;^) The Dutch Oven Thread.

[Publius]

Welcome to The Dutch Oven Thread, a few of us TB2K members thought it was a good idea to start a dedicated thread on this old rustic style of cooking.
Here we will be discussing equipment, cast Iron cookware in general and recipes and try to offer help and try to answer any questions about it.

Why Dutch Ovens? Good question, we all have to eat and for many its a hobby much like BBQ is and it's fun. For some it's a prep item and their wanting to learn more and practice using it for when the time comes. For camping it becomes gourmet cooking in the woods that hits it out of the park.

Dutch Oven cooking is not limited to outdoor use and has been done in a fireplace for centuries and even used in modern day ovens, they even make dutch ovens with flat bottoms with a domed lid that us dutcher's call bean pots and ideal for use in a modern day kitchen oven or stove top.

I will post a few photos to this thread to show some of the equipment used for this kind of cooking. Keep in mind I do not own everything thats out there, but over time some members may have it or acquire it and show some of it to us here.

Just about everything cooked in these rustic looking ovens can be and has been done in a modern day kitchen. So if your looking for something new to try and not wanting to go out and buy a Dutch Oven, come on in and have a look around and you may find some thing that looks good and want to give it a try using your pots, pans and other cooking equipment you already have.


EDIT ADD A Few Hot Links To Past Forum Threads On The Subject.

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?293690-Must-have-prep-Dutch-oven-and-accessories

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?518140-Any-Dutch-Oven-Masters-out-there

 

[Publius]

Below is the classic cast Iron pot and is an exsample of where it all started centuries ago and evolved over time.
Today it's refered to as a bean pot and can be used much he same way our ancestors did and or used in your modern kitchen, note the way it's made and there is nothing that can melt or burn off.

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=138811&stc=1&d=1499527706

 

[Publius]

Ok; This is the Dutch Oven we are using to day and the example shown is made by LODGE manufacturing. Note it has three legs and the reason for that is, it easier to stabilize the pot from rocking around on three legs.
Also note the lid has a lip or rim on the outside edge of lid and this is so coals or embers and ash stay contained on the lid and not fall into the pot when you lift to lid off. Paul Revere is credited to having started making the lids this way.

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/atta...nt.php?attachmentid=138813&stc=1&d=1499529546

 

[Publius]

There a few accessory's that are a must have! One is a lid lifter and its also used to lift and move the oven by it's bail, there are a few varations of this device.
Also a lid rest and the one shown is made by LODGE manufacturing, it folds up for storage and or transport, it's used as a place to put the lid down on to keep it out of the dirt and grass and it can also be turned up side down and use to support a frypan, or other flat bottomed pots, or the dutch oven lid turned up side down and use it as a frypan.

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/atta...nt.php?attachmentid=138816&stc=1&d=1499531269

 

[Publius]

One other accessory you may want is a meat trivet and the one shown it too is made by LODGE manufacturing and made of cast Iron, its shown up side down and you can see the three points it rests on, its just right for cooking meat, pies and cakes, it fits perfectly in the LODGE 10" dutch oven and the 12" with a small amount of space to spare around its outside edge.

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=138817&stc=1&d=1499532375

 

[Publius]

A few more items that are indispensable!
A Charcoal starter and they can be bought anywhere BBQ grills and charcoal is sold, and you place your charcoal in it and use news paper under it and light it to start the charcoal and it gets it started fast and easy.
A pair of tongs for moving Charcoal Briquets after you used your charcoal starter and place them where you need them.
The shovel is a takeoff of a NATO military shovel and can be found in department stores like Walmart and military surplus stores, these shovels folds up to a compact size and can be used for moving charcoal and embers from a wood fire (camping or indoor fireplace) and best not to leave it in the fire as it will destroy the metal, but just used to move hot embers and hot wood where you need it, it will last a lifetime.
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/atta...nt.php?attachmentid=138819&stc=1&d=1499536604
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=138820&stc=1&d=1499536641

 

[Publius]

Ok; I will post the first recipe and one member KKC was asking me about a potato dish I made this fourth of July for a gathering we attend every year.
Now this is a one pot meal in it self, but it does not have to be as it makes a great entrée to any main course.
This is a good for beginners, scouts and the more advanced cooks you owe it to your self to give this a try and I'm sure you will do it again and again.

