Wednesday, December 24, 2008

This is the official website of the IDOS or the International Dutch Oven Society. Check them out at http://www.idos.org/Home/tabid/52/Default.aspx for all of the dates and events associated with this great sport.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Dutch Oven Rolls

DUTCH OVEN ROLLS
1 T. yeast 1 tsp. salt
1/4 C. warm water 1 T. sugar
1 C. warm milk 3 C. flour
1 T. butter
Mix dry yeast in water, stir to dissolve. Add milk, butter,
salt and sugar; stir well. Add flour in small amounts
(reserve 1/2 cup) and mix thoroughly. The dough will be
stiff. Sprinkle some of reserved flour on flat surface.
Knead until dough is smooth. Place in greased bowl,
cover and let raise until double (approx. 1 hour). Shape
dough into smooth rolls and place in greased Dutch oven.
Cover and let raise until double. When baking, you need
about 1/3 of the coals on the bottom and 2/3 on the top
of Dutch oven. Baking time is approximately 10 minutes
on the fire then remove and cook an additional 10
minutes with coals on top only.
Variations- Cinnamon Rolls: Roll into rectangle,
spread with margarine, add brown sugar, cinnamon,
raisins & nuts as desired. Roll up and cut 1" slices and
place in Dutch oven (edges touching). Let raise until
double. Bake as above.


This website is more western cowboy oriented but has some great ideas. Check it out at http://www.cowboyshowcase.com/dutch_oven_cooking.htm

Friday, October 24, 2008

If you need measurements for anything. Here is a great webpage to find them http://dutchovendude.com/cooking-measurement.shtml

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Pot Roast

POT ROAST
2 tablespoons shortening
4-4 1/2 pounds beef rump roast
Flour
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 onion, sliced
Carrots
Potatoes
Preheat Dutch oven. Melt shortening in oven. Dust meat
with flour; brown on all sides. Add water; sprinkle meat
with salt and pepper; place onion on top; cover. Cook
until meat is fork tender. Potatoes and carrots may be
added during last part of cooking. Serves 8.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Family Reunion Quiche

FAMILY REUNION QUICHE
12 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup diced ham/bacon or sausage
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups broccoli
2 cups grated cheese (american)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
In a 10" Dutch oven, cook meat thoroughly, drain and set
aside. Wipe out oven and steam onion, broccoli and
mushrooms over medium coals for approx. 10 minutes.
Remove vegetables and set aside. Dry out oven with
paper towel then rub sides and bottom with oiled paper
towel. In separate container beat eggs, milk, salt, pepper
and butter. Fold in meat, vegetables and cheese. Pour
into oven and bake from top & bottom for 14 minutes.
Remove oven from coals and continue baking from top
only 20 more minutes or until eggs are set.

Dutch Oven Doctor

This site is great for advice on care and maitenance of your dutch oven. Take a look at it at http://dutchovendoctor.com/
History

[edit] Early European history
During the late 1600s the Dutch system of producing these cast metal cooking vessels was more advanced than the English system. The Dutch used dry sand to make their molds, giving their pots a smoother surface. Consequently, metal cooking vessels produced in the Netherlands were imported into Britain. In 1704, an Englishman named Abraham Darby decided to go to the Netherlands to observe the Dutch system for making these cooking vessels. Four years later, back in England, Darby patented a casting procedure similar to the Dutch process and began to produce cast metal cooking vessels for Britain and her new American Colonies. It is possible that because Darby’s patent was based upon his research into the Dutch foundry system that the cooking vessels he produced came to be referred to as “Dutch” ovens. Other researchers believe that this term may have come from the itinerant Dutch traders who sold cooking vessels out of their wagons as they traveled from town to town and door to door. Maybe both accounts are true. In any event, the term “Dutch oven” has endured for over 300 years. (Dutch Ovens Chronicled 3-4)

