Introduction to Dutch Ovens

"The Dutch Oven was the most important piece of equipment we had." Lewis & Clark

What makes a good Dutch Oven?

• Material -Cast Iron is preferred over Aluminum
• Legs -3 legs required
• Bail -stands up when tipped to one side
• Lid -requires: lip, seal, & loop
• Fuel -briquets preferred over fire
• sizes available:
  • 8, 10, 12, 14, & 16 diameters
  • depths of 4-6"
  • groups of 6-8 use a 12" for dinner
  • groups of 6-8 use a 10" for dessert

How Do you Use?

• Uses
  • Oven -for baking
  • Griddle -for frying
  • Open Pot -for stewing or frying
• Accessories
  • vice grips -for lifting lid and moving baking dishes
  • trenching tool -for moving coals
  • gloves -for heat protection
  • fire starter -chimney or starting fluid?
  • baking dish -to prevent burning during baking
  • 3 stones, or rack, or metal tent pegs -to seperate baking dish from oven
  • tongs -for moving coals and food
• Pit Layout
  • 3 areas: fire, cooking zone, lid holder
  • 1/4" air space
  • dutch oven stacking?
• Cleaning
  • new
    • wash w/sudsy water, then season
  • seasoning
    • coat w/ oil (quick)
    • cook in salt-free shortening, like Crisco (better)
    • leave uncovered as it cools down
  • further cleaning
    • no soap, no steel wool or metal
    • boil water
    • plastic scubber
    • air dry
    • season
  • storing
    • use newspaper to keep lid ajar

Garrett's "Rules-of-Thumb" for cooking with a Dutch Oven

• "PRE-HEAT", "PRE-HEAT", "PRE-HEAT"

• controlling baking temperature:
  • 200 degrees F: use (oven_size x 1) number of Briquets
  • 325 degrees F: use (oven_size x 2) number of Briquets
  • 450 degrees F: use (oven_size x 3) number of Briquets

    or

  • (125/oven_size)= degrees F of one (1) briquet either added/subtracted, meaning:
    • for a 8"oven, 2 briquets = 30 degrees
    • for a 10"oven, 2 briquets = 25 degrees
    • for a 12"oven, 2 briquets = 20 degrees
    • for a 14"oven, 2 briquets = 18 degrees
    • for a 16"oven, 2 briquets = 15 degrees

• Briquet distribution for baking:
  • distribute briquets: 2/3 of briquets on top, 1/3 briquets on bottom
  • or alternatively: remove 2-3 briquets from bottom, put them on top
  • if baking directly on pot bottom, remove bottom coals

• Checking
  • at cooking_time*1/3 check food, rotate pot CCW 1/3 turn, rotate lid CW 1/3 turn
  • at cooking_time*2/3 check food, rotate pot CCW 1/3 turn, rotate lid CW 1/3 turn

Uselful conversions for Dutch Oven sizes (regular depth, not deep dish)