Dutch Oven Cooking

From WildernessWiki.org

Dutch Oven Basics

A dutch oven is a thick pot like cooking container, used for slow cooking with coals. There is a wide variety of dutch ovens, the main characteristics being material (aluminum or cast iron) and size. Typical foods prepared in a dutch oven would be stews, breads, roasted meats, casseroles, and desserts. To heat the dutch oven, hot coals from a fire (preferably hardwood) or charcoal briquettes are placed beneath it, and on the lid. Proportions vary from twice as many on top as the bottom (roasting) to even amounts on top and bottom (baking) to twice as many on bottom as on the top (stewing and simmering). If not sure, err on the side of putting more coals on top.

Cast Iron vs Aluminum Dutch Ovens

Cast iron dutch ovens are the more traditional choice. They hold many advantages over aluminum ovens. They heat the food more evenly, and are easier to cook with. If properly cared for and seasoned, they have a non-stick surface (seasoning), which aids in clean up. Aluminum ovens take less work to maintain (they have no finish and can't rust), and they weigh much less than similarly sized cast iron ovens.

Various Tips

• While checking the food, be extremely careful to not spill ashes into the food.
• In order to aid cleanup, the oven can be lined with aluminum foil, this is not as necessary on cast iron ovens as it is on aluminum ovens.
• Dutch ovens can be stacked one on top of another to conserve coals and save space.
• A dutch oven can be used without the lid, placed onto a fire, like a pot to prepare foods that need to be constantly stirred or checked.
• A dutch oven lid can be set on a fire or coals upside down (handle on the bottom, concave inner part facing up) to act as a frying pan.
• Rotate the oven occasionally, by 1/4 turn. Rotate the lid by an additional 1/4 turn. This will help reduce hot spots and burning.
• If using the dutch oven as a regular oven, a smaller pan can be rested inside, elevated off the bottom of the oven by legs or coils of aluminum foil, 3 small pebbles work great. This makes clean up easier, reduces burning, and allows several batches to be made consecutively with the same oven.

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