DUTCH OVEN COOKING scouterkevin@roadrunner.com 1
Dutch ovens were the cooking ovens of our pioneer forefathers. They hung them over the fireplaces in their eastern colonials and wilderness log cabins. They carried them in their covered wagons and push carts as they headed west over the Great Plains. They cooked with them over their wood and buffalo chip stoves in their dug outs and sod huts on the prairies. They carried them in their chuck wagons on the great cattle drives. And they used them in their ranch houses and adobe homesteads when they got to where they were going. Dutch Ovens were once the basic cooking utensil of the everyday kitchen, almost forgotten, except for a few die hard cowboys. But over the past couple of decades, Dutch ovens have made a remarkable comeback thanks to a growing group of weekend pioneers and enthusiastic Scout Leaders too. Why the growing interest in this throwback to the iron-age? It s fun, simple, entertaining, and if you do it right, the results often taste better then anything you could produce in its modern equivalent. Dutch oven cooking may stir up some repressed memories in our own collective consciousness. How Do You Start You re going to need to obtain a Dutch oven. There are quite a few choices here; you are going to need a camp oven with the raised lip on the lid and three legs on the bottom of the oven. My recommendation is to stay away from the aluminum ones, always look for cast iron. You can find them at stores like REI, Gander Mountain, Sportsman Warehouse, Bass Pro Shops, Wal Mart, garage sales, the basement and of course your Scout Shop. Lodge is the best known manufacturer of Dutch Ovens, and makes a consistently good product. Choosing The Right Oven For outdoor cooking, it is most important that you purchase the camp or outdoor Dutch oven that has three stubby legs on the bottom and a flanged lid. The legs create space for coals or charcoal briquettes under the oven, and the flanged lid is to keep the coals from rolling off of the domed lid, thus supplying the necessary heat to the inside of the oven. Camp ovens come in a variety of sizes and capacities from 8 inch up to a 20 inch. Unless you have a large den or troop, you will need 10 to 14 inch ovens. Oven Size Oven Capacity Main Dish Side Dish 8-inch 2 quarts 2-4 servings 6-10 servings 10-inch 4 quarts 2-8 servings 10-12 servings 12-inch 6 quarts 6-10 servings 12-16 servings 12-inch Deep 8 quarts 6-14 servings 16-22 serving 14-inch 8 quarts 6-14 servings 16-22 servings 14-inch Deep 10 quarts 12-22 servings 18-26 servings 16-inch 12 quarts 26-36 servings 20-inch 16 quarts 40+ servings When shopping for Dutch Ovens you should look for: Consistent metal thickness and finish. The walls and bottom should be relatively smooth with few or no pits in the surface. There should be no swirl marks or cracks. Snug fitting lids. Loose lids allow heat to escape. The inside finish. Should be smooth, flat and free of metal runs. No grinding marks. Manufacturers will grind the metal to hide imperfections Keep in mind that when looking to buy Dutch Ovens not all ovens are created the same so look carefully. scouterkevin@roadrunner.com 2
Deep and shallow sided Dutch ovens It s generally accepted that the ovens with shallow sides are called bread ovens Remember your high school physics class- heat rises. Therefore, it is more difficult to move heat into the oven from the lid than to let it rise into the oven from the bottom. When baking, the heat source on the lid needs to be close to the object being baked. Your rolls or biscuits will then be brown on the top as well as the bottom. The deeper sided ovens allow room to cook meats, vegetables, soups, and stews. Not only are the oven contents close to the lid, but foods containing moisture, produce some steam, which helps maintain an even oven temperature. Accessories for Your Dutch Oven You re going to need a few accessories to go with your Dutch oven to make cooking easier and more enjoyable. Here are some of the basics, as you develop your own techniques you will customize your tool kit. Chimney Starter is important because the BSA does not allow liquid starters. You could make your own by punching a few holes in a #10 can and using a pair of pliers for a handle. Lid Lifter to get that hot lid off of the oven. It is also useful in moving the Dutch Oven around. Lid Rack to keep the lid off the ground and clean. Tongs for moving and removing the coals is also a pretty useful thing to have. Pair of Leather Welding Gloves are also great for moving coals and hot ovens around. Small Fireplace Shovel to aid in moving coals around and a whisk broom for sweeping ashes off the lid before you open it. Seasoning Your Dutch Oven Once you have your new oven, you will need to season it. You may want to consider doing this with the factory seasoned ovens just