[edit] American history
Over time the Dutch oven used in the American Colonies began to change. The pot became shallower and legs were added to hold the oven above the coals. A flange was added to the lid to keep the coals on the lid and out of the food. (Dutch Ovens Chronicled 11-14)
The cast-iron cookware was loved by colonists and settlers because of its versatility and durability. It could be used for boiling, baking, stews, frying, roasting, and just about any other use. The ovens were so valuable that wills in the 18th and 19th centuries frequently spelled out the desired inheritor of the cast iron cookware. For example, Mary Washington (mother of President George Washington) specified in her will, dated 20 May 1788, that one-half of her "iron kitchen furniture" should go to her grandson, Fielding Lewis, and the other half to Betty Carter, a granddaughter. Several Dutch ovens were among Mary's "iron kitchen furniture." (Dutch Ovens Chronicled 28)
When the young American country began to spread westward across the North American continent, so did the Dutch oven. A Dutch oven was among the gear Lewis and Clark carried when they explored the great American Northwest in 1804-1806. The pioneers who settled the American West also took along their Dutch ovens. In fact, a statue raised to honor the Mormon handcart companies who entered Utah’s Salt Lake Valley in the 1850s proudly displays a Dutch oven hanging from the front of the handcart. The Dutch oven is also the official state cooking pot of Utah.
Mountain men exploring the great American frontier used Dutch ovens into the late 1800s. Dutch oven cooking was also prominent among those who took part in the western cattle drives that lasted from the mid-1800s into the early 1900s. (Dutch Ovens Chronicled 33-54)
A more unfamiliar term is that of a Dutchie in some Jamaican cultures, as referred to in the famous 'Pass The Dutchie' song by Musical Youth, where they refer to a cooking pot in the song (this contrasts with the version of the song by The Mighty Diamonds, who used the term kouchie to refer to marijuana).[1]

[edit] Types of Dutch ovens

[edit] Camping
A camping, cowboy, or chuckwagon Dutch oven has three legs, a wire bail handle, and a slightly concave, rimmed lid so that coals from the cooking fire can be placed on top as well as below. This provides more uniform internal heat and lets the inside act as an oven. These ovens are typically made of bare cast iron, although some are aluminum. See cooking on a campfire.

[edit] Modern Dutch ovens

A cast-iron Wagner dutch oven (on a trivet) and an enameled "French" oven by Le Creuset
Modern Dutch ovens designed for use on the cooktop or in the oven are typically smooth-bottomed. Two French manufacturers of enameled Dutch ovens, Le Creuset and Le Chasseur, refer to their ovens as "French ovens", or in the UK as "casserole dishes". Some older styles, such as the unglazed ovens by Lodge, CampChef, and Wagner, retain the bale handle, while others, such as the enameled versions by Staub, Sante, and le Creuset, have two loop handles. Modern ovens may also be made of thick cast aluminum or ceramic.
America's most prominent Dutch oven manufacturer, Lodge, was founded in 1896 and is located in South Pittsburg, Tennessee.

[edit] Cookware descended from Dutch Ovens

[edit] Bedourie oven
Main article: Bedourie oven
In Australia, a bedourie camp oven is a steel cookpot shaped and used like a dutch oven. Named after Bedourie, Queensland, the Bedourie ovens were developed as a more robust (non-breakable) alternative to the more fragile cast iron dutch ovens.[1][2]

[edit] Potjie
Main article: Potjiekos

A potjie on a fire‎
In South Africa, a potjie (IPA: /pɔɪ/kiː/), directly translated "small pot" from Afrikaans, is a traditional round, cast iron, three-legged (tripod) pot. It is similar in appearance to a cauldron and is usually black. It is used to cook potjiekos over an open fire.
Among the South African tribes these pots also became known as phutu pots.
Potjie can also refer to the technique of cooking potjiekos. This tradition originated in the Netherlands during the Siege of Leiden and was brought to South Africa by Dutch immigrants.[2] It persisted over the years with the Voortrekkers and survives today as a traditional Afrikaner method of cooking.

[edit] Use in cooking
Dutch ovens are well suited for long, slow cooking, such as in making roasts, stews, and casseroles.
When cooking over a campfire, it is possible to use old-style lipped cast iron Dutch ovens as true baking ovens, to prepare biscuits, cakes, breads, pizzas, and even pies. A smaller baking pan can be placed inside the ovens, used and replaced with another as the first batch is completed. It is also possible to stack Dutch ovens on top of each other, conserving the heat that would normally rise from the hot coals on the top. These stacks can be as high as 5 or 6 pots.

[edit] Seasoning and care

[edit] Bare cast iron
Americans traditionally season their iron Dutch ovens like other cast-iron cookware.
A new oven comes from the manufacturer coated with wax or shellac. This must be removed before the oven is used. An initial scouring with hot soapy water will usually remove the protective coating. Subsequent cleanings are usually accomplished without the use of soap. After the new oven has been cleaned it should be completely dried and then given a thin coat of vegetable oil to prevent rusting. The oven should then be heated so as to bond the oil to the metal. As with other cast iron vessels, a newly seasoned oven should not be used to cook foods containing tomatoes, vinegar or other acidic ingredients. These foods will damage the new seasoning. Instead, newly seasoned ovens should be used to cook something high in oil or fat, such as chicken, bacon, or sausage, or used for deep frying.
After use Dutch ovens are typically cleaned like other cast iron cookware: with boiling water and a brush, and no or minimal soap. After the oven has been dried, it should be given a thin coating of vegetable oil to prevent rusting. Animal fats should be avoided as they are likely to cause illness when they go rancid.
Where possible, a cleaned and freshly oiled Dutch oven should be stored in a clean, dry location with the lid ajar or off to promote air circulation and to avoid the smell and taste of rancid oil. If the Dutch oven must be stored with the lid on, a paper towel or piece of newspaper should be placed inside the oven to absorb any moisture.
With care, after much use the surfaces of the Dutch oven will become dark black, very smooth and shiny, and as non-stick as the best Teflon or other non-stick cookware available. When properly cared for, a Dutch oven is good for decades or even centuries of use[citation needed].

