Your Grampa Knew What's Up, Cast Iron!

Earlier this year while helping my dad clean out his storage unit I stumbled upon a few dirty old cast iron frying pans. They all had their fair share of rust and gunk and were heavy enough to serve a dual purpose and boat anchors. Still, as nasty as they were, I decided my kitchen was in need of some manly cookware. After some laborious scrubbing and re-seasoning sessions I had them back in action and I've been hooked ever since. My wife thinks I'm nuts and calls it my new obsession because I refuse to use anything else now. So I thought for this blog I'd share some things I've learned about my latest obsession.

One of the great things about cast iron is its darn near indestructible which is something we can really appreciate at brute outdoors. Just like our coolers, cast iron cook wear is built to last a really long time. In fact my favorite skillet was made sometime in the 40's. This durability also allows you to cook with them just about anywhere. From ovens to cook-tops to camp-fires, they're great for any situation. This durability is derived from their thick cast iron walls which also allow them to distribute heat evenly and retain it for longer then most. Its important to give it enough time to heat up before cooking, five minutes on low-medium heat should be sufficient for most situations. 

Cast Iron also has great non-stick properties with ample seasoning. I'm not referring to salt and pepper but the thin layer of oils and fats that have been burnt onto the surface of the cookware. There are lots of differing opinions out there as to the proper way to season but I'm sure they all give similar results, so just pick one. I Preheat the oven to 425 degree and stick in the bare skillet to heat it up. Once the oven is done preheating I take out the skillet and cover it with a thin layer of grape seed oil due to its higher smoke point. Make sure to coat all surfaces as this will serve as a rust inhibitor as well.  Place the skillet back in the oven for thirty minutes upside down so no oil pools on the cooking surface. When time is up turn off the heat and let it cool down in the oven then repeat two more times. You should be left with a darkened surface that is now suitable for cooking. The best part is the more you cook with it the better the seasoning will get. You shouldn't wash cast iron but allow more burned oils and fats to build up over time. This may sound unsanitary but simply pour some course salt in the pan then wipe clean any left over food particles while the pan is still warm. You should be left with a glistening black surface ready for the next round of eggs and bacon.

In this brutes opinion cast iron is the only way to cook. Do yourself a favor next time your rummaging through a garage sale and come across a dirty old skillet. Look past the gunk and rust and see the potential for your new favorite cookware.

Lets Hear From You Brutes

At Brute Outdoors we love to hear from our customers.  Over the last few years we've taken all the feedback we received and poured it into the designs of our new coolers.  Praise is always nice as it lets us know we're on the right track but personally I prefer the criticisms because nobody kicks a dead dog.  So good, bad, or indifferent, I promise if you take the time to write us we will take your words to heart.


As a family owned and operated business we know our customers are the back bone of our operation and our family works tirelessly to provide you with the best products possible.  If you have a story or pictures of your Brute Box in action and would like to share we would certainly love to hear from you. 

Microbrew Goodness

Every now and again I like to focus on another local business that has peaked my interest. In a continuation from my last blog I thought I’d stick to something near and dear to my heart, Beer. Since the early 90’s America has actually seen a pretty steady decrease in beer consumption as a whole. While the mega breweries have taken a hit, Microbreweries seem to be taking off. American craft beer is in the midst of a renaissance and has increased its foothold over the past. This is one example that consumers are shifting from quantity to quality goes to show that passionate american entrepreneurs can thrive in a world of corporate giants.

Recently I had the opportunity to take a tour of one of our local microbreweries. Rahr & Sons Brewing Company founded here in Ft. Worth is the perfect example of this thriving industry. They have more than doubled their brewing capacity, from 2000 to 5000 barrels per year, and won fifteen nationally recognized awards since opening in 2004. They offer five terrific year round brews, including one of my personal favorite the “Ugly Pug”. In addition they also produce some great seasonal brews like their “Winter Warmer” which also happens to be one of my personal favorite. It’s a traditional English Style Dark Ale and would make the perfect addition to your upcoming holiday get together.

If you are looking for a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon I highly suggest taking one of their brewery tours. For $10 you get a tour of the brewery and a Rahr & Sons pint glass. If you are 21 or older you are welcome to several samples of their current selection of beers. Tours are offered Wednesday from 5-7:30 PM and Saturday from 1-3PM.