Ingredients

Bacon: any bacon will do, but bacon with a strong smoke flavor will take over the top.
Onions.
Peas.
Potatoes
1 Pound block of Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheater Cheese.


To start you need to cut/slice up enough bacon to cover a little more than the bottom of the dutch oven your using, next the same for onions.
First fry bacon until it just browns and remove it from the pot and set aside and leave the bacon grease behind in the pot.
Next put in Onions and fry until transparent or lightly browned, then add the potatoes and stir to get onions off the bottom and mixed into the potatoes.
Place lid on and bake to about 350 degrees for an hour (bottom & Top Heat). stir about every 15 min until potatoes are cooked down an hour later, at this point remove oven from bottom heat.
Next add bacon back into the oven and add one or two handfuls of frozen peas and stir-mix into the potatoes and level it off, then add a thick layer of shredded cheater cheese on top.
Place lid back on oven with heat on top only and you can add more coals to the lid, it should take about two and a half min to four min to melt the cheese so lift the lid have a peak at it.
Once its all melted its done dump the coals.

TIP: If you know the Potatoes your using are on the firm/hard side you can add a 1/4 cup of water right from the start and after an hour test by using a Potato Masher and keep at it until you have it mashed to your liking.

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=138825&stc=1&d=1499559859

 

[Pebbles]

Thank you Publius for starting this thread. I LOVE cooking in my dutch ovens, particularly outdoors. I have a cooking area set up outside so I can cook outside whenever I wish.
The biggest group I have cooked for was 30 people for my mom's 90th birthday. It was a lot of work and great fun!! I tried uploading some pictures but they keep failing.

If you can cook your recipe in the oven you can cook your recipe in a dutch oven. There is just something magical about the food that comes out of a dutch oven. Out of that black pot comes fantastic breakfasts, pies, short ribs, chili, all kinds of bread, and it really does taste better!!!

My husband and I purchased a chuck wagon this winter and we are now setting up our cooking area by our chuck wagon. When we get it set up I will upload pics if I can get the pictures to upload.

Dutch ovens produce the best pizza on earth. We no longer pick up pizza because my husband will only eat my dutch oven pizza. I use a regular yeast pizza dough recipe. When your dough is ready I use my 14" dutch oven. Preheat over the briquettes. I roll out my dough on parchment paper, build my pizza, and transfer the pizza to my preheated dutch oven. I use 11 briquettes on the bottom and I load up the top of the dutch oven with probably 40 briquettes. I figure a pizza oven cooking pizza at a high heat, like 475 degrees. My pizza is usually done in about 25 minutes. The parchment paper makes it easy to gently lift your pizza to make sure the bottom is not getting done too fast. Try it you will love it!!!!

 

[packyderms_wife]

Welcome to The Dutch Oven Thread, a few of us TB2K members thought it was a good idea to start a dedicated thread on this old rustic style of cooking.
Here we will be discussing equipment, cast Iron cookware in general and recipes and try to offer help and try to answer any questions about it.

Why Dutch Ovens? Good question, we all have to eat and for many its a hobby much like BBQ is and it's fun. For some it's a prep item and their wanting to learn more and practice using it for when the time comes. For camping it becomes gourmet cooking in the woods that hits it out of the park.

Dutch Oven cooking is not limited to outdoor use and has been done in a fireplace for centuries and even used in modern day ovens, they even make dutch ovens with flat bottoms with a domed lid that us dutcher's call bean pots and ideal for use in a modern day kitchen oven or stove top.

I will post a few photos to this thread to show some of the equipment used for this kind of cooking. Keep in mind I do not own everything thats out there, but over time some members may have it or acquire it and show some of it to us here.

Just about everything cooked in these rustic looking ovens can be and has been done in a modern day kitchen. So if your looking for something new to try and not wanting to go out and buy a Dutch Oven, come on in and have a look around and you may find some thing that looks good and want to give it a try using your pots, pans and other cooking equipment you already have.

make sure you link to the other three threads, please!

