Dutch Oven Cooking

[azflycaster]

I have fond that Sportsman's Warehouse has the best selection and best prices for Dutch Oven stuff. Keep you eyes open for garage sales also, you can find some treasures (sometimes).

[LHall]

We just picked up a #10 at Cabelas for around 40 bucks. It is pre-seasoned. We have looked high and low for a vintage one in decent shape because I did not want one that was made in China. Oh well, the new one from Cabelas is made there, but much nicer than others we have looked at.

[azfiredog300]

The Galactica came with one already in it but without a top. Is there a place that I can get just the top?

[davenpow]

reday
check out www.dutchovencookware.com, Lodge dutch ovens are made in America.
Just picked up my 9th, a deep 14". My son and I can now cook an entire dinner for about 40 hungry men.
ted

[reday]

Ted,

Haven't seen that site. They must be a reseller.

The Lodge plant is in South Pittsburg just off of I24 between Nashville and Chattanooga South of me here in Old Hickory. I may have to go down to the Cornbread Festival there in April:

The National Cornbread Festival South Pittsburg, Tennessee

The Lodge site is: Lodge Cast Iron Cookware - America's Original Cookware - South Pittsburg, TN USA

Good recipes on your dutchovencookware site as well as the nationalcornbread and lodgemfg sites.

[Jimandrod]

Check out this Dutch oven table. This guy makes them himself out of 1/8" thick stock. They're really well made and IMHO a great design.

Dutch oven table,Grill,Boy scout,,Tailgating,chuckwagon - eBay (item 160309905867 end time Jan-16-09 19:43:51 PST)

[James Rogers]

Anyone going to the National Corn Bread Festival in South Pittsburgh, TN on April 25 & 26 2009? We are going to try to make it. Johny Nix will be there giving a demo on Dutch Oven cooking. I do some Dutch Oven cooking and thought I might learn some more from him. To learn more about the festival go to National Corn Bread Festival.com I think that will get you to their site. Free dry camping at the State Line Flea Market Shopping Center.

[Ganaraska]

To go with your Dutch Oven Irish Stew how about Irish Soda Bread baked in a Dutch Oven?

Irish Soda Bread

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c bran
1/3 c sugar
1 1/8 tsp salt
1 1/8 tsp baking soda
2 c buttermilk (you can get dry powder buttermilk at bulk food stores)

Butter a 9X5X3 loaf pan. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly then stir in buttermilk. Pour into a pan and bake for one hour in a 350 degree oven. Cool partially before cutting.

The traditional way of baking this bread in Ireland is in the fireplace, in a Dutch Oven on a turf fire with 2 or 3 turfs on the lid.

You can make it at home or on a campfire for some of the best bread you ever tasted.

[Ganaraska]

Turns out my Irish Soda Bread isn't that Irish, if you want the real thing ( baked in an iron pot) try these web sites.

Ireland: Peter's Mum's Soda Bread Recipe | European Cuisines

Irish Soda Bread Recipes

[James Rogers]

Here is a site you can go to to get all kinds of recipe and hints on how to keep your oven black.
Yahoo! Groups

I have been with this group many of years. I have learned a lot from them. If you have any question on your cooking or anything to do with Dutch Oven cooking just ask them. I just found out at the National Corn Bread Festival, LODGE might have parking for you at their factory. It would be dry camping. They are open for tours at this time also. They might even have discounts on some of their pots. That would be nice cause you can never have to much cast iron. Maybe we will see some of you there.

[James Rogers]

Oops Here is the site again
dutchovencooking : The Art of Camp Dutch Oven Cooking

hope this one works

[Lily&Me]

We don't have an oven in our Interstate, so carry a Dutch oven to have freshly baked goods on occasion. We found an heavy old sponge/angel food cake pan at an antique store, which fits perfectly inside, allows us to reuse, and the hole in the center helps breads bake more thoroughly. We have filled refrigerated breads with meat/cheese/seasonings, refrigerated croissant dough with cinnamon sugar and nuts and baked quick bread recipes---all with good success and very little cleanup. When we do cobblers or other messy goodies, we use disposable foil pans. I am getting ready to try a yeast bread next.

[ArtStream]

Hi Doug and Maggie,

I've been making a no kneed bread in my dutch oven for over a year now and make a loaf at least once a week.

I do use an oven. I would be interested to see how your experiment works.

Good luck,

Michael

Originally Posted by doug&maggie

We don't have an oven in our Interstate, so carry a Dutch oven to have freshly baked goods on occasion. We found an heavy old sponge/angel food cake pan at an antique store, which fits perfectly inside, allows us to reuse, and the hole in the center helps breads bake more thoroughly. We have filled refrigerated breads with meat/cheese/seasonings, refrigerated croissant dough with cinnamon sugar and nuts and baked quick bread recipes---all with good success and very little cleanup. When we do cobblers or other messy goodies, we use disposable foil pans. I am getting ready to try a yeast bread next.

[Jimandrod]

Originally Posted by ArtStream

Hi Doug and Maggie,

I've been making a no kneed bread in my dutch oven for over a year now and make a loaf at least once a week.

I do use an oven. I would be interested to see how your experiment works.

