dutch ovens...

[dslaughter]

this is a true "campfire" post...
Who uses a dutch oven when camping?
What's your favorite recipe?
My wife and I picked one up from sportsman's yesterday and cooked dinner last night and breakfast this morning with good results. It seems like a very interesting way to cook. Even though we can't spend as much time out as we'd like cooking like this on the patio seems to set us in that same frame of mind.

 

[caelkhnter]

About 15 years ago my inlaws not knowing what to get me for Christmas, but knowing I loved hunting and camping, got me a 12 inch dutch oven. I had never used one, nor had I ever seen anyone use one. The following spring I went camping with the wife and kids and on the first night made a pineapple upside down cake. I was amazed how good it turned out. The next morning my brother in law and his wife and children showed up. I could not wait to show him the amazing cake I had made in this iron pot with charcoal for heat. He laughed and told me he had been an Eagle scout in his younger days, and that if I really wanted to learn a thing or 2 we could really make some great meals with that pot. Well one thing led to another and now I own about 6 ovens of various sizes and everyone in our camps cooks dutch. It is a great way to go. We have lots of fun and there is no limit to what you can cook in these.

 

[lve2143]

Dave Dog,

You and the wifey will Love, love, love your
Dutch oven. You've always reminded me of Ol'Gus
setting there in the morning, reading the Good Book,
waiting on the biskits to get ready after an evening
down at that "gin palace."

Did you season it good, or did it come seasoned ???

Them pre-seasoned ones are mighty handy. Keep playing with it
(the d.u. i mean) and let us know some of your secrets.

Some of these guys know some GOOOOODDDDD stuff, hope they'll
share.

Dutch Ovens are GREAT fun, and can be a little addictive.
Glad to hear you're having fun with yours. Keep it up sir.

Larry
Dutch oven junky.

 

[Nelly]

Now were talking campfire stuff, I have been dutch oven cooking for about 5-6 years now and love it!
I have two dutch ovens and all the untensils, but I'm sad to say I don't get to cook with them as much as I would like. When we lived in Idaho my buddy who got me started we would cook almost once or twice a week but I have not been able to do much now days. Anyways here is my fameliy's fav I got this off of a web site years ago(hope they don't mind me sharing) but try this if you have not this is some good chicken............
(post your favorite reciepes)
CW






Calico Chicken
6 chicken breast halves; boneless, skinless (1) 4 oz. can diced green chiles; drained
1 packet taco seasoning (1) 11 oz. can mexicorn; drained
8 oz. pepper jack cheese (1) 15 oz. can black beans; drained
1/4 cup melted butter (1) 16 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup melted butter 1/2 cup black olives; sliced
1/2 cup corn flakes; crushed 1/2 cup green onions; sliced

Place 1 chicken breast between 2 pieces of waxed paper and gently pound with a meat mallet until about 1/8" thick. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp. of taco seasoning on the boned side of each breast. Place a 1/2" x 1 1/2" slice of pepper jack cheese on each chicken breast then roll up jelly roll fashion. Tuck in ends and seal well with a toothpick. Dip each chicken roll in melted butter then roll in corn flake crumbs, turning to thoroughly coat each roll. Place in a lightly greased 12" Dutch oven. Bake using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 16-18 briquettes top for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned. Remove chicken from oven and remove toothpicks. Wipe the oven clean with a paper towel.

In a large bowl mix together green chiles, mexicorn, black beans, tomato, olives, green onions and 2 Tbs. of the taco seasoning. Spoon vegetables into Dutch oven. Place chicken rolls on top of the vegetable mixture. Grate the remaining cheese and sprinkle over the chicken rolls. Cover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until vegetables are warmed thru and the cheese has melted.

Serves: 6

 

[lve2143]

Nelly,

I'm fire'n up my printer for the first time
in month's. Dang that sound's good...........

Will have to try that later this week.

Gonna get fat, but it's worth it.

Let's hear'em boy's. Let's hear some of those GOOODD
Dutch Oven Secrets.

I know this aint as much fun as talking politics, but
humor a silly redneck for a while.
lrv

 

[caelkhnter]

Okay this is getting to me....are you all getting hungry yet? As far as a favorite...they are all my favorite. This is something I recently made and it was a hit, remember you can cook anything in a dutch oven that you can cook in a coventional oven, so don't be afraid of experimenting. Here is my latest....