 

[packyderms_wife]

Below is the classic cast Iron pot and is an exsample of where it all started centuries ago and evolved over time.
Today it's refered to as a bean pot and can be used much he same way our ancestors did and or used in your modern kitchen, note the way it's made and there is nothing that can melt or burn off.

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=138811&stc=1&d=1499527706

I need one of these tripods!

 

[Publius]

I need one of these tripods!

The one I have is homemade and to this day I never used it.

As for the other links I did a search and there is much in the forum archive and about 30 threads on cast iron fry pans. Not sure what to include, so some input and see it done.


EDIT ADD: I added two link's to the top startup post.

 

[KKC]

Great start Publius!!! I like the thread so far. And thanks by the way for the recipe. I'll be trying that out pretty soon.

The D.O. and Accessories are great. I never thought of turning the lid holder upside down to use the lid as a fry pan. Learn something every day.

For me Temp Control and Coal Management are the parts I'm struggling with. So I'll probably be posting some info on that in the near future.

Not to mention tried recipes that were good or not so good.

Thanks for starting this Publius!!!

 

[KKC]

This is a Temperature Control Chart from Lodge.

 

[KKC]

Charcoal questions.

Things I've always wondered.

1.) Once there is a patch of grey on a black briquette the briquette is lit? True or False?
2.) Once the briquette is lit how long before it is consumed?
3.) As more of the briquette is burned does the heat produced by the briquette reduce?
4.) Is there a sweat spot of time to start additional briquettes if you're cooking for several hours?

Thoughts everyone?

 

[Publius]

Charcoal questions.

Things I've always wondered.

1.) Once there is a patch of grey on a black briquette the briquette is lit? True or False?
2.) Once the briquette is lit how long before it is consumed?
3.) As more of the briquette is burned does the heat produced by the briquette reduce?
4.) Is there a sweat spot of time to start additional briquettes if you're cooking for several hours?

Thoughts everyone?

If what your cooking needs to cook an hour or more time, so your replacing the briquettes every 45 minutes.
There are times you will not need to do this and sometimes add a few just to get by like that potato dish I posted to cook all that diced up potato I end up starting a charcoal to put four or five more under and about the same for the top, then transfer the remaining coals to the top to melt the cheese.
Things like cakes and breads you use whats called the 2/3th method! Say it calls for 45 minutes to bake, so after 30 minutes you remove it from the bottom heat and allow top heat only to complete the task and allow it to brown on the top and sometimes adding a few of the bottom coals to the top to adjust for diminished output of the coals your using. It comes down to a judgement call that comes with doing it enough, you just know it has to be done.


Edit Add: Its good practice to rotate the oven one direction a half turn every 15 to 20 minutes and spin the lid the opposite direction, this promotes even heating and prevents hot spots.

 

[KKC]

If what your cooking needs to cook an hour or more time, so your replacing the briquettes every 45 minutes.
There are times you will not need to do this and sometimes add a few just to get by like that potato dish I posted to cook all that diced up potato I end up starting a charcoal to put four or five more under and about the same for the top, then transfer the remaining coals to the top to melt the cheese.
Things like cakes and breads you use whats called the 2/3th method! Say it calls for 45 minutes to bake, so after 30 minutes you remove it from the bottom heat and allow top heat only to complete the task and allow it to brown on the top and sometimes adding a few of the bottom coals to the top to adjust for diminished output of the coals your using. It comes down to a judgement call that comes with doing it enough, you just know it has to be done.


Edit Add: Its good practice to rotate the oven one direction a half turn every 15 to 20 minutes and spin the lid the opposite direction, this promotes even heating and prevents hot spots.

Yeah I do the rotating part. I have found that at the end when I'm done cooking and need heat to clean and re-season I'm out of coals.... So 45 minutes in I should start me next batch of coals?

And how do I know for sure they are lit? A little grey, all grey, somewhere in between, what?

 

[Publius]

They should all have white or gray ash and some do not get lit usually, and it's the a few at the top and if they are lit they will progressly start to form a layer of ash in a minute or two

If you think you need a fresh batch of coals, start a new batch of charcoal's about 12+ minutes before the 45 minute mark.

