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



## hhersh (Jun 14, 2007)

I got one with out the little legs on the bottom so that I could use it on my stove. Let's hear from the pros about using it . BTW, it's been seasoned this morning. ..


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## crewdawg52 (Jun 14, 2007)

First, you put stuff in it to be cooked.  Then you put coals under it and on top of it!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Really though, you'll love it.  Used to have one, but got rid of it a very long time ago.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Dutch does alot of DO cooking I believe.  Good Luck with it!


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## hawgheaven (Jun 14, 2007)

I've got a DO like that also. My parents carried it with them in their RV and cooked some wonderful meals with it on the charcoal grill. They put coals under it and on the lid, then the campers would go nuts smelling the aroma of our dinner.

I also have an antique DO that I use on the stove. It has no legs, has a flat bottom and a domed lid.


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## lisacsco (Jun 14, 2007)

I would season it 2 or 3 more times. And DONT cook anything acidity in it right away, you'll kill the seasoning.  Cook some greasy foods in it first to help with the seasoning get a good start. I have some good sites for DO's, I'll look for them 

:)

Lisa


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## lisacsco (Jun 14, 2007)

Here is ALOT of info and ALOT of reading, but it is pretty condensed.
Hope it is useful to you.

Lisa  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	






This site is my favorite for taking care and seasoning your DO:

http://www.wag-society.org/Electrolysis/seasoning.php


Some recipies:

http://www.freetechsupport.com/csr/dutchoven.html

http://www.ceedubs.com/

http://www.scoutorama.com/recipe/index.cfm

http://www.lodgemfg.com/

http://www.lsdos.com/outdoor.html

http://www.scoutingresources.org.uk/...utchoven01.pdf

http://www.wag-society.org/Electrolysis/seasoning.php

http://www.firepies.com/irons.html

http://www.chuckwagondiner.com/categories.php?id=9

http://www.asmwest.com/scout588/boys...en_cooking.htm

http://www.homestead.com/peaceandcar...OvenLinks.html


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## gypsyseagod (Jun 14, 2007)

i'd season it w/ about 2 lbs of hardsmoked bacon.the trick is to let it get good & hot before putting food in it(to open up the pores). be sure to heat it up after cleaning & rub oil in it.


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## crewdawg52 (Jun 14, 2007)

Remember not to "hard" scrub it when cleaning with anything too abrasive.  Treat it like your favorite cast iron skillet.


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## hhersh (Jun 14, 2007)

Thanks for all the tips and advice everyone.....and Lisa those are some GREAT sites. You folks never cease to amaze me with your readiness to help !!.........


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## Deer Meat (Jun 15, 2007)

Here is a link to a site that I found when I started to use a D.O.
Hopefully this forum will soon be as full of knowledge as the rest of the forums on smf.

http://www.idos.com/


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## zapper (Jun 16, 2007)

Step one: Add food!

Step two: Add Heat!

All else is secondary.

There is also no big secret about seasoning a dutch oven or any cast iron for that matter and its care. Clean is the most important thing so don't worry about using soap and water or scouring pads, get it and keep it clean you won't hurt it making it clean. After it is clean and dry wipe it with just a little bit of veggie oil on a paper towel, you can heat it until it smokes or follow any of a thousand different methods as you see fit, but I will offer this bit of information. Turn the pot or pan or dutch oven upside down if you are going to try to season it all at one time or after every use. This will allow the excess oil to run out of the pot or pan or dutch oven instead of flowing to the bottom and making some kind of thick gooey spot on the inside of the pot. 

The real deal is this, every time you use your cast iron a little bit of the oil turns to carbon and gradually seasons the pot. This will tend to happen faster on the sides and in areas where you don't tend to rub the stirring spoon or fork against all that much, because you actually scrape off that carbon in very small amounts before it has a chance to build up very much. As long as you cook with oil or animal fat the carbon will keep building up over time. If you happen to burn something that sticks to the pot and have to scrub to get it off, you wont hurt anything but your back and some of the seasoning. Scrub off the burnt food and wipe the pot with a thin film of oil and let the seasoning start to build up again. I store my cast iron upside down in the oven, the same place my parents did and the same place that most of the people that I remember did and do.


