Cooking outdoors with a Dutch Oven
Dutch Oven At Work
We love cooking with Cast Iron and especially with our Dutch Oven. First of all, the food is unbelievably good, secondly it's a special way to cook. It may take a bit more time, but that's how they did it in the old days and there's a reason. Try it yourself and find out why!
Dutch Oven Cooking Tips - Getting Started
Cooking with a Dutch Oven
Some of the best advice we ever got was from a friend who turned us on to Cast Iron dutch ovens. Not to be confused with indoor dutch ovens. The outdoor cast-iron variety are a really special thing and can produce some of the best food you've ever tasted!
So first let's go over exactly what is a Dutch Oven?
From Wikipedia:
A Dutch oven is a thick-walled (usually cast iron) cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. Dutch ovens have been used as cooking vessels for hundreds of years. They are called "casserole dishes" in English speaking countries other than the USA, and cocottes in French, They are similar to both the Japanese tetsunabe and the Sa, a traditional Balkan cast-iron oven, and are related to the South African Potjieand the Australian Bedourie oven.
Their history in America started in the 1600's:
Over time, the Dutch oven used in the American colonies began to change. The pot became shallower and legs were added to hold the oven above the coals. A flange was added to the lid to keep the coals on the lid and out of the food.[2]
The cast-iron cookware was loved by colonists and settlers because of its versatility and durability. It could be used for boiling, baking, stews, frying, roasting, and just about any other use. The ovens were so valuable that wills in the 18th and 19th centuries frequently spelled out the desired inheritor of the cast iron cookware. When the young American country began to spread westward across the North American continent, so did the Dutch oven. A Dutch oven was among the gear Lewis and Clark carried when they explored the great American Northwest in 1804-1806. The pioneers who settled the American West also took along their Dutch ovens.
So now that we know what they are, how do they work for us?
A dutch oven will typically have legs, usually three. This will allow it to be put over hot coals or wood. They also have a flanged lid, which holds a small amount of coals on top of the oven for even cooking. So the heat radiates from both top and bottom, hence the name 'oven'. You will find some'Dutch Ovens' with no legs, a flat bottom and a normal lid. These are ok for regular use but will diminish their use as an oven.
So you've decided to purchase a Dutch Oven for your own outdoor use. What size is best?
They come in all sizes and bigger is not always better, for instance a 12 " oven will make too much food for 2 people and take too long to heat up. We've found that a 4 quart is the best size for a couple or a small family.
Next choice is pre-seasoned or un-seasoned?
All cast iron needs to be seasoned, so it's just a matter of; do you want the experience of doing it yourself? It can be a pain, but you will save money on the purchase and have the 'joy' of doing it yourself, maybe even get in touch with your ancestors or something like that.
So to season your dutch oven, here's what you do: first, wash it in hot water and soap to remove the factory wax residue designed to keep it from rusting during it's time in transit, next, put it in your oven to dry it completely. 10 minutes at 300 will suffice. Then wipe the inside and outside with a fatty or oily substance. Some people use a vegetable based oil or Crisco, but we use bacon fat or lard as it has a higher 'burn-in' temperature and is supposed to meld with the iron better.
Next, you can put your dutch oven in the regular oven at home, or, on a campfire. A campfire is easiest and less trouble, but frankly, most people do it at home. You'll need to heat it for 3 hours and then let it come back to room temperature. 300 degrees or hotter is needed, but you will have more smoke with more heat. CAUTION: if done indoors, this will generate a fair amount of smoke, so get ready to open your windows and have a fan going!
When you wash your oven, do not use soap and water as it will possibly cause rust. You can either just wipe them out with oil, or if you prefer, boil some water in them using the same coals you just cooked over. Then, wipe out, dry thoroughly and re-coat with oil or grease.
The first 5 cooking sessions should not include any acidic foods, like tomatoes, vinegar etc.. this will remove the very coating you are trying to get going on your iron.
Next time- some great recipes straight from the great outdoors!
Some of the best advice we ever got was from a friend who turned us on to Cast Iron dutch ovens. Not to be confused with indoor dutch ovens. The outdoor cast-iron variety are a really special thing and can produce some of the best food you've ever tasted!
So first let's go over exactly what is a Dutch Oven?
From Wikipedia:
A Dutch oven is a thick-walled (usually cast iron) cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. Dutch ovens have been used as cooking vessels for hundreds of years. They are called "casserole dishes" in English speaking countries other than the USA, and cocottes in French, They are similar to both the Japanese tetsunabe and the Sa, a traditional Balkan cast-iron oven, and are related to the South African Potjieand the Australian Bedourie oven.
Their history in America started in the 1600's:
Over time, the Dutch oven used in the American colonies began to change. The pot became shallower and legs were added to hold the oven above the coals. A flange was added to the lid to keep the coals on the lid and out of the food.[2]
The cast-iron cookware was loved by colonists and settlers because of its versatility and durability. It could be used for boiling, baking, stews, frying, roasting, and just about any other use. The ovens were so valuable that wills in the 18th and 19th centuries frequently spelled out the desired inheritor of the cast iron cookware. When the young American country began to spread westward across the North American continent, so did the Dutch oven. A Dutch oven was among the gear Lewis and Clark carried when they explored the great American Northwest in 1804-1806. The pioneers who settled the American West also took along their Dutch ovens.
So now that we know what they are, how do they work for us?
A dutch oven will typically have legs, usually three. This will allow it to be put over hot coals or wood. They also have a flanged lid, which holds a small amount of coals on top of the oven for even cooking. So the heat radiates from both top and bottom, hence the name 'oven'. You will find some'Dutch Ovens' with no legs, a flat bottom and a normal lid. These are ok for regular use but will diminish their use as an oven.
So you've decided to purchase a Dutch Oven for your own outdoor use. What size is best?
They come in all sizes and bigger is not always better, for instance a 12 " oven will make too much food for 2 people and take too long to heat up. We've found that a 4 quart is the best size for a couple or a small family.
Next choice is pre-seasoned or un-seasoned?
All cast iron needs to be seasoned, so it's just a matter of; do you want the experience of doing it yourself? It can be a pain, but you will save money on the purchase and have the 'joy' of doing it yourself, maybe even get in touch with your ancestors or something like that.
So to season your dutch oven, here's what you do: first, wash it in hot water and soap to remove the factory wax residue designed to keep it from rusting during it's time in transit, next, put it in your oven to dry it completely. 10 minutes at 300 will suffice. Then wipe the inside and outside with a fatty or oily substance. Some people use a vegetable based oil or Crisco, but we use bacon fat or lard as it has a higher 'burn-in' temperature and is supposed to meld with the iron better.
Next, you can put your dutch oven in the regular oven at home, or, on a campfire. A campfire is easiest and less trouble, but frankly, most people do it at home. You'll need to heat it for 3 hours and then let it come back to room temperature. 300 degrees or hotter is needed, but you will have more smoke with more heat. CAUTION: if done indoors, this will generate a fair amount of smoke, so get ready to open your windows and have a fan going!
When you wash your oven, do not use soap and water as it will possibly cause rust. You can either just wipe them out with oil, or if you prefer, boil some water in them using the same coals you just cooked over. Then, wipe out, dry thoroughly and re-coat with oil or grease.
The first 5 cooking sessions should not include any acidic foods, like tomatoes, vinegar etc.. this will remove the very coating you are trying to get going on your iron.
Next time- some great recipes straight from the great outdoors!
Tri Tip
this was the beginning of a TriTip stew that ended up pretty incredible!
Even Biscuits
A little flour and water and you have old fashioned trail biscuits - it doesn't get any better!
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