 

[KKC]

Gotcha... Thanks Publius

 

[Publius]

Yesterday evening was a little hectic with unplanned running around and knew I would not make it back home until 8:45PM.
So for a late dinner I used some 2 pound of chop meat we had in the fridge and made a batch of Sloppy Joe, it was quick and easy meal and used the Walmart house brand Sloppy Joe mix packets.
There are a number of things you can add to it as filler that workout well! Onion, Garlic and red kidney beans and of that combination and the Beans works really well for a heavy meal and leftovers can be added to Mac & cheese the next day.

This is great camp food
The Sloppy Joe & my version of Chilly Mac, Kids love it and grownups too find both quite tasty

 

[Publius]

Cook Book Review, For You Frypan Lovers

Many may not even know this cook book is available and wife brought this one home from a yard sale.
Is is a semi-hardbound 8"X10" 288 page book by Lodge printed by Oxmoor House and it covers how to care for, season and reseason your cast Iron cookware.
Recipes from all over the country, but it primarily focus on Southern style cooking.
Breads, Breakfast, Soups-Stews, Sea Food, Desserts, and a fair number of Corn Bread recipes.
It has a brief history of the Lodge company and it has a number of short stories.
As of now I have not the chance to use any of the recipes from this book, but like I said many may not know about this book. Anything thats stove top cooked in a frypan or baked in the oven in a frypan is fair game for anyone with a Dutch Oven.
The book can inspire some with ideas or use it them as they are.
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=139207&stc=1&d=1501001980

 

[Melodi]

I have gotten a number of this series of books, mostly on free days in Kindle versions and they are very good and I'd love to have hard copies.

 

[Cardinal]

In my trapping class the instructor pointed out that a Dutch oven was the best way to cook possum and racoon. They are not just edible but tasty. I would love to see some small game recipes here. I just purchased a 5 quart dutch oven.

 

[Publius]

In my trapping class the instructor pointed out that a Dutch oven was the best way to cook possum and racoon. They are not just edible but tasty. I would love to see some small game recipes here. I just purchased a 5 quart dutch oven.

I'm trying to find some info for you. There is a few tons of wild game cook books and oddly most I seen and the ones have do not have anything on Opossum or Raccoon. Now Raccoon there are a few sent glands in the back legs and in the front ones too and I can't think of a way to describe just where and they look like small red beans.
Both coon and opossum are best treated and cooked like pork, but opossum can also be cooked like chicken and best served with sweet potato, the old timers say it should never be served without sweet potato.

 

[Broken Arrow]

I love to bake bread in mine, here's a link to the recipe I use.

https://www.growforagecookferment.com/no-knead-sourdough-bread/

 

[Publius]

In my trapping class the instructor pointed out that a Dutch oven was the best way to cook possum and racoon. They are not just edible but tasty. I would love to see some small game recipes here. I just purchased a 5 quart dutch oven.

Ok; for anyone that has problems with seeing an aminal being skined don't click the link.
I found on You Tube a video that shows the glands I was talking about and the links I'm posting will lead you to some resipes.
Raccoon I have eaten and it was quite good I thought I was eating pork.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEvKiuKbXwM


The next one is about Possum and it brings up and backs up what I was saying on the topic of sweet poatoe and par-boiling it prier to baking it. The old guy says his inlaw had "Eat More Possum" panted on his barn and there is an old joke in there and I won't go there and just leave it alone at that. I have never eatten Possum but from what I have been told and read that its pretty darn good, my self never cared much for sweet poatoe.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LklP5pp9Syk

 

[KKC]

You know Cardinal raises a good point. If TSHTF we won't be eating beef.. Rabbits are easy game even for the DGI's... So that leaves the tougher forage for those of us in the know. Coon I have heard are good but fatty. Never heard of the scent gland so thanks for heads up. I haven't seen the video yet that Publius posted but I'm looking forward to it.

I too have seen many wild game cook books but never dawned on me to get one until now. So I'll bet you $100 bucks I'll never see one again. LOL... Other wild game that I have seen in my quest for snaring techniques are birds. It appears they are fairly easy to snare. Cardinal chime in if I'm wrong.