[edit] Enameled ovens
Enameled ovens do not need to be seasoned before use. However, they lose some of the other advantages of bare cast iron. For example, deep frying is usually not recommended in enameled ovens - the enamel coating is not able to withstand high heat, and is best suited for water-based cooking.
Enameled ovens can usually be cleaned like ordinary cookware, and some brands can even be put in the dishwasher.

[edit] Other cooking devices also called Dutch ovens
The term "Dutch oven" is also used for two other cooking devices: a metal shield used before an open fire for roasting (also known as a reflector oven), and a brick oven in which the preheated walls do the cooking.[citation needed]
A Dutch oven furnace is a primitive rectangular furnace made out of firebrick. It is usually used to burn wood. The refractory brick stores heat and releases it slowly to the room.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Baked Beans

BAKED BEANS
2 pounds dried navy or pea beans
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 medium onion, sliced
3 slices bacon
Rinse, sort beans. Cover with water and soak overnight.
Drain beans; place in Dutch oven. Add water; cover;
cook until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients except
bacon; mix well. Top with bacon strips, cover. Cook to
reduce the liquid. About one hour. Serves 12-14.

Dutch Oven Dude

Dutch oven cooking is one of the most splendid activities on a camping trip. Transforming raw materials into an aromatic, mouth-watering meal or dessert is as much art as science. Just the looks of anticipation on everyone's faces when you lift the lid and let some of the smells escape is worth the extra work of packing this heavy piece of gear.
Dutch oven cooking is one of the most splendid activities on a camping trip. Transforming raw materials into an aromatic, mouth-watering meal or dessert is as much art as science. Just the looks of anticipation on everyone's faces when you lift the lid and let some of the smells escape is worth the extra work of packing this heavy piece of gear. Check out this cool website at http://www.dutchovendude.com/

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Sausage and Cabbage

SAUSAGE AND CABBAGE
Clean and wedge one large head of cabbage, place on a
wire rack in a 12" Dutch oven. Season with salt, pepper
and butter as desired. Place one large polish sausage
around cabbage, add a small amount of water in the
bottom and steam until tender (approx. 40-60 minutes).

Cooking Tips by Wayne Johnson

If you are a scouter, here are some great recipes and tips by a scouter for dutch oven cooking. Check them out at http://usscouts.org/cooking/dotips.asp

Monday, March 24, 2008

Cornbread

CORNBREAD
1 yellow cake mix 2 cup milk
2 C. flour 1/2 cup oil
2 C. cornmeal 1 tsp. salt
7 tsp. baking powder 2 eggs
Set aside cake mix. Mix all dry ingredients, then mix the
remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine the
two mixtures and set aside. Prepare the cake mix
according to directions. Combine this with other mixture.
Pour into well greased 12" oven. Bake with coals on top
and bottom for 12-15 minutes. Remove from fire and
continue cooking with coals on top only (approx. 15
minutes).

Dutch Oven Chef

Fans of dutch oven cooking know that there’s something amazing about lifting the heavy lid of a cast iron dutch oven. The anticipation of a tender cut of meat, fresh bread, a hearty stew, or a thick cobbler cooking inside is enough to make one’s mouth water.

Found this great site on Dutch Oven Cooking by the Dutch Oven Chef. Check him out at http://dutchovenchef.com/ for more great recipes.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Beef Stew

BEEF STEW
2 pounds beef (1 1/2" thick)
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 3/4 cups boiling water
1 cup canned tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 medium potatoes, pared, quartered
1 large onion, peeled, chopped
1 small head cabbage, chopped
10 carrots, peeled, chopped
1 10 oz. package frozen peas
Trim excess fat from meat; cut into cubes. Combine
flour, salt & pepper then cover meat cubes. Melt
shortening in oven then brown meat on all sides. Add
onion, garlic, water, tomatoes & Worcestershire sauce;
cover. Cook until meat is fork tender. Add potatoes,
cabbage carrots, and large onion; cook until tender. Add
peas and cook through. Serves 4-6.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

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This is a Yahoo Group dedicated to Dutch Oven Cooking. See them at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dutchovencooking/ for great tips and more recipes for cooking.