Dutch Oven Sides

[eDJ]

Yesterday I cooked out on the tripod grill and made a couple of sides in my 10" and 12" DO.

I just posted photos of the chicken in the Rubs & Sauces where I used Magic Dust in the brine and then rubbed with it. Came out quite good
and was met with favorable opinions with all who tried it.

But it was a cool windy overcast day and we decided to pull out the DO's
and see if we could come up with something tasty and hearty for such weather.

We decided on making scalloped potatoes and Macaroni and Cheese.

So I cooked 3 cups of elbow to al dente, and used a half pint of heavy whipping cream with about 3 cups of milk after making a roux of 3 TB of
Flour and half a stick of margarine. As the roux got to where I wanted it I wisked in the cream and milk and got it hot and then added a small pack of cream cheese to melt it in. (1/2 pint of cream and 3 cups milk) Then added 1/2 C of Parmesan cheese, 1 TB of garlic Salt, 1 TB black pepper, 1 TB dry Mustard and 1 TB yellow prepared mustard, one egg tempered with a little of the mixture and wisked well before adding slowly to the mix, 2 tsp of Paprika, and a good shake of season all for good measure.

The DO was seasoned well and I layered the bottom with the first tier of cooked macaroni and added enough shredded sharp cheddar to cover it, and repeated this three times in the 10 inch DO. On the top I covered
this with Italian seasoned bread crumbs, some Parmesan, and enough
sharp Cheddar to melt into it and make a good crunchy cheese topping.
I also put about seven pats of butter over top of the macaroni before
covering with the cheese.



The red on the cheese is the Paprika I dusted it with. I had some shredded Habanero Cheese mixture I also put on the top just for a little extra kick.

Next I took the 12' DO and set forth to make some Scalloped Potatoes with Horseradish. Trust me, this is good. Used a 4 1/2 lb bag of Red Potatoes. Cut at about 1/4 inch thick or a little thinner. Two large yellow onions were cut up similar and 3 jalapeno peppers were pulled off the plant right at the time I started cutting up vegetables.

I started by melting 1/2 a stick of margarine and adding three TB or Flour to make a roux. This got about 3 TB of Garlic Salt 3 TB of prepared Horseradish, 1/2 C Parmesan, 2 TB of black pepper, 1 TB of granulated Garlic, 2 garlic cloves mashed and minced, 2 TB Paprika, 1/2 Pint of cream and 3 cups of milk. This was heated up just to a boil and then allowed to cool down some.

The DO was seasoned some and the potatoes went in on one layer with onions and Jalapeno bits atop of that and the layers repeated adding a little of the milk & horseradish sauce between layers. This built up 3 tiers and that was topped with some Season All (seasoning salt) and Paprika. I also dusted a little Parmesan over the top of it too. Lastly
I cut up slices of margarine and laid about seven of those over the top and poured in another couple cups of milk around the sides of the DO.




I took the pictures in of the DO's in my DO stand but was going to cook in the camp fire.




I cooked the potatoes for 45 minutes and they came out spot on. I rotated the lid a quarter a turn each 10 minutes and the whole DO similarly giving it 1/2 a turn the first time and then 1/4 turn after each 10 minutes. This can help keep the heat inside fairly even. I could hear the DO bubbling inside and see the steam issuing through the crack of the lid. I opened it twice for a few seconds just to check it's progress.

The Macaroni and Cheese was to cook for 30 minuted as it didn't need to do much more than get hot and melt the cheese. I wound up getting busy with other things and went to the edge of 40 minutes and it was
well done but not burnt at all. But the 37 minutes was really about 6 or 7 longer than necessary.

I pulled them out of the fire and dumped the embers off the lid so the contents could rest and cool down.



Nicely melted cheese with just a bit of well done on one edge.



This is the Magic Dusted Chicken I smoked and grilled with the tripod grill to go with these two sides.



Dinner was simply Chicken, Macaroni & Cheese, Scalloped Potatoes, and
ice cold Beer.

Those I was eating with last night were skeptical about the Dutch Ovens and undertaking to make Mac & Cheese in a blazing hot camp fire. They weren't too sure about the Potatoes either. But by the time they dug in
I had made converts of them. The others who ate with us thought this was a hit right out of the ball park. They were calling for some of this to take to work the next day and treat their co workers to a taste.

Sure enough by about 12:30 my phone started ringing and I was hearing about what a hit this was there. I was told that if I ever started a Smoked Meat and BBQ restaurant to buy a bunch of DO's and cook this every day just as staples. One guy said he would buy a DO full of the Mac & Cheese each week. Best he thought he'd ever had.

Myself, I'd say this here is some serious good food. An anyone who gets themselves a spoon full of it won't be forgetting about any too soon !

So we agreed that as it gets cooler, we'll cook out as long as we got firewood to burn and use all four of my DO's to make these two things
and some other good spoon vittles. So we can just run out, stoke, turn,
check and not get too cold while the cookin is in progress.

