Dutch Oven

[Cornbread]

And just where’s the cornbread in this discussion? Allow me to oblige….



“Martha White’s Cotton Country Buttermilk Cornbread” does nicely if not baking it from scratch. The mix comes in a small pouch. It’s found at some stores (Wally Mart) and Amazon usually has it. Plus it’s cheap! Just add water….and NEVER any sugar!

Cheers,
James

 

[appalichian hunter]

Warm corn bread, sweet butter just dont get any better than that. Unless ya have a pot of pintos and ham hocks with some cubed potatoes in with them. Makes my tounge want too lick my belly button.

 

[mushka]

I have been cooking with dutch ovens for many years and some of it took some time to learn. You gotta want to do it and spend the time. Some folks don't, and they miss out I think. For whatever reason I still have trouble with rolls, simple but they resist my baking skills with the oven. Funny stuff.

 

[Red Owl]

Well let me state that I have trouble will a kitchen oven when it comes to baking bread, rolls, etc. So it would be doubly hard for the Dutch oven. I like the idea of lining with foil just because it would make the clean up a lot easier. I was in West Texas about a year ago, in a place I could shoot javalinas. I figured I could turn them into chili. I actually ran into a small herd of about 6 but it was late in the day, I was really tired from running around in the mountains all day and I just kept walking back to my tent. Sort of regret it now as the skulls make nice trophies.

 

[10acres]

https://www.campingforfoodies.com/dutch-oven-temperature-chart/
See if this website helps you out.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

https://www.campingforfoodies.com/dutch-oven-temperature-chart/
See if this website helps you out.

The problem with such charts is they are based on the briquette. IF you use hardwood charcoal, you have to monkey about looking for hardwood bits that are briquette size...., and are oak or mesquite and the author prefers the briquette. Plus you have to strategically place them on top and around the oven.

I'm always using real hardwood coals from a fire, oak, hickory, maple, poplar, beech, whatever was on the wood pile

LD

 

[10acres]

The problem with such charts is they are based on the briquette. IF you use hardwood charcoal, you have to monkey about looking for hardwood bits that are briquette size...., and are oak or mesquite and the author prefers the briquette. Plus you have to strategically place them on top and around the oven.

I'm always using real hardwood coals from a fire, oak, hickory, maple, poplar, beech, whatever was on the wood pile

LD

I've always used charcoal briquets when cooking with my dutch ovens, so this works well for me. I did switch to the Kingsford Hardwood Briquets and they work better than the regular briquets. A lot of trial and error with outdoor cooking, but always fun.

 

[3Setters]

For whatever reason I still have trouble with rolls, simple but they resist my baking skills with the oven.

8-10 briquettes on the bottom, 20 on top. Done in 15 minutes with no burned rolls. Dont forget to preheat your DO.

 

[Timber Wolf]

Lately I have been doing a lot of fried cabbage. There are several YouTube vids on it. Basically I brown “bits n’ pieces” of bacon (cheap cuts) and then add chopped onions and bell peppers and cabbage. Salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, maybe a LITTLE hot sauce. Cover, cook till cabbage it tender. Sometimes if I do not have bacon, but do have bacon grease (kept in fridge in glass jar) I addd the grease to the pot and cook as before except I add separately cut and cooked smoked sausage.

Back last winter I did stuffed bell peppers. Just put them in a pie pan on a trivet inside the oven. Put a few coals on top and rotated oven as I had a good camp fire and just kept turning the pot and rotating the lid the opposite way. Worked well and the peppers were delicious. I love Dutch oven coking. I remember mom having me dig a hole and staring a fire in it. After it burned down we buried the Dutch oven in the hole and left it all day. I can’t remember what we cooked but I think it was cake, desert anyway. I need to find out and try it sometime.

 

[appalichian hunter]

One of my favorite meals, fried cabbage,perigoies and kielbassa sausage. Hard bread, good butter and cold beer.

 

[Dale Lilly]

Buffler Hump stew. Nope, not easy, labor intensive and you sit over the fire [to add ingredients according to cook time] for two or three hours. My secret recipe; sorry. Polecat

 

[Fess0718]

I’m a Scout Master and the final morning of any camp out, I have the kids make homemade donuts. I keep it simple by using biscuits in a tube. The get the oil nice and hot. Poke a hole in the biscuit and drop them in. Flip them over when one side is golden. When they are done, the kids pull them out and coat them with icing, powder sugar, or a mix of cinnamon and sugar. I let the oven cool a little, drain off the oil, and the oven is seasoned and good to go for our next camp out.

 

[Fess0718]

I'm not sure on the size but it has 3 legs and a rimmed top. I bought a trivet(?) that fits inside so you could have a small pie plate or dish on this trivet inside the Dutch oven.
I'm not sure how to know what the heat is inside, I know you are supposed to pile coals on top. That was sort of my question, such as if you can cook meat anywhere from 225 to 300 degree so it always comes out okay but if biscuits have to be 400 degree or the don't come out correctly, then maybe skip that.

This should help you get started on temperature.

 

[George]

Red Owl said: "....if biscuits have to be 400 degree or the don't come out correctly, then maybe skip that."

Don't skip the biscuits.

Spence

 

[smo]

Got syrup?

 

[Kansas Jake]

Smo, any of these, maple, sorghum, jelly or honey?

 

[smo]

One of each Please! lol

 

[appalichian hunter]

Spence, them some fine looking biscuits.

 

[3Setters]

Pic didnt turn out the best, but i had our scouts make a blueberry cream cheese cake while cabin camping this weekend.

 

[SOLANCO]

I have been cooking with dutch ovens for many years and some of it took some time to learn. You gotta want to do it and spend the time. Some folks don't, and they miss out I think. For whatever reason I still have trouble with rolls, simple but they resist my baking skills with the oven. Funny stuff.

Use two DO"s extensively indoors. Meat, seafood, poultry, greens you name it. Except for baking. Baking is a skill which eludes and mocks me. What makes it worse is a good loaf of bread is at least a 15 mile one way drive.
Latest DO success was ham and beans using the bone from the smoked Christmas ham, a smoked hock, and 1 pound plus of good dried beans. Plus secret ingredients