a skillet right on the coals is to turn your cast iron skillet into a smoker! Put wood chips into a cast iron skillet and place them right on the charcoal. The cast iron will slowly burn the wood, making your grill an inexpensive and effective smoker.
What are your favorite cast iron tips?
