When camping, go Dutch
It’s kind of like gun control or the war in Iraq. When it comes
to Dutch ovens, there’s no middle ground.
Cooking out of a pot over
– or often, in – an open fire may not be for everyone, but for
the converted, Dutch ovens can grow to be an obsession.
When camping, go Dutch
It’s kind of like gun control or the war in Iraq. When it comes to Dutch ovens, there’s no middle ground.
Cooking out of a pot over – or often, in – an open fire may not be for everyone, but for the converted, Dutch ovens can grow to be an obsession.
Some adherents acquire collections of them, allowing them to stack pots to cook several dishes at once. There’s even an International Dutch Oven Society (www.idos.com) in which members gather for competitive cookoffs and to share recipes.
What looks like a simple cast iron pot can be used to roast, bake, braise or fry nearly anything that can be cooked in a home kitchen.
But before starting, there are choices to be made. Oh, are there choices.
Cast iron or aluminum? Choice of fuel? How to season?
Here’s the straight dope. Cast iron and only cast iron. It conducts heat properly, and, unlike aluminum, it will never melt into your coals if forgotten for too long. Lodge is the manufacturer to beat. Fuel is Kingsford charcoal briquets. Accept no substitutes. These are the industry standards. Seasoning is no black art. Either cook a few things with a lot of oil, or put oil into the oven, rub it around and heat it slowly for a long period of time, repeating the process two or three times.
Once the oven takes on a Teflon-like patina, don’t scrub it out in soapy water. Give it a gentle bath after using and wipe clean. A swab with just a smear of oil will keep it rust-free.
So what’s the fuss about, and what is a Dutch oven, exactly?
If you’re old enough, you surely remember seeing them in episodes of “Rawhide” or “Death Valley Days.” A proper Dutch oven is surprisingly heavy, the better to conduct and retain heat. It should stand on three stubby legs, feature a wire bail handle and be accompanied by a cast iron lid with a lip around it that allows it to retain coals.
Working with one is as simple as loading a fire-starter chimney with coals and waiting until they are glowing and covered in a thick rime of ash. Coals are placed over and under the oven. More coals means more heat. Biscuits demand a fast oven, but stews and roasts are happiest with slow heat. What happens inside the oven is a bit of an adventure. For things to cook evenly, it’s important to rotate the oven occasionally, also rotating the lid. Keep peeking to a minimum, and trust your nose.
Dutch ovens are obviously not fodder for a backpacking trip, but for car camping or family picnics they bring a new set of challenges and a host of new menu possibilities.
The recipes that follow range from ridiculously simple to a bit more ambitious.
Our friend Nancy introduced these during a spring break trip to Death Valley. They were an instant hit with kids. This is a great recipe for seasoning a new Dutch oven.
Donuts
1 c. cooking oil
1 can buttermilk biscuits
1 c. sugar
1-2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 paper sack
Combine sugar and cinnamon in the bag and shake to mix. Heat oil in the Dutch oven. Unpack biscuits and push thumbs through the centers to make them donut-shaped. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add a few biscuits to the oil, turning them as they get puffy and begin to brown. When done, lift them immediately into the paper sack and shake vigorously. Hot fresh donuts are as easy as that.
Apple upside down cake
4 tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
¾ c. brown sugar
4 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 package yellow cake mix (Jiffy does not require eggs)
Butter a cake pan that fits into a Dutch oven containing ½ inch of water. Place the pan over the water, resting on small balls of wadded up foil. Place apple slices, sugar and butter in the bottom of the pan and pour cake batter over. Close the oven and place coals on the lid. Check every 15 min., rotating the lid at the same time.
I’ve done the recipe above before without going to the trouble of inserting a cake pan, but the sugar in the cake makes it prone to burning, and it’s hard to remove from the pan neatly.
Yellow cake mix should be a camping staple. One popular recipe has diners eating the contents of an orange, while preserving the peel and lid. A dollop of cake mix goes inside, the lid is replace and the whole thing is wrapped in a double layer of foil and rolled around in hot coals. The result: orange cake in its own container.
Pot roasts, brisket and pork shoulder are naturals. Be judicious with the coals, keep the pot a little moist, and be patient. Long, slow cooking is the way to render tough cuts tender. A pork shoulder, browned and then braised in beer, followed by some rough treatment with two forks and a bath of barbecue sauce, will fill sourdough rolls for pulled pork sandwiches worth talking about.
A simple Web search for Dutch oven recipes will provide enough inspiration for several lifetimes.
But the best approach is to try a few things, getting to know the pot along the way. Then, open up the pantry and start exploring.
