Cast Iron Dutch Ovens: The All-Terrain Microwave

A fancy grill is surely worth having at home, but when it comes to the outdoors, the ease of handling and versatility of the cast iron dutch oven cannot be beat.

You can stew, fry, boil, broil, and even bake without having to bring all your pots and pans and steamers and such. Heck, you can even wash your kids' underwear using the oven while you're at it.

If you have a big family or if you take pride in serving six-course meals to them, even when out camping, then prepare your salivary glands for some good food coming.

You'd need to take some time to put in the briquets, but considering that you're in the wild anyway, a little bit of roughing it wouldn't really matter. No need to worry because briquets are lumps of coal that are packed with bits of wood shavings to hasten combustion. You'll be flaring your nostrils because of that black forest cake you'll be baking in the rainforest.

Cast iron dutch ovens are also wonderful for making those sunny side ups. Who needs Teflon when you've got the good old fashioned, no nonsense, scrape-at-it-with-a-rake-if-you-want non-stick alloy? Just make sure you've got cooking oil.

When I hear mention of the words 'cast iron,' I immediately see a picture of a world war II tank in my head. And a dutch oven can be compared to a tank in terms of strength and durability. As a tank can go anywhere it pleases, same goes for the dutch oven. Cast iron is an alloy that is very easy to mold, like the steel wheels of a tank flowing like quicksilver and able to follow the contours of the terrain, no matter how uneven it is.

Cast iron dutch ovens are nontoxic. Heavy metals like copper and aluminum can impair mental functioning. These babies, being made of iron, even give us a dose of dietary supplement when minute amounts mix with the food cooked in them. This will definitely save you a few dollars for the ferrous sulfate you probably won't need anymore.

Cast iron dutch ovens are able to quickly distribute the heat to the very core of what you're cooking, the same way that a microwave oven works. The result is that when you see that the steak is cooked in the outside, then it has surely already been cooked also in the inside. Unlike when you fry it and you lack cooking oil for deep frying. A lot of people have been sent to hospitals that way – diagnosis: mandibular muscle cramps due to excessive chewing.

Here's the clincher: Dutch ovens have a rimmed lid so you can put the coal on top. This, combined with the effectiveness of cast iron alloys in diffusing the heat, will surely give that roast leg of lamb the even cooking it needs. Top and bottom, outside and in. I can smell it now...ahhhh...

Rachel Nunez is ready to answer your outdoor cooking questions. For more tips and information about dutch ovens, check out http://www.campinggearpro.com .