to be sure. First wash it with hot, soapy water. This will be the only time your oven will see soap. You need to do this to remove the wax or oil that is applies to stop the oven from rusting while it is in the factory and retail outlet. Then dry it thoroughly with towels, do not air dry the Dutch oven, it will begin to rust immediately. Pour 3-4 Tablespoons of oil in it and rub it all around with a paper towel, be certain to coat the inside and outside of the oven, using more oil if needed. Do not forget the lid too. Put it upside down in a 350 f oven with foil underneath or outside in a propane gas gill set to high (if you do not want to smoke up your house) it and bake for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and allow the Dutch Oven to cool in it for at least 8 hours Seasoning turns the oil into a varnish, filling the pores and creating a smooth, non-stick surface. This method works well with all cast iron cooking utensils. Eventually the finish will turn from gray to a shiny black. Cleaning Your Dutch Oven Once your Dutch oven is seasoned you want to avoid anything that will damage or remove the surface. Scratching or scraping the inside will damage the surface. Washing it with soapy water will damage the surface. You must only use hot water to clean your Dutch Ovens. If you burn something to the bottom of the oven just boil some water in the Dutch oven. You can even use a wooden spatula or a scrubby sponge for Teflon pans. If you do scratch the surface do not panic just season the oven again. It s that easy. scouterkevin@roadrunner.com 3
Storing the Oven DO NOT STORE YOUR OVEN WITH THE LID ON TIGHT! Always leave the lid open enough to allow air movement inside the oven. Most long time Dutch Oven cooks place several sheets of paper towels inside the oven and roll up another sheet to place between the lid and the oven to keep the lid ajar. Transporting your Ovens Some cooks place their ovens in cloth sacks or bags while others continue to use the cardboard box the oven came in. Others have lidded wooden boxes that just fit their ovens and can be stacked in order to save floor space. Whatever you use, treat your ovens with care and don t drop them or let them bounce around and become damaged. Cast iron Dutch Ovens are great investments that will last for centuries of good use if given the right care. How Do You Heat a Dutch Oven I recommend using charcoal for your source of heat. With charcoal briquettes you can (under normal conditions), predict and control the temperature of your Dutch oven. A good quality charcoal is the difference between a great meal and one that is burnt or raw. I only use Kingsford, they will burn the longest and have the most consistent quality of the available brands. Every year state and national parks place more restrictions on open fires and gathering of firewood. Charcoal is a great alternative to wood embers and is easier to obtain, transport. To determine the right amount of charcoal briquettes (coals) you will need, there is a simple formula. For a 350 f cooking temperature (most Dutch oven recipes are written for this temperature) For the total number of coals needed take the pan size and double the number. For example if you are using a 12 Dutch Oven 12x2=24; 24 coals needed. For baking or roasting: put ⅓ of the coals on the bottom, ⅔ goes on the lid. Using our example; 24/3=8. Place 8 coals on the bottom and 16 on the lid. If you are using a deep oven add 4 coals to the lid. For frying, browning or sautéing: all the coals go on the bottom. When using briquettes I recommend a chimney starter, using either paper or propane to ignite them. The briquettes will need only 10-20 minutes and they will be ready for cooking. As the coals are getting hot, prepare your ingredients and ovens for cooking. Should your dish take a long tome to cook, over 45 minutes, prepare additional coals. Remember that the temperature and wind will affect how many coals you will need. Arrange the number of briquettes needed by placing them under the oven s bottom in a circular pattern at least ½ inch inside the edge. Arrange the briquettes on the lid in a checkerboard pattern. The most important thing to remember is not bunch coals together as it will cause hot spots and burn the food or damage the Dutch oven. To prevent hot spots rotate the oven ¼ turn then rotate the lid ¼ turn in the opposite direction every 15-20 minutes throughout the cooking process. Check your foods occasionally, in the same 15-20 minute cycles as you rotate the Dutch oven. Each time you open the oven you lengthen your cooking time. Be careful when removing the lid so as not to flavor the dish with ashes. If it is necessary to add briquettes, do so in the same proportion on top and bottom of the oven. With practice, you ll become better at controlling your cooking temperatures. scouterkevin@roadrunner.com 4