Good luck,

Michael

I also make no knead bread. I use a 5 qt regular Dutch oven (not the camp style) and bake it in my kitchen. I use sourdough starter and no yeast. It has to rise for 24 hours. It bakes with a really crispy artisan style crust, a good dense crumb and a nice sour favor. It's a great way to do bread.

I've been wondering how this may translate to a camp Dutch oven. Before adding the bread to the kitchen Dutch oven it has to be preheated to 500 degrees. Then the temp is lowered to 475 and the bread is baked for 30 minutes - lowered to 450 and baked for 15 more.

The no knead method is pretty cool. You can get more information at Bread Making Videos — Bread Baking Instructional Videos and Baking Supplies.

[Safari64]

How do I clean untended cast iron Dutch oven to get it back to a stage where it can be seasoned and then safely used fro cooking?

I inherited Grandpa Farnsworth’s camping gear including pots and pans (and nice cane fly rods). Seems he liked Griswold cast iron skillets and Dutch oven.

Where to begin? They’ve been sitting in a foot locker uncovered for 30+ years.
Some surface rust & old crud. Is lye soaking and brass brushing still done?
How do you resurrect without destroying old temper/patina?

The Dutch Oven lid has a small knob handle as opposed to lifting ring, can that characteristic be used to date /model id?

[vhord]

Originally Posted by davenpow

This is to die for:

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Original recipe from Leonora Burton

8" (12") Dutch Oven
6 (10) bottom Briquettes
12 (16) top Briquettes
Serves 8 (10-12)

Bottom (double for 12" DO)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 & 1/3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Top (double for 12' DO)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tablespoons cocoa
1 & 1/4 cups Hot Water


Mix the BOTTOM batter and beat until smooth. Pour
batter into an ungreased 8" DO (into 12" if you doubled it)

In the same bowl mix TOP dry ingredients, sprinkle evenly over batter.
Pour 1 & 1/4 cups hot water over top, Do Not Stir!

Bake with 6 (10) briquettes under and 12 (16) briquettes on top for
35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Let stand for 15 minutes,
spoon into dessert dishes, spooning sauce from the bottom of DO over the top. Garnish with whipped topping if desired.

Enjoy!
Ted

Ted,

You were right! I finally had a chance to try this recipe this weekend. It was very easy an it is to die for! Thanks.

Any others you would like to share?

[Sugarfoot]

Originally Posted by Safari64

How do I clean untended cast iron Dutch oven to get it back to a stage where it can be seasoned and then safely used fro cooking?

I inherited Grandpa Farnsworth’s camping gear including pots and pans (and nice cane fly rods). Seems he liked Griswold cast iron skillets and Dutch oven.

Where to begin? They’ve been sitting in a foot locker uncovered for 30+ years.
Some surface rust & old crud. Is lye soaking and brass brushing still done?
How do you resurrect without destroying old temper/patina?

The Dutch Oven lid has a small knob handle as opposed to lifting ring, can that characteristic be used to date /model id?

You have a Griswold Dutch Oven? Grandpa was very good to you!

I've had great success with the electrolysis method. You can find info at the Wagner and Griswold Society here. I set mine up with a large Rubbermaid tub, a flat piece of air ducting metal from Home Depot curved around inside the tub, some heavy copper wire, and a car battery charger.

You will lose any old seasoning. I've done some really nasty stuff this way and they come out like unseasoned ware right off the factory line. The key is to season it again immediately or it will develop fine rust VERY quickly. Then start using it to build up that non-stick patina. This entire old Lodge dutch oven turned out like new.

[walter1]

Thanks! I’ll try this method …if just for the science experiment. Looks great.

Grandpa also had Griswold 4, 8 and 12” skillets….maybe I’ll try cleaning them first.

I’ll try for before photos when it’s clear enough to work outside. The Dutch oven has an actual knob and no feet.

[Lily&Me]

I have cooked in cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens at home since my first child was small and we lived in West Virginia. I bought a beautiful old hammered Dutch oven in a junk store out there, that I don't think had ever really been washed. Someone told me to take an SOS pad to it, rinse it well and then reseason it, which I did and still use it to this day. I have picked up a number of cast iron items at flea markets and junk shops, use the same method with great success. I reseason items by coating them with vegetable oil and baking at about 250 degree oven for a couple of hours. If you don't use items regularly, a light coating of vegetable oil works well in between uses, or fry bacon or sausage in them periodically to get the same effect. They should never be washed with soap and water, of course, just water and a scrubbie if something sticks.

[Lily&Me]

Well, it worked just GREAT! I had worked up before this trip a recipe for a single loaf of bread, using the basic ingredients and added some leftover oatmeal from breakfast. Voila, beautifully risen and baked bread in our Dutch oven. It was yummy. ) I did take a picture, will try to load it and send in, we are a little techno-challenged. I have a couple of cast iron cooking cookbooks, and had read a recommendation for putting a trivet on the bottom of the Dutch oven when baking breads, cobblers, etc., to keep them from burning. We ordered a trivet from Lodge, who also has a cookbook, and I always use that for anything baked. I also always put baked items in a pan, and don't have the burnt bottom problem any more. I have heard that you can bake anything in a Dutch oven, and don't know why you couldn't, as long as it fit in there. ) I have never tried anything as adventurous as lasagna, that may be the next item---but I would feel compelled to line with foil, as I really hate scraping sticky messes out of things. But so fun!