Using Cast Iron on a Collapsible Grill

How to cook with cast iron skillets and pots on a flat pack charcoal grill: weight, heat and safe handling.

Cast iron and charcoal are a great pair. Slot Grill states both models are strong enough for cast iron, and its specs page says the Full Size gives room for cast iron and bigger cuts. Here is how to do it well.

Sizing

Use a pan that sits stably across the grates without hanging past the edges. A 10" or 12" skillet suits the Compact's 16.25" × 9" area; the Full Size (20.5" × 11.25") handles bigger skillets and a Dutch oven. The Slot Grill FAQ describes the Full Size as handling appropriately sized cast iron.

Technique

• Set the grill level first, then add the pan, then the food.
• Preheat cast iron gradually over medium coals to avoid hot spots.
• Use the two-zone layout: pan over coals for searing, pan moved to the cool side for simmering.
• Remember a full Dutch oven is heavy and hot; plan where it'll go when it comes off.

Good cast iron cooks

• Skillet cornbread or biscuits (on the cool side with coals around it)
• Chili or beans simmered at camp
• Seared steak with pan butter
• Breakfast potatoes and peppers

Safety

Thick gloves, a stable surface, and kids well back. Never move the grill while it is loaded and lit.

Fire safety on any collapsible grill

• Outdoors only. Burning charcoal makes carbon monoxide, which you can't see or smell. Never use it in a garage, tent, camper, vehicle, boat cabin or under a roof or awning.
• Non-combustible, level ground. Soil, gravel, sand, concrete, pavers or a fire-safe pad.
• Clearance. Away from walls, vehicles, tents, overhanging branches and dry grass. Kids and pets kept back.
• Seated tabs. Check every tab is fully in its slot before you add fuel.
• Water and gloves at hand. Hot steel looks exactly like cold steel.
• Leave it alone until cold. Don't move or take apart a lit or warm grill.

Mistakes new flat pack owners make

1. Too much charcoal. A small firebox gets very hot. Start with half a chimney and add.
2. No cool zone. Without an empty end, a flare-up has nowhere to go.
3. Cooking on black coals. Wait for gray ash.
4. Old ash left in. It blocks airflow; empty it before every cook.
5. Heavy oil when seasoning. Thin coats cure; thick coats turn gummy.
6. Packing it warm. Wait until steel and ash are cold, every time.

The one-minute care habit

Most carbon steel problems come from skipping the last minute of a cook. After the grill cools, scrape the grates, empty the ash, and wipe a whisper-thin coat of oil or Seasoning Balm on the cooking surfaces. Store it dry. That habit is the difference between a grill that darkens into a slick patina and one that shows orange freckles every spring. If freckles do show up, it's not a disaster: see surface rust.

Questions people ask