Going to a DOG

[magnusfide]

When going to Dutch Oven Gatherings we've found the following tips helpful:
-Tag your pots. Most dutch ovens look alike. Attach metal tags with your last name, initials or whatever so that your pot doesn't accidentally take a ride with another Cast Iron Chef. Metal tags can be found here or you can make your own with supplies and stamps ordered online. Sometimes the local hardware will have the metal tags too.

-Nylon pot bags or milk crates. No matter how you wipe them down these pots can still be dirty. Separate them from your nice stuff that you don't want smudged up. Put your name on the bags/crates.

-Utensils. Again, put your name on them. Keep them organized with your other equipment.

-Zipper bags are lightweight and great for holding that secret spice blend already mixed. By prepping it ahead of time you won't have to carry all those spice bottles.

[down_home]

Cast iron is porous. Leave the crust on the outside on. That is the grease that bled through the porous iron over who knows how long. When Mom got her first stove with cleaning cycle she ran Grand Ma's skillets that had passed won from her Mom 1857-1933. It burned off all the old grease inside and out. Ruined the conditioning..and if you don't get oil on it while it is still hot it rust not just on the surface but int the metal. Those skillets were less porous than the new skillets manufactured deliberately to be porous. Grand Ma cleaned the inside with salt and a cloth and put a little pork fat back in and rubbed it around. Bacon fat has salt, which likes metal and water. I still can taste r imagine it of fried chicken and everything else in those old skillets. Not much stuck and if it did you cleaned it off.

[Diamond_c]

I’ve always been told that using a lot of really hot water will pull the seasoning out of your cast iron.

[Dick_B]

Just read in a handyman magazine that to clean CI run hot water and use crumpled up aluminum foil to scrub it clean. Just passing along the info. We don't have a CI pan to try it on.

[magnusfide]

Don't forget your lid lifters. I have 4 and always take 3 with me to DOGs.

Keep an eye out for charcoal sales. I stock up so I have plenty to take with me. Everyone has a favorite brand but Kingsford Original is the one I see used most often at DOGs.

A good place to get spare ladles, spatulas and other utensils is at one of those dollar type stores. Yard sales and thrift stores are two other good sources. Cheap utensils can be sturdy and won't affect your cooking. Plus they are cheap enough that they aren't a huge loss if they do get lost which sometimes happens.

Metal plates or enameled metal plates can handle drops, heat and other aspects of camp cooking without breaking. After putting up with broken plates and melted melamine for a number of trips I finally bought a set of Ozark Trail enamelware dishes on sale at Walmart (link). It doesn't chip on the edges like the old speckleware did.

[magnusfide]

Soap is not recommended for cleaning cast iron as it destroys the seasoning. Cast iron chainmail scrubbers work well to loosen stubborn residues and don't damage the pan. I've had one for 7 years and I still haven't worn it out.
Chainmail scrubbers