Breakfast Burritos 1lb pork sausage 1 box frozen Hash Browns 12 Eggs ½ lb shredded Cheddar Cheese Recipes Place Dutch oven over 8 charcoal briquettes and allow to preheat for 15 minutes. Break or cut sausage into Dutch oven with 3 Tablespoons of oil. When browned add hash browns and cook until brown. Remove from coals. Mix eggs well and add to top of sausage/ hash browns. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the oven and place 16 briquettes on the top of the oven. Cook slowly from the top for 10-15 minutes. When eggs are cooked top with shredded cheese, cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve with tortillas and salsa. Pancakes Yes, pancakes. For pancakes, use just the lid of the Dutch Oven turned upside down (inside up) over a bed of coals (no flames). The griddle should be hot enough to make a drop of water skitter on the surface. To save time and mess at camp, you can premix dry ingredients before you leave home and put them into a ziplock bag. OIL THE LID before ladling any batter onto it! This recipe makes about nine pancakes: In a bowl or pitcher, beat the following ingredients with a hand beater, or wire whisk: 1 egg ¾ Cup milk 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (or melted shortening or melted margarine) Beat these dry ingredients into the mixture until completely smooth and fluffy: 1 Cup all-purpose flour 1 Tablespoon sugar 3 Teaspoons baking powder ½ Teaspoon salt Biscuits Preheat a Dutch oven. Mix dry ingredients into a large bowl. These can be premixed at home. 3 Cups all-purpose flour 6 Teaspoons baking powder ½ Teaspoon salt Mix in the following ingredients. DO NOT MIX TOO MUCH or you will have rock-hard biscuits. 1 Cup milk 6 Tablespoons vegetable oil After mixing the biscuits, carefully roll the dough into balls and place in the bottom of the oven. Have only 4 to 5 charcoal briquettes under the Dutch Oven, and have as many briquettes on top of the oven as the number written on top of the lid (12 coals for a 12 Dutch Oven). Bake until slightly browned on top. scouterkevin@roadrunner.com 1
Biscuits: Follow directions on your favorite mix or try the following. 1 cup flour. 1 Tbsp. baking powder. 2 eggs. 1 Tbsp. oil. ¼-½ cup milk. Mix all well, drop or cut dough, set in a well oiled pre heated DO, set the lid and add coals on the lid, the biscuits should be done in about 10-12 min, when the tops are a golden brown. These are great buttered open faced with red eye gravy over the top Camp Red Eye Gravy: Done with that bacon? Not quite so, well sort of not quite yet. Pour off all but 2-3 Tbsp. of the grease. To the grease add 1 Tbsp. of flour and stir the flour in to absorb as much of the grease as it can take, add maybe a cup of coffee, (may as well use your own cause it is probably cold by now,) add some pepper and stir it into the flour grease mixture stir and be sure to loosen up that sticky layer left from cooking that bacon (or ham) stir till the gravy is to the desired degree of thickness you want. To break up camp fare and to keep them off balance spoon the gravy over hash browns, or roasted bread. Pizza (English Muffin Style) Preheat the Dutch Oven with more coals on the lid than the number (i.e. >12 on a 12 Dutch Oven) and an equal number under the oven. Cut English Muffins in half (Or use a whole Boboli bread) Spread margarine on the crust side of the muffins Spread tomato slice or pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce or tomato paste on the top side of the muffins Add grated cheese (provolone or mozzarella preferred, others fine) Add Sliced pepperoni and/or sausage and/or sliced olives and/or leftover cooked bacon Bake until the cheese is melted Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches Prepare the Dutch Oven lid as you did for pancakes above, to make a grill. Spread butter or margarine on one side of each piece of bread. Place Ham and Cheese slices on the non-buttered sides of two pieces of bread. Lightly brown each side of the sandwich. Chicken and Rice Into a prepared Dutch Oven, put the following items: 2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup (spread across bottom) 2 soup cans of water 2 cups of white Rice (evenly sprinkled on top of the soup) 4 Chicken breasts 2 diced carrots 1 diced piece of broccoli Cook with a few coals under the Oven (~6) and most coals on the lid (~14 on a 12 oven) to avoid overcooking the rice onto the bottom of the oven. Check often and add water if drying out. scouterkevin@roadrunner.com 2
