Tips on making the most of a pie iron

Pie irons

A pie iron is composed of two small skillets, about the size of a slice of bread, with long handles. The skillets join together, and can be hinged shut.
Pie irons were designed for simultaneously grilling, and sealing shut sandwiches over a fire. Their construction makes this cooking process about as easy as roasting a marshmallow or weiner.
This article is designed to show users how to make the most of their pie irons.

Normally, the iron is greased lightly, bread is put in either skillet, and a filling is placed in the middle. The irons are then closed, any excess is removed from the outside, and the iron is roasted over a fire.
Any sort of cooked sandwich can be cooked in a pie iron.
The Sandwich filling can include meat, vegetables, spreads, sugary treats, and even many types of pastry fillings.
The bread can be from a loaf, pastry, biscuit dough, pie shell, tortillas,etc.
The grease can be shortening, butter, oil, or grease from cooking meat previously.
The fire can be an open camp fire, a barbecue grill, a fireplace, or a stove burner. Some users even claim that a few charcoal briquettes inside a charcoal starter chimney works well.
The Cooking can be done by stuffing the skillets into the coals, balancing the whole on a log, or having someone hold the iron.

The two skillets can be opened, and laid flat, for use as regular skillets.
Bread can be replaced with other foods. Portebello mushrooms, bell peppers, and the rinds of certain squashes are said to work. Eggs can be partially fried in both, and the whole can be used as an omelette press.
Meat items can be placed inside the pie iron for grilling.
Items that are normally sauteed or stir fried can be put in the pir iron with a little room, and shaken inside it for cooking.
Bread can be poured into about 1/3 of the iron, and cooked in this fashion.
Garlic bread, and similar coated bread meals can be cooked by putting the side to be cooked on the outside.
Pie irons molds are about the size of a hash brown square, making this a simple food to prepare.
Sugar-covered bread products can be cooked inside the cavity as well.

Pie Irons can be made of cast-iron, or aluminum.
- Aluminum is lighter, and more corrosion-resistant, making it more portable, and easier to maneuver around the fire. However, aluminum pie irons have teflon coatings, which sometimes age poorly, and the metal is more prone to warp in extreme heat.
- Cast Iron pie irons are much heavier, making them somewhat ungainly, and prone to rust. However, the iron pie irons may be more durable, and some chefs prefer the cast iron flavor.
Pie Irons can be made with a fixed hinge, or in two pieces that can be separated when open.
- The fixed hinge irons make it impossible to loose half, and fussing about putting the pieces together won't be a problem.
- The two-piece versions can be more easily split up, for better storage, or to use the small skillets separately in a more convenient way.