Cookbook:Dutch Oven

A Dutch oven is a heavy, cast-iron or aluminium pot with a tight-fitting lid. Once heated, it retains heat exceptionally well, making Dutch ovens a good choice for slow-cooked stews. Dutch ovens are one of the best ways to cook over an open fire, and can be used to make a wide range of dishes. While camping, it can be useful to line a dutch oven with aluminium foil, thus saving the job of cleaning it afterwards.

You can put plain potatoes in a Dutch oven and really enjoy the results. Or maybe try some chicken.

Types

Shape: The three-legged Dutch ovens are used over open flames. Flat-bottomed ones may come with a separate wire stand. They may have a wire bail handle, which – if it's very sturdy – can be used to hang the heavy pot over a fire, but the handle is mostly used for lifting the pot out of a campfire. Sturdy open handles on either side are useful if the pot might be lifted or slid with hook or stick.
Material: Traditionally, Dutch ovens were made out of cast iron. Modern ones may be made out of any sturdy metal, such as aluminium, and coated in enamel.
Lids: Any Dutch oven that's worth its weight (iron or aluminium) for campfire purposes will have a turned up edge on the lid, to keep coals that are piled on top from dropping into the food when the lid is removed. The ones that are designed for use on a stove top or in an ordinary oven have a more ordinary shape for their lids. Some of these have glass lids.

Care and feeding

Cast iron

A cast-iron Dutch oven (actually developed in many cultures, but many were imported by the Dutch to the Americas as a trade item) must be seasoned before use, if it wasn't pre-seasoned at the factory. Seasoning makes the pot less likely to rust and the food less likely to stick to it when you're cooking. This is accomplished by putting grease or oil (animal or vegetable—anything edible) over the entire inside, including the lid, and heating to cooking temperature for an hour or so, replenishing the oil as needed if any spots look dried out. Then allow it to cool so you can gently clean it.

To clean the oven, wipe the food remnants out of the inside while it is still warm. Washing should be done with plain water and a brush. Although a small amount of dish soap can be used to wash any seasoned cast-iron cookware, harsh soaps and detergents can remove the seasoning, and soap should not be used on unseasoned cast iron. Once clean, the pot should be dried thoroughly and quickly. Drying can be done by gently heating the pot on the stovetop or in a still-warm oven for a few minutes. Otherwise, dry it off as best as you can with a towel.

If the pan's seasoning is not yet well developed, then wipe a small amount of oil over all exposed cast iron surfaces. This is easiest to do if the pan is warm, as the oil will spread more evenly. Well-seasoned cast iron that is always gently washed and thoroughly dried only requires the occasional oiling.

Other materials

An aluminium Dutch oven does not require seasoning, but it should always be heated gently: overheating may warp the lid!

Enameled Dutch ovens also do not require seasoning.

Use outdoors

Heat source

Heat can be introduced in one of two ways: charcoal briquettes or wood coals from the fire. Each has their own benefits and drawbacks. Charcoal briquettes provide a consistent heat source that can easily be adjusted for temperature. Charcoal is fairly easy to light and quickly reaches the desired temperature. Each briquette contributes 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit to your cooking temperature. Doing some simple multiplication will get you to consistent cooking temps easily. For example a 12-inch oven requires 16 briquettes on the top and 8 on the bottom, to bake at about 350 degrees. The drawback to using charcoal briquettes is that you have to carry a bag of briquettes with you every time you want to cook.

Hardwood coals from a camp fire will also work, but its is harder to control temperature. In addition, it takes a large amount of coals to keep several ovens going. It may take an hour or two of a roaring fire to get the desired amount of coals.

Cooking arrangements

Most dishes will do much better, especially breads, when the pot is preheated before adding the food. Placing the ovens too close to the fire may cause uneven cooking or burning on the sides. Pots can be rotated periodically to reduce this risk.

All the coals should be on the bottom for simple boiling or using the bottom for frying. The majority of the coals should be on the bottom for simmering a soup or cooking a stew, only about 20% on top.

To roast meats, put equal amounts of coals on top and bottom. Baking breads and casseroles should have about 1/3 of your coals on the bottom and 2/3 on the top.

Cooking times may vary regardless of the heating source, depending on wind or elevation. If you begin to smell the cake, it may be time to check the oven.