Anybody cook outdoors in a dutch oven? UPDATE!

thistlebloom

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:weee :weee :weee
I'm so excited! My dh gave me a dutch oven for Christmas! After wanting one for several years and wanting to learn how to cook over coals I can finally get started. Does anyone have tips, hints or favorite recipes for D.O. ?
 

hoodat

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I used to use one in Oklahoma when we were burning big brush piles. After they burned down into coals I would pour cornbread batter into a dutch oven and completely bury it in the coals. In 20 minutes the cornbread was done to perfection.
 

Collector

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We have one, I've only cooked in it once and everything stuck so I havnt tried it again. Do you have to season a DO?
Congrats on the great gift.
 

thistlebloom

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Yes, it does need seasoning, like all the other cast iron you would use. That may be why you had trouble with sticking Collector. I'm going to use the seasoning technique that beavis shared, but I'll have to wait until it warms up so I can open up the house. Unless I can do it in the BBQ? It's a charcoal Weber, but if I could maintain 350* for an hour it might work.
 

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I love my Dutch Ovens. This is one of my favorites. I suggest that you Google "Dutch Oven recipes" There are hundreds of them, anywhere from breakfast to deserts. All I can say is experiment and find what you and your family like the best.

BAKED OATMEAL

3 cups Quick Oats
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
cup Sugar
tsp. Cinnamon
cup Oil
1 cup Milk
2 eggs


Mix all ingredients and bake for 30 minutes - I sprinkle some brown sugar on top before baking
 

Collector

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Oh I thought it might need to be seasoned. Well I will season it with the other pans then try it again. I nearly have DW convinced that the cast won't hurt her glass cooktop, so we can use it again. We had a neighbor next door years ago that cooked chile and cornbread in Dutch ovens, it was very good. It was my inspiration for getting one, but they moved before he had a chance to teach me the art. Go figure!
 

thistlebloom

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LVVCHAP said:
I love my Dutch Ovens. This is one of my favorites. I suggest that you Google "Dutch Oven recipes" There are hundreds of them, anywhere from breakfast to deserts. All I can say is experiment and find what you and your family like the best.

BAKED OATMEAL

3 cups Quick Oats
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
cup Sugar
tsp. Cinnamon
cup Oil
1 cup Milk
2 eggs


Mix all ingredients and bake for 30 minutes - I sprinkle some brown sugar on top before baking
That sounds yummy LVVCHAP! :drool
I'm planning on starting with simple stuff, I figured stews and chili would be pretty forgiving.
I did the google thing and there IS alot of material out there!
 

hoodat

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Collector said:
Oh I thought it might need to be seasoned. Well I will season it with the other pans then try it again. I nearly have DW convinced that the cast won't hurt her glass cooktop, so we can use it again. We had a neighbor next door years ago that cooked chile and cornbread in Dutch ovens, it was very good. It was my inspiration for getting one, but they moved before he had a chance to teach me the art. Go figure!
Put a wire rack between the glass top and the bottom of the Dutch oven and it won't overheat your stove top. A glass top needs to be able to vent the heat under a flat bottomed untensil that will reach high temps.
 

LVVCHAP

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thistlebloom said:
LVVCHAP said:
I love my Dutch Ovens. This is one of my favorites. I suggest that you Google "Dutch Oven recipes" There are hundreds of them, anywhere from breakfast to deserts. All I can say is experiment and find what you and your family like the best.

BAKED OATMEAL

3 cups Quick Oats
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
cup Sugar
tsp. Cinnamon
cup Oil
1 cup Milk
2 eggs


Mix all ingredients and bake for 30 minutes - I sprinkle some brown sugar on top before baking
That sounds yummy LVVCHAP! :drool
I'm planning on starting with simple stuff, I figured stews and chili would be pretty forgiving.
I did the google thing and there IS alot of material out there!
I forgot to tell you, the baked oatmeal is good with or w/o milk. I like it with and my DW likes it w/o. It is easy to make too.

Another tip: For charcoal, double the size of the oven. If it is a 12" use 24 pcs. Usually about 5 on the bottom and the rest on top. If it is more liquid that will not burn you can add more to the bottom.
 
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