[sparky1]

that is so cool. what a great meal cooking w/ the DOs. if i was to get only one size what should it be and what company to you like to get your cast iron from?

[eDJ]

Re:

Sparky, the 12" is the most Universal. Lodge makes one like I have that is 6 quart capacity. You can find them at WalMart and other places. The Dutch Ovens like I use are the "Camp" DO's with the legs under them and the standing ring on top to help hold the coals on the lid.

There are other sources if the price is an issue. Harbor Freight usually has them for the hunters this time of year for around $30 bucks (probably made in China) But they have 20% off coupons that will allow you to buy one item at 20% off.

You may look around and find these at yard sales and flea markets too.

My second DO was an 8 qt and I later found them on sale at a Farm Supply place that was going out of business and I got a 2 qt and a 4 qt.

Some of these come pre seasoned today, but I strongly suggest buying a bottle of Flax Seed Oil to use after you've scrubbed your new purchase with. Flax oil just works good on Iron.

Rub your DO good with this oil and put it in a 400 degree oven and repeat two or three times. You may want to wait for weather where you can have your windows open LOL. Or put up a couple stakes over a camp fire with a cross bar and a big "S" hook to position the DO over the fire so it will drive the oil into the porous iron. When your DO is black
you got er done and you're ready to cook.

Flax oil is an edible oil so it won't be a problem. Some people have used
bacon grease and the like but the pro's like the Flax oil.

Now here is a web site for Boy Scouts full of recipes and info that will help you get off to a great start. Both Scout Masters and Scouts rely on
sites like this.

http://www.bsatroop680.org/troop_recipes.htm

For a first experience, try making a fruit cobbler. 1 box of yellow cake mix, a can of lemon lime soda, some butter and a couple cans of fruit like Apple pie filling. (a buck a can at a Dollar tree store) Just dress it up some with some cinnamon. Put the fruit in the bottom, pour the cake mix over top and pour the can of soda over the top of the mix.

Have about 30 charcoal briquettes lit and turning gray. Put about 10 under the bottom and 15 to 18 on the top. Bake for about 1/2 hour.
It helps to turn the lid 1/4 turn each 10 minutes and bottom the opposite direction each 10 minutes. You ought to have something good
when it's done.

It's handy to have a lid lifter and a wisk broom to sweep ashes away from the edges.

A lid lifter can be made our of 3/8" rebar if you have a friend who can weld. All you'd need is a hack saw and a torch to heat the end to make a hook. Weld a small piece behind the hook and wrap the handle end any way you want.



This would get you in the game. A small kids toy shovel will help with a camp fire to shovel coals. If using briquettes, a pair of old BBQ tongues
will help you place those where you want them. A pair of old work gloves would be handy too.

Here's you a handy heat chart so you will know how many briquettes to use. The larger number of coals goes on the top.



When Lewis and Clark got back from their famous expedition, Thomas Jefferson ask them what was the most valuable thing they took with them. Their answer surprised him. They told him the Dutch Ovens.
(with those they could eat good and keep up their morale on that long difficult journey)

[sweet_magnolia]

Great post and recipes, eDJ! Going to have to find the chicken thread now.

that is so cool. what a great meal cooking w/ the DOs. if i was to get only one size what should it be and what company to you like to get your cast iron from?

Sparky, I like the Lodge DOs...made in USA! You can also find some good info on what size to buy in this thread, too.

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23640

[Fishawn]

Great cooking style and excellent details.

[eDJ]

Re:

Sweet Magnolia, that Chicken I smoke/grilled is in the Sauces & Rubs
under the Magic Dust.

I made some Magic Dust and tried some of it in the brine just to experiment.

[sweet_magnolia]

Sweet Magnolia, that Chicken I smoke/grilled is in the Sauces & Rubs under the Magic Dust..

Found it!

[eDJ]

Re:

Thanks Fish :D

Since I suggested to Sparky1 to try his hand at a cobbler for a first effort,
I thought I'd follow up with a brief walk through.

When you get your DO and season it well then you can give a cobbler a try.

You'll need

2 cans of fruit pie filling and I'd suggest apple as it's $1 a can at Dollar Tree.

1 box of yellow cake or butter cake mix. About $1 at Aldi's or where ever.

1 can of lemon lime soda 12 oz.

Some butter and flavoring extracts such as Butter, Bourbon, Cinnamon,
or Nutmeg.

Some charcoal fuel, gloves and pair of long pliers for tools...for starters.


In the first photo the DO has been buttered up inside and 2 cans of apple pie filling was added, butter extract and 1/4 cup of Bourbon whiskey was stirred up in it. It was dusted well with cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg was placed over that.




For the cake mix there is melted butter, an egg, and milk if you use the
directions on the box of the cake mix.

