O.K. I went and bought a Dutch Oven..now tell me how to use it !

[packplantpath]

I recommend printing this out, and just keeping it around.

http://bsatroop10.org/DutchOvenCookbook.pdf

It's first saw it back around 1998 or so, and it's made the rounds since then.

 

[patohunter]

Ive got two that I camp with...one with legs and one without. I didnt know we talked about DO cooking on this forum. Ive got a real easy recipe for making Pineapple upside down cake in em.

They can also work as a camp deep fryer.

They are extremely versatile units that can do a wide range of things when cooking with fire.

Stews are easy and tamale pie is really good too.

You're gonna have allot of fun with that.

Patohunter

 

[cman95]

While I was home this last hitch I made my first peach cobbler. Also my first DO. 3- legged Lodge and it cooked great. At least I thought so.

 

[gnubee]

I am a newbie to smoking but I am an old hand at Dutch ovens.

A rule of thumb when seasoning your dutch oven is: If its still sticky it isn't done yet. Crank on a little more heat, give it some more time then test it again till it is no longer sticky.

Once done properly it will last and last.

Another good tip: When you put it away place a folded up paper towel between the lid and the oven this allows moisture to escape preventing rust.

You can actually cook outside on the bare ground by just putting briquettes underneath it , plus a few on the lid. If you dont have an oven with the 3 legs just place it on a couple of bricks with the charcoal underneath. Experiment with the briquettes and soon you can actually get quite accurate with the temperatures. Every 1/2 hour or so Lift the Oven by the handle and turn it 1/4 of the way round then turn the lid back 1/4 of a turn. This will help avoid hot spots in your food.
For roasting things The rule of thirds is use 6 coals underneath and 12 on top or put another way use 1/3 of the coals underneath and 3/2 of them on top. If you find this is too hot as it might be on a hot day with no wind subtract some of the coals. A lot of recipes will suggest how many coals are required for that particular dish.

When at a campground I find it is best to dig a hole 1 1/2 times as round as your oven and about 6-8 inches deep. This makes a good wind break. Pile the removed dirt from the hole upwind to further break the wind. I usually also will place a log or two on the upwind side. It makes your coals last longer and burn hotter.

Lodge makes very good DOs in my opinion. Cabelas are not bad either. Lodge will sell you an oven with your name cast right into the lid of the oven, way cool.