Baked Chicken Ingredients: 4 medium-size chicken quarters Optional: salt & pepper ¾ cup ketchup ½ stick margarine one can Coke Fill starter can with charcoal briquettes, coat briquettes with charcoal lighter fluid, or place kindling in with charcoal, light, and let burn until 2/3rds of charcoal is light gray (about 15 minutes). Place 8 charcoal briquettes in tight circle, place Dutch oven on top of briquettes, centered over them. Pour about three tablespoons of cooking oil in the oven and spread all around with a paper towel. When oven is pre-heated (about 15 minutes), place chicken quarters in Dutch oven. Add salt and pepper. Cut up ½ margarine stick and place slices throughout oven. Cover the oven with the lid, place 16 briquettes spaced evenly on lid. Cook slowly for about 35 to 40 minutes. Chicken is done when meat is white all the way to the bone. For barbeque chicken, mix ¾ cup ketchup with one can of Coke and pour over chicken at start of cooking. Cowboy Stew Ingredients: 2 lbs. ground beef 1 tablespoon margarine 2 15 oz. Cans of chili beans Fill starter can with charcoal briquettes, coat briquettes with charcoal lighter fluid, or place kindling in with charcoal, light, and let burn until 2/3rds of charcoal is light gray (about 15 minutes). Place 10 charcoal briquettes in tight circle, place Dutch oven on top of briquettes, centered over them. Pour about three tablespoons of cooking oil in the oven and spread all around with a paper towel. When oven is pre-heated, brown beef in margarine in uncovered oven. Add beans. Cover the oven with the lid, and cook slowly for about 15 to 20 minutes (do not place briquettes on top of lid). scouterkevin@roadrunner.com 3
Dutch Oven Pot Roast 2 Tbs. bacon grease or olive oil lbs. ground beef 2 tsp. dry rosemary; rubbed 1 tablespoon margarine 2 med. Yellow onions 2 15 oz. Cans of chili beans 5 cloves garlic; sliced ¼ cup honey barbecue sauce 3 4 lb. beef chuck roast 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar salt and pepper to taste 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar 3 Tbs. brown sugar 1-2 lbs. baby carrots 1 Tbs. soy sauce 6-8 medium red potatoes; skins on, cut into chunks 1 bay leaf 1 tsp. thyme 1 tsp. Black pepper 1 Tbs. parsley flakes Fill starter can with charcoal briquettes, coat briquettes with charcoal lighter fluid, or place kindling in with charcoal, light, and let burn until 2/3rds of charcoal is light gray (about 15 minutes). Place 20 charcoal briquettes in tight circle, place Dutch oven on top of briquettes, centered over them. When oven is hot, add bacon grease or olive oil, rosemary, and onions; cook 2-3 minutes until you start to see a little color on the onions then add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute longer. In a large measuring cup combine the beef stock, barbecue sauce, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, bay leaf, and black pepper; stir to mix then pour juice slowly into the oven. Season the roast with salt and pepper then add roast to oven and cover with as many of the onions as you can. Replace the lid then reduce the number of coals on bottom to 10 and place 14-16 coals on the lid. Cook for 30 minutes rotating oven every 15 minutes. After 30 minutes add carrots and potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley flakes. Replace the lid and continue baking for 45-60 minutes until vegetables are fork tender. Super Easy Beef Mac Dinner 2 lb. Ground Beef ¼ tsp. +- Cayenne Pepper ½ c. Chopped Onion 1 (12oz) can Corn (undrained) 1 (28oz.) can Diced Tomatoes 1 bag (16oz). Elbow Macaroni (uncooked) 2 (8oz) can Tomato Sauce 1 c. +- Water 1 tsp. +- Salt 1 ¼ tsp +-. Chili Powder 8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded In a 12 Dutch Oven, brown ground beef and onion (over full spread of coals): drain fat. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings to your taste. Heat to boiling (over full spread of coals). Add corn, macaroni and water. Bring to boil (over full spread of coals).reduce heat and simmer (9 coals under, 2 middle and 7 on outside edge) for 20 minutes until macaroni is tender. Stir and add water if needed you don t want it to get to dry and burn. Sprinkle with cheese, cover for 5 minutes until cheese melts (place a few coals on lid to help melt cheese). Enjoy scouterkevin@roadrunner.com 4
Trailside beans 1/2 pound bacon, sliced in small pieces two 33-oz. cans of pork and beans 1/2 pound ground beef 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 diced onion1 diced red bell pepper 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce 1 diced green bell pepper 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar Cook bacon and ground beef well in a 12-inch Dutch oven. Use 24 coals all on the bottom to start, then separate and place the coals as noted earlier during the baking stage. Before removing excess oil, sauté diced onion, diced red bell pepper, and diced green bell pepper with the meats until the onions and peppers are soft. Drain off excess oil. Add pork and beans, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and white vinegar. Stir well, place lid on oven, and cook with repositioned coals for 90 to 