The old-fashioned Dutch oven is one of the most versatile cooking utensils available to the outdoor chef. (Keith Sutton photo)
December 18, 2018
By Keith "Catfish" Sutton
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I learned Dutch oven cooking from a Scoutmaster named Gene Reddick.
Gene had a magical way with one of these versatile utensils, baking some of the most delicious cobblers, cakes and pies I’ve ever tasted, with only the coals from a campfire for heat.
During the five years I worked as a district executive with the Boy Scouts of America, Gene taught me the ins and outs of properly cooking Dutch oven dishes, and I’m proud to say that most of what he taught me sunk in. I can still whip up a batch of Dutch oven biscuits that are lip-smacking good.
Dutch ovens as we know them today were developed in the early eighteenth century. They sometimes were called “bake kettles” or “bake ovens,” but “Dutch oven” (a name of uncertain origins) became the title of choice long ago. By the mid-1700s, nearly all American families were cooking in Dutch ovens on home hearths and campfires.
The Dutch ovens used by today’s camp cooks differ little from early models. Each is a large deep pot with a tightly fitting lid. Three short legs support the whole affair over coals on the ground (or on the hearth).
The lid has a raised rim to retain coals that are placed on the lid and to keep ashes from falling into the oven when the lid is lifted. With this arrangement – the coals on top and coals beneath – the oven can be evenly heated for better cooking.
Cast iron retains heat long after it has been have been removed from a heat source. (Jessyca Sortillon photo) A fixed handle on top of the lid provides for lifting the lid. A bail of steel wire is permanently attached to the pot portion for lifting and moving the whole oven. (Early Dutch ovens often had a long handle instead of a bail.)
Old-time ovens were heavy cast iron, as are many modern versions, but now you can get aluminum ones, too, that are lighter. Nevertheless, I prefer cast-iron ovens as do many Dutch oven cooks.
Cast iron heats slowly and evenly, and retains the heat long after the pot leaves the fire. In aluminum ovens, which do not have these characteristics, food often burns and sticks.
Seasoning a new cast-iron Dutch oven is very important. This is done by first cleaning the oven in hot sudsy water to remove any factory coating on the metal. Then rub salt-free shortening or cooking oil on all surfaces of the oven, and heat it for an hour or two with low heat. (Beef suet, bacon grease or salt-free butter or margarine can be used in a pinch.) This can be done in your home oven or with campfire coals.
The ideal temperature is 250-300 degrees for two to three hours. After heating, remove the oven, allow it to cool and cover the whole metal surface with a light coating of shortening to protect the metal from rusting. Your oven will form a black patina, or finish, with continued use.
Aluminum ovens won’t rust and don’t need any preparation or treatment before or after use. Simply wash and dry; no need to oil.
Preheat the oven before food is put in to bake. Do this by placing a few coals on top and a few underneath for several minutes. This helps keep food from sticking in the oven.
Food can be placed directly in the oven or placed in a pan or aluminum foil wrapper in the oven. I like to cook large cuts of meat, soups and stews, and boiled or steamed vegetables directly in the oven.
Foil cups are good containers for muffins and breads. When making a cake or pie that needs to be removed for cutting and serving, I use a pan in the oven, elevated above the bottom to allow heated air to circulate all around and protect the dish from overheating by the coals beneath. A couple of metal tent pins or nails, or a few pebbles, placed in the bottom of the oven support the pan.
The ratio of coals on top of the oven vs. below will change depending on if you are cooking or baking. (Jessyca Sortillon photo) Coals are placed under the oven, and on top, when cooking. Generally, when making dishes with large liquid content, such as stews and soups, you place two-thirds of the coals beneath and one-third on top. This transmits higher heat to the liquid in the oven and then on to your food.
When baking, reverse these proportions: one-third beneath and two-thirds on top. Too many on the bottom may overcook the baking food. More coals on top give high heat to the baking air space in the oven and directly down to your food.
When using charcoal briquets, I usually place six or seven under a 12-inch oven and 12-15 on top, replenishing these with new briquets when preparing dishes with long cooking times.
If the ground is damp, place a piece of aluminum foil on it to protect your coals or briquets and get maximum heating.
It’s sometimes tricky maintaining the proper heat while cooking. Regulate it by adding or taking away coals on top or beneath, experimenting a bit if necessary.
It’s a good idea to build a small fire beside the oven and keep shoveling the fresh-made coals from there to the oven. Check the progress of your cooking by lifting the lid with tongs or a hook, and testing.
Whether you are cooking or baking. A Dutch oven is a useful tool for cooking over a campfire. (Jessyca Sortillon photo) Remember, Dutch ovens are not just for baking. They work well for pan frying, broiling and deep-frying as well. The lid can be inverted and used as a griddle, with some rocks, or three metal tent pegs driven in the ground, as supports.
Dutch ovens are naturals for one-pot meals, but if you want to get spoiled, try the luxury of a whole battery of ovens: one for meat, one for vegetables, others for bread, pie, cake, cobbler, you name it. This is real living!
Here are some Dutch oven recipes to try.
Serves: 4-6 Total time: Varies per recipe, anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours
Dutch Oven Venison Casserole Recipe Ingredients:
4 pounds venison tenderloin or steak, cut into one-inch cubes ½ cup butter 2 medium onions, sliced 1 pound fresh mushrooms, stems removed ½ cup flour 1 cup dry red wine 2 (10.5-ounce) cans condensed onion soup 2 soup cans water Salt Black pepper Directions:
In a Dutch oven, sauté venison cubes in butter until brown on all sides. Add onions and mushrooms; sauté until vegetables are wilted. Sprinkle with flour. Stir in wine, soup and water. Stir to blend. Cover and place on coals at edge of campfire. Add coals to the oven lid. Cook 45 minutes for venison tenderloin, 1 ½ to 2 hours for steak. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving. Easy Dutch Oven Cobbler Recipe Making baked goods in a Dutch oven is remarkably easy. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) Ingredients:
¾ cup melted butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup flour ⅔ cup milk 1 large can sliced fruit Directions:
Pour melted butter into the Dutch oven. Combine sugar, flour and milk in a bowl. Pour mixture over butter. Add fruit. Bake until golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on how hot your coals or fire are. Dutch Oven Melt-in-Your-Mouth Biscuits Recipe Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick baking mix 1 cup sour cream 1 stick (½ cup) melted margarine Directions:
Preheat the Dutch oven. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Spoon dough into foil muffin cups, three-fourths full. Bake approximately 15 minutes. Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Recipe Ingredients:
1 (18-ounce) package yellow cake mix Eggs, milk or other ingredients needed to prepare cake mix 3 tablespoons melted butter ½ cup brown sugar 1 (16-ounce) can sliced pineapple (or chunks) Directions:
Prepare the cake mix in a large bowl per package instructions. Preheat the Dutch oven. Into a 10-inch round cake pan, pour the melted butter then sprinkle on the sugar. Briefly place the pan in the oven to melt the sugar and create the glaze. Remove the pan and place pineapple slices over the glaze. Pour the cake batter over this until the pan is slightly less than full, and set the pan in the oven atop some pebbles or metal tent pins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Baking time will vary depending on how hot your coals or fire are. Allow to cool 15 minutes then invert onto a plate.