But.................you can just open the cake mix and pour it over top of the apple mixture evenly to cover and then open the can of lemon lime soda and pour it all around over the top of the cake mix. This is the EZ way if you are out camping so you don't have to pack along milk or eggs etc. It will do a great job too. You can dust the top with cinnamon before placing the buttered (inside of the lid) in place.




In the top picture you may notice small bits of butter dotting the apple pie filling mixture. It only adds flavor if you choose to do that.

For your first effort I'd suggest you use charcoal briquettes as your heating fuel. It will make it easier for you to gauge your heat by counting lit briquettes rather than sitting it in a camp fire. You can try that later once you get some experience this way ake bawith heat and timing.
(Don't worry, you can peak inside and tell how it's coming from time to time)

Something I DON'T SUGGEST. Pouring table sugar over the top of the cake batter, cause it tends to char. It's about the same thing as butting BBQ sauce over meat too early as it will also char on your meat
and won't look or taste pleasing.




Getting the camp fire set up and charcoal started in the chimney. That's that gray bucket on the other side of the camp fire.





There is about 16 briquettes on top and 7 under the bottom of this 12" DO. That gives a 375 approximately temp. Remember if it's breezy the
temps will be a bit different than if it's not.

When it's done, you should have a cobbler that looks like this. And this one is just on the edge of over done.



You'll have less than an hour in doing this once ya got the hang of it.

I'd get the cooking things lined out first and have the DO all buttered up first.

Then start the charcoal in the chimney. Then put the cobbler together so the charcoal is having a chance to get well lit.

And there it is. A sweet simple first experience.

[sweet_magnolia]

And there it is. A sweet simple first experience.

Good suggestion! I started out learning how to bake canned biscuits. I figured if I burned them, they were cheap enough it didn't matter.

[treehorses]

Probably get flammed for this....but on all sugar and or non meat cooks, I line my DOs with foil. This helps in cleanup and....leftovers can go right in the cooler for breakfast.
Meat dishes go right into the empty DO.

[sweet_magnolia]

Probably get flammed for this....but on all sugar and or non meat cooks, I line my DOs with foil. This helps in cleanup and....leftovers can go right in the cooler for breakfast.
Meat dishes go right into the empty DO.

I have thought many times about doing that. I don't think there is anything wrong with it. I've seen you can even buy the foil pans that fit right in. Just like everything else...you have to do what you prefer!

[eDJ]

Re:

I think that there is much to be said for using the foil lining, especially if
you are out where there isn't much water when camping during Deer Season or some other camping outing where water is scarce.

You don't want to be spending all your time in camp cooking if you are there to hunt or whatever. In the cooler months you could bring em home dirty and clean them up as soon as you have the kitchen. But in warm weather use the foil like treehorses suggest if you can't wash em up right after cooking in them.

Any Boy Scouter's here with any thoughts about using the DO's in camp ?
Camp food safety ?

[eDJ]

Re

For those who haven't set up for Dutch Oven cooking at camp, here is a
suggestion for some simple tools. This can be made with 1/2 rebar and a
little welding or brazing. If you only braze and have gas equipment
that would be fine.



If you have about 3 pieces of 5' rebar 1/2" dia you could set up these two vertical post with the two (as shown) or more diagonal spurs welded or brazed to them to rest the cross bar on. Some small pieces of 3/8"
rebar can be heated and made into S hooks of various lengths. These hang on the cross bar and the bail of the Dutch Oven can be placed in the bottom of the S hook to hang it over a fire. It could also be used for
a pail for heating water. If you are just cooking in the bottom of the
DO and not using the lid using one or more sizes of S hooks can allow
for positioning the DO at various heights above the fire.

Also worth considering is making your own DO lid lifter at the far right.
3/8" rebar works well for this. Then weld or braze the cross piece in place behind the hook. This is one of the nicest items to have.
A Kids toy broom is very handy and readily available at Dollar Stores
to sweep ashes away from the lid before lifting it. A kids toy shovel
is also handy for placing coals from the fire on the DO.

It's handy to have some old gloves and I keep a gardeners hand trowel
like you would plant flowers with to adjust coals etc with.

No shown in the drawing is a "spider" used to set the DO lid upside down on and use as a skillet. It is three short pieces welded together and made of 3/8" rebar. on the ends 2" pieces are welded or brazed vertical. This would form a triangle if lines were drawn from the ends of each piece. This is sit in place and coals are scattered in it so that when the lid is sit down on it you have a nice breakfast griddle or skillet.

This stuff can be found on a scrap yard for cheap and a with a hand grinder with a thin blade or hacksaw that shown in the drawing can be easily fabricated. If 5' pieces are used for the sides and cross bar then the sharpened ends can be driven into the ground about a foot and make a safe & stable cooking frame. With only a little welding or brazing
this set up is complete. It can be used in a back yard fire pit or taken along to camp for fishing, or hunting. This way the DO is the main expense.

I've worked with these in the past and you can't get any simpler or efficient.

[Fishawn]

Not a dutch oven cook YET, butt some great info in here. Thanks Y'all