I think it would do this thread some good to see what we can find for recipes of small game for EOTWAWKI type scenarios.

Thoughts everyone?

 

[KKC]

Quick and dirty search produced this

The Wild Fowl Recipes come with Nutrition Fact Charts and the Wild Game Harvest comes with meat nutrition composition charts.

 

[Publius]

Part 1. Dutch Oven Ribs.

This is one best ribs recipes I have come up with and its quite simple.

First I cut the ribs apart cutting inbetween the ribs and I'm cutting up two Saint Louis cut rib racks to fill a deep 14" dutch oven.
Then coat them with a meat seasoning rub and I'm using a product called "Bone Sucking Sauce" and it ment for Steak (beef) and it works really well with pork ribs.
Next steep is put the ribs in zip-lock bags and put them in the frige over night.
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=139351&stc=1&d=1501432136
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/atta...nt.php?attachmentid=139353&stc=1&d=1501432222

 

[ejagno]

We use this pot often for the best tasting roasts you can imagine. We've used it on open campfires, camp stoves, gas stoves and even my glass top stove. I have the large, medium and smaller ones. We stuff, season and brown our roast in the pot really well generally using bacon drippings or vegetable oil. Once it's nice and brown we remove the roast from the pot and saute' our seasoning blend (onions, bell pepper, garlic, celery, parsley) in the drippings until they are almost translucent. We add approximately 3 cups of homemade broth and return the roast to the pot to cook and simmer for at least 2 hours or until the required temperature for that specific meat has been acquired. Now would be a good time to put a pot of rice to cooking. LOL Once this is done you can remove the roast once again to a good cutting board (placed in cookie sheet to avoid dripping off the sides) and cut the meat up into slices or chunks (whatever your preference is). While the meat is being sliced you can add cornstarch and broth to make a nice hearty gravy to your preferred consistency. Now add the meat (and drippings) back to the pot and ENJOY! You simply cannot beat the browning effects you achieve using a good black cast iron pot.

 

[Publius]

Part 2. Dutch Oven Ribs

The Ingredients:

Pork Ribs
Bone Sucking Sauce spice rub.
Onions.
Bell Peppers
Kraft Oridgnal BBQ Sause.
Open Pit Oridgnal BBQ Sauce.

I cut the bell Peppers and Onions into thick slices and lay some of both on the bottom with a small amount of both BBQ Sauce's and then add more BBQ Sauce to cover.
Next layer in the meat and again add enough of both BBQ Sauce's to cover.
Then add another layer of Onion and Bell Peppers and another layer of meat and add more BBQ Sauce to cover.
Then cook at 350F heat top and bottom.
This is going to take some time to cook and adding fresh charcoal once every hour for the next three hours.
You don't need to use such a big Dutch Oven like I'm using you can use a 12" and use less meat and so on to fit your needs.
I'm not in a hurry to replace the coals so yeah once every hour I start a new batch and the temp's can drop to 300 to 275 degrees and this is Ok as slow cooking is best for pork ribs.
Ribs cooked this way in a dutch oven is something hard to discribe, but its so good.

.http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/atta...nt.php?attachmentid=139356&stc=1&d=1501434059

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=139357&stc=1&d=1501434143

 

[KKC]

Those ribs look delish Publius. And I just can't get over your DO cook table. A tornado could roll through taking everything in it's path but that bad boy will still be standing waiting for Charcoal. LOL...

 

[Publius]

Those ribs look delish Publius. And I just can't get over your DO cook table. A tornado could roll through taking everything in it's path but that bad boy will still be standing waiting for Charcoal. LOL...

This setup consists of two Ebco Sawhorses and a 1/8" steel plate thats 4' 10" long by 18" wide. I need to have some 1/2" angle Iron welded to one side to make it more rigid as the 1/8 thick plate has to much flex.
That should do it and still keep it portable, the sawhorses fold up compact and nest tougher on top of each other.

 

[KKC]

This setup consists of two Ebco Sawhorses and a 1/8" steel plate thats 4' 10" long by 18" wide. I need to have some 1/2" angle Iron welded to one side to make it more rigid as the 1/8 thick plate has to much flex.
That should do it and still keep it portable, the sawhorses fold up compact and nest tougher on top of each other.