So next time you’re in charge of providing the adult beverages for a get together with your family or friends, fill your Brute Box with some Rahr and you won’t be disappointed.

FOOTBALL AND BEER, A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

This year in record numbers Americans will be watching our new national pastime… FOOTBALL!!!!  Some pledge their allegiance to their favorite alma mater while others prefer the pageantry of the NFL.  But science has proved that red blooded American brutes just cant get enough huck it chuck it football.  Not all teams are created equal though.  I hope you are one of the lucky ones who the football gods smile down upon and victories and playoffs come easy.  Unfortunately for me,  I’m a life long Cowboys fan and the last two decades have been mired in mediocrity.  Its not all bad though because it gives me an excuse for one of my other passions…. BEER!!!

In the words of our forefather Benjamin Franklin “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”  While some will drink to celebrate victory I find it helps me cope with the fact that the Cowboys just ain’t that good.  Lucky for us the American beer industry is in somewhat of a renaissance.  While Budweiser, Miller, and Coors still dominate the market,  a huge variety of microbrews have sprug up in recent years.  And whether you prefer pilsners or porters or anything in between one thing we can all agree on is they are best when ice cold.  Here at Brute we designed our coolers on two principals, durability and ice retention.  I guarantee our cooler will keep your beer of choice colder for longer then any other cooler on the market.  From rowdy tailgates to backwoods barbeques the Brute Box is right at home in any environment.

Big Bucks

Deer season is upon us again and thousands of sportsman here in Texas are doing their part to help manage the white tail population.  While a doe harvest is an important part of this process we all hope a trophy buck will cross our path.  An eight or ten point is respectable but we've all heard tales of a monster buck that your buddy just never got a clean shot on.  I was curious as to the validity of these tales so I decided to do a little research.  The Boone and Crocket Club is one of the most respected conservation clubs in our nation and created the universally accepted scoring system for whitetail.  They also keep records dating back to the early 1900's and that's where I found these two monsters.  So next time you dismiss your buddies claim just remember that monsters like this really do exist.

 #1 Typical

Score: 213 5/8      

Location: Saskatchewan         

Hunter: Milo N. Hanson           

Year: 1993

It all started with a school bus driver.  On the last day of Saskatchewan’s 1992 deer season, the driver told locals a monster whitetail was feeding in Milo Hansen’s alfalfa field.  Once word got around, the buck was spotted on farms, in pea fields and then near a highway just north of Biggar in the southwestern portion of the province.

On opening day of the 1993 season, friends and family gathered at the Hansen house as they always had since Milo and his wife Olive moved to the farm in the early 1970s.  They swapped stories of hunts past and talked of how to make a little history and kill the big buck.  The opener proved a bust as the snow was a week old, but on November 22, new snow arrived and the posse devised a plan.  Neighbors spotted the buck and watched him go into the willows.  No one saw him come out.  One hunter went into the willows while everyone else posted themselves around the escape route.  The buck flushed.  Buck fever ensued and several shots missed their mark.

Milo watched the buck run, leveled his 4-power scope and took two shots from his .308 Winchester, bringing the buck to his knees.  One more shot and the deer was dead.  Milo hadn’t had a cigarette in three years, but he wanted one that day.  Friends measured the buck, and then re-measured the buck.  Soon, Milo realized he might just have a world’s record.  Finally, three official Boone & Crockett measurers confirmed everyone’s suspicions.  Milo had killed the world’s finest typical whitetail.

#1 Non-Typical

Score: 333 7/8     

Location: Missouri        

Hunter: Picked Up       

Year: 1981 

Its rack weighs more than 11 pounds and it has more cheaters than a daytime soap opera.  But that’s about where the drama ends for this guy.  He was found dead inside a fence along a road in northern St Louis County.  A hunter who already had his buck notified the warden who got permission to retrieve it.  They couldn’t find any bullet holes and didn’t have any ideas on its cause of death.  It was only 5 ½ years old.  The head was forgotten until the first of the year when the warden took it to the taxidermist who knew at first glance what he had.  It was measured and dubbed the biggest and baddest whitetail of all time.  It remains property of the state of Missouri on display for all its citizens to see.

If you would like to read more on these Big Bucks visit OutdoorLife for a great article on the top 40 Whitetail on record.