120 minutes. Check for moisture content every 15 to 20 minutes. (Some ovens allow too much moisture to escape.) If there is not a soupy layer of liquid covering the beans, add water, a little at a time, and stir to maintain the moisture content. Eat this with hot biscuits and jam and you ll understand why cowboys always looked so happy on those long, hard, dusty cattle drives. DO (Dutch Oven) Apple Cobbler 2-cans Apple Pie Filling 1-white or yellow cake mix Cinnamon Butter or margarine stick brown sugar (optional) Pour cans of filling in bottom of Dutch oven. (line it with aluminum foil for easy clean up) Sprinkle cake mix over top of fruit, DO NOT STIR! Sprinkle with cinnamon (and a little brown sugar!) and cut pads of butter. Using 16 coals on top and 12 coals under the Dutch oven, bake for about 40-45 minutes or until brown. Be sure to occasionally rotate the Dutch oven and the lid so as to avoid any scorching from possible hot spots. Peach Cobbler For the Peach cobbler: 2 or 3 Cans 16 oz. size Sliced Peaches ½ cup Brown Sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice ¼ cup all purpose flour 1 tablespoon Vanilla 1/2 cup Sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves 1/8 teaspoon Ground Ginger 4 tablespoons butter In a 12 D.O. Mix everything together with full spread of coals under D.O., mix in the peaches last Then remove from heat to add cake mix For the Topping: Betty Crocker Cake Mix ( Cinnamon Swirl ) Or one box Yellow or White cake Mix and ¼ cup Sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons Cinnamon Take cake mix and spread some over peach mix then sprinkle cinnamon mix over cake mix in layers Take ¼ # butter cut into pieces and place on top of cake mix all over. To Cook: Arrange coals around the outside Bottom of D.O. ( about 9 coals ) also about 1 out. Place 2 coals in the middle. Arrange coals around top outside edge of D.O. ( about 15 ) also put 4 more in the middle around the handle. Every 15 min. pick up D.O. and turn clockwise ¼ turn then turn back the lid ¼ turn counter clockwise. After cooking for 30 min. remove from bottom heat and cook for 15 more min. top heat only. Let cool 15min., Dig in and enjoy. scouterkevin@roadrunner.com 5
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Ingredients: ¼ cup margarine 1 yellow cake mix ½ cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 can sliced pineapple 1 jar maraschino cherries Fill starter can with charcoal briquettes, coat briquettes with charcoal lighter fluid, or place kindling in with charcoal, light, and let burn until 2/3rds of charcoal is light gray (about 15 minutes). Place 8 charcoal briquettes in tight circle, place Dutch oven on top of briquettes, centered over them. Pour about three tablespoons of cooking oil in the oven and spread all around with a paper towel. Place butter and brown sugar in the oven and stir until well melted and mixed. Place as many of the pineapple slices as you can in the butter and sugar mixture in the bottom of the oven, forming a single layer of pineapple slices with none overlapping. Place one maraschino cherry in the hole of each pineapple slice, and in the spaces formed between the pineapple slices. In a separate bowl, mix the cake mix with the egg, as directed on the package. Pour the batter evenly over the pineapples. Cover the oven with the lid, and place 16 briquettes, evenly spaced, on top of the lid. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes. Check cake for doneness by inserting a straw and pulling it out. If it is dry when it comes out, the cake is done. Allow cake to cool for about 15 minutes. Cut away from the side all the way around the inside, quickly turn the oven over and bang it down so the cake falls evenly onto the board. Lazy Cobbler, Peach 2 large cans sliced peaches ½ cube of margarine 1 package white or yellow cake mix small can of cinnamon Fill starter can with charcoal briquettes, coat briquettes with charcoal lighter fluid, or place kindling in with charcoal, light, and let burn until 2/3rds of charcoal is light gray (about 15 minutes). Place 8 charcoal briquettes in tight circle, place Dutch oven on top of briquettes, centered over them. Pour about three tablespoons of cooking oil in the oven and spread all around with a paper towel. When oven is pre-heated, pour all of peaches with juice from only 1 can of peaches into oven. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the top of the peaches. Place slices of margarine evenly spaced on top of cake mix. Sprinkle cinnamon over entire mixture. Cover the oven with the lid, and place 16 briquettes, evenly spaced, on top of the lid. Bake for about 45 minutes. When done, peach juices will have bubbled up into cake mix and cake mix will be browned on top (but not burnt). Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. scouterkevin@roadrunner.com 6