As far as tomatos and acidic foods go in cast iron? I have eaten more sloppy Joes and spaghatti sause out of cast iron than I can remember. Just try not to burn it in the pot when you cook it (As with all foods) And don't store foods in you cast iron (As with all foods) Again if you scrub off the seasoning, then recoat with oil and give it some time to work back, no biggie. It is a pot, not some magical mystical thing it is for cooking your food, keep it clean and if you can keep it full of good cooking!


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## deejaydebi (Jun 16, 2007)

When I was a kid my Mama made most meals in a dutch oven or a cast iron skillet- she had a ton of them. She even had one just for making soap (but that was outside).

Keeps the juices in there real good. 

Mama always scrubbed it up real good, heated it until the water evaporated then rubbed it with a hunk of salt pork after washing, then she'd would warm it up again and rub it hard with an old white t-shirt and do it again. They always looked so clean and shiney and never seemed to stick.


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## hhersh (Jun 16, 2007)

I have a couple of well used and much loved iron skillets that has a very deep patina on them. Nothing sticks to either of them.............
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  I hope I can get my DO in the same shape....


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## Dutch (Jun 30, 2007)

Harold, you mentioned that you bought a Dutch Oven (no legs). In the Camp Dutch Oven classes that I used to teach, I showed how to use the legless Dutch for outdoor use.  

Take a round trivet that has 3 or 4 legs on it and place it on your cook table. Place the Dutch Oven on top of the trivet. Place your briquettes just under the trivet. For top heat take a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil about 20 inches long. Fold it lengthwise so you end up with a 1 1/2-2 inch wide strip that's 20 inches long.  Bring the two ends together forming a band.  You want this band to be a little smaller than the diameter of the lid. When you have the size you need, staple the band together. Place it on the lid and place the briquettes on the lid inside the band. The band will keep the 'quettes from rolling off.


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## monty (Jul 18, 2007)

I have two flat bottom DOs as well as a number of frying pans and skillets in cast iron.

I heat with wood so the wood stove and the flat bottom DOs work well together. On a day when I am home I will put together a pot roast dinner, just a pot roast, veggies and some seasonings, and let it "work" all day. When evening comes the meal is ready and most excellent!

BTW, I have a three legged cast iron DO and a DO cooking stand on order from Cabelas. 

Also, I find that my GOSM is excellent for seasoning my cast iron. Just leave the water pan out of it, and go for the seasoning.

Cheers!


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## dacdots (Jul 21, 2007)

We baked some potatoes in our DO while camping and they came out really good.Also put some stuffed mushrooms in the last half hour,both went well with the T-bones and salad.


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## allen (Sep 30, 2007)

you'll enjoy your D.O. I have done beef roast, pork roast, stews, bisquits cornish game hens. I'm still learning but it is fun


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## dono (May 7, 2008)

thanks Lisa, you just saved me hours of surfing. I was just about to post that i bought me a dutch oven, now what? when I found this post and you addition to it. purfect thanks


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## chrome (May 7, 2008)

I'm thinking about buying a 5 quart and 11 quart. How well do these work in the smoker for chili, beans, etc?

I finally brought all my cast in from the trailer. I used to use it exclusively for camping, but indoors on the stove they're better than any of the Teflon  coated crap I've had in the past.

Cleaning is a bit more difficult, can't just throw'em in the dishwasher. I boil water in whatever I've used. Wipe clean, heat on the stove until the water has evaporated, and wipe down with cheap veggie oil.
BTW I have the cheapest cast cookware you can find at Cummins tool... LOL and it's better than anything else I've use in the kitchen.


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## lisacsco (May 7, 2008)

glad I could help DonO :)


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## alamar (May 7, 2008)

A little suggestion that years of cooking for the Boy Scouts taught me. Line the Dutch Oven with foil prior to putting food in it. Cleanup is waaaaaay easier.

The International Dutch Oven Sciety website previously mentioned is great for information. Also check out any of the Boy Scout sites. They surely have great information. I have a great Caramel Apple Cobbler recipe if you want it (goes great with homade cinnamon ice cream).

Here is a great cookbook online for Dutch Oven Cooking.

http://www.macscouter.com/Cooking/DutchOven.asp


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## packplantpath (May 7, 2008)

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.


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## patohunter (May 7, 2008)

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


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## cman95 (May 10, 2008)

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.


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## gnubee (Sep 16, 2008)

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.


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