welding a fireplace grate?

I have been MIG welding for a long time. I had always heard that you can't weld Cast Iron. A while back I saw a welding segment on a car show on TV. They showed that with a MIG welder, the weld will sort-of stick, but you don't get the same 'Bond' you get with MIG welding steel. They heated the area up with a torch and then used a high nickel content rod.

I have never seen a cast iron grate my self, but welded some old seatbelt bolts for support legs on an old grate that was about burned up and sagging. It lasted about 10 more yrs, or so------stick welded.