Oh they do fold? It looked like they didn't. Still.. That is one sturdy set up. LOL....I had found this.

Dutch Oven Table

But this looks easier. LOL...

Camp-Chef-32-in-Dutch-Oven-Table-with-Legs

 

[Bubble Head]

A little note on Dutch Oven cooking. Besides being absolutely the ultimate survival cook tool the flat top and seal have more than one reason. I own several Dutch Ovens of descending size. You can put the largest on the bottom and stack cook your meal on top using the coals from the bottom up. Main dish up to cobbler on top. The very tight seal gives you the ability to put a stew together in the morning and bury the oven in a hot bed of coals bottom and top with dirt to hold in heat. Stew will be ready when you come back from the hunt or daily work. Dig it up carefully and enjoy. Lewis and Clark never parted with their Dutch Ovens or guns. Everything else was traded or lost. They were that important.

 

[Publius]

A little note on Dutch Oven cooking. Besides being absolutely the ultimate survival cook tool the flat top and seal have more than one reason. I own several Dutch Ovens of descending size. You can put the largest on the bottom and stack cook your meal on top using the coals from the bottom up. Main dish up to cobbler on top. The very tight seal gives you the ability to put a stew together in the morning and bury the oven in a hot bed of coals bottom and top with dirt to hold in heat. Stew will be ready when you come back from the hunt or daily work. Dig it up carefully and enjoy. Lewis and Clark never parted with their Dutch Ovens or guns. Everything else was traded or lost. They were that important.

There not to many written historical reports of dutch oven use, but these ovens were the most desirable cooking implement for a few centuries. Lewis & Clark did say it was of their most valued bit of equipment they had next to their guns. They got much dried maze along the way from the natives and used the dutch oven to make parched corn to eat when they had nothing else to eat.

 

[Publius]

Ok; last night I baked a whole chicken and yeah that does not sound all that fantastic, but wife and son love it when I do it.

Now I used the 12" dutch oven for this along with the trivet shown on post N0#5 and greased the pot with shortening and used cooking oil on the trivet.

This was a 3 pound bird, I fixed up some stove top stuffing with raisins to fill it with, you can use any seasoning spices you like to use to coat the outside of the bird.
The stuffing is not cooked on the stove top, but made up with adding hot water and some butter and raisins and stuffed into the bird.

Now for for baking I start off with a good deal of heat and allow the oven t heat up for 10 minutes before adding the bird.
13 coals on the bottom and and 17 on the top for the fist part of cooking the chicken, the chicken needs to be baked for total of 1 1/2 hours or 90 minutes.

Part two changing out the coals, so at the 45-50 minute mark I replace the coals with fresh coals and Use only 9 for the bottom and 18 on top to finish the cooking process.

After an hour 1 1/2 remove from heat and dump the coals on the top, removing the bird from the oven you may find the wings and back section with the legs will fall off, so a cooking spoon will be needed to lift that out on to a platter along with the stuffing. Next enjoy your meal.

Clean up you have to drain the pot and do some scraping with a wooden cooking implement and take your time you will get it done it not that hard and it was all worth it.

 

[Pebbles]

Love cooking chicken like this. It cooks fast and very tasty, be sure not to overcook. I put my chicken on a bed of chopped onion and whole garlic, a little chicken stock and white wine. After about 20 minutes I add mushrooms and potato or sweet potato chunks and cook until done about 45 more minutes. I would use 10 coals on the bottom and 17 on top, about like you Publius. Good stuff!!!!

 

[Publius]

Tonight we're doing a meatloaf and I think you find that in just about any cook book.

 

[Publius]

Doing another batch of ribs and we're getting thing in place to do the Fourth of July gathering we do every year. Yeah I start this far in advance.

 

[Melodi]

Made chicken and dumplings in my last night (on the stove), Italian Sauce the day before and Chile beans the night before that - these are great, especially when the slow cooker is full.

I also know how to use them outside on a crane or with turf/wood, but I don't do that for "usual" daily cooking.