PLANTATION CHICKEN AND SHRIMP PILAU

12 Strips of Bacon
2 large onions
2 1/2 cups raw long-grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth
5 medium-size tomatoes,peeled,seeded,and chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups diced cooked chicken(I just boiled it)
2 lbs fresh medium-size shrimp,peeled and devined
1 4oz. jar pimentos,drained and chopped

Fry the bacon till crisp, drain on paper towels and crumble.

Keep about 6 tablespoons of the bacon grease to cook the onions till soften, about 7 minutes.

Add the rice and stir till well coated with the bacon drippins.

Add the broth,tomatoes,lemon juice,Worcestershire,salt,black pepper, and cayenne and bring the liquid to a boil.

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Add the chicken,shrimp,bacon and pimentos, stir till well blended,bake for another 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand for about 10 minutes.

Let us know what you think. Jim

 

[Gotlost]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-16-07 AT 08:14PM (MST)[p]I cook at least one or two meals in the DO, I'll save a elk or a couple of deer roast for hunting camp and do halibut or salmon an other night. I try to keep it simple,

roast
brown it, then at potatoes, carrots, cabage, and musrooms. then sprinkel liptons onion/and roasted garlic soup mix on top, add water till its close to the top and cook at 350?(14 brickets top and bottom) time depeds on lbs of meat.

Halibut/salmon
line with tin foil.
lay fish on bottom
add some rosemsry and cover with honey.
350? 25 minute.

Halibut w/cheese
line with foil
lay halibut on bottom
mix 3 parts cheese of your choice to 1 part Mayo, cover the fish with it.
350? 45 minutes

 

[pushin_30]

Food tastes so much better when it is cooked in a dutch oven IMO. I own one of about every size and use them for just about everything. I own two that are flat bottomed and they are strickly for home use, dutch ovens are not just for camping use. It would supprise you what you'll will end up cooking in it. Enjoy your new oven and get you one for the house also.

 

[woodruffhunter]

Excellent posts; I would add that if you get really serious, I would use seperate ovens for different types of meals. I know the argue will be "that what makes them great, the different varieties of foods" However, cooking strong tasting game and deserts in the same oven doesn't always net good results.

Therefore, I would cook my meat and deserts in different ovens. I have also tried lining my ovens with foil when cooking cobblers. This method allowed the desert not to absorb the strong taste.

Regardless of what you decide, its hard to screw things up and they are a great tool for cooking.

I have used mine on open coals, on a "volcano" cooker and even in my home oven. All these methods work well. There are countless good recipes on the internet. Try making pizza in a dutch oven. It works great.

Oh yeah, one other thing: Don't wash them with soap

 

[dslaughter]

thanks for all of the comments, tips and recipes, everyone! I can tell this is the beginning of another obsessive/compulsive hobby/addiction that I'll enjoy for years to come...

 

[jmcenulty]

I have a dutch oven set, but it could be cause I'm a scoutmaster. I don't know of any scoutmaster that hasn't used a dutch oven
I even used it on our hunting trip we just took to cook venison stew. If was left over from last year.
Just use the same ingredients you would in beef stew. Let it simmer about 2 hrs and the meat will melt in your mouth.

 

[Phantom Hunter]

My latest dutch oven dessert is Cherry Crunch.

spray oven with no stick spray
1 can crushed pineapple covering bottom of oven
1 can cherry or peach pie filling covering pinapple layer
1 pkg yellow cake mix covering cherry layer
2 cups chopped pecans over cake layer
sprinkle 1 stick butter melted over top
bake for 30 min at about 350
sprinkle grated coconut over top and bake another 5-10 min

Phantom Hunter

 

[overton]

>My latest dutch oven dessert is
>Cherry Crunch.
>
>spray oven with no stick spray
>
>1 can crushed pineapple covering bottom
>of oven
>1 can cherry or peach pie
>filling covering pinapple layer
>1 pkg yellow cake mix covering
>cherry layer
>2 cups chopped pecans over cake
>layer
>sprinkle 1 stick butter melted over
>top
>bake for 30 min at about
>350
>sprinkle grated coconut over top and
>bake another 5-10 min
>
>Phantom Hunter

Phantom

I'm not waiting for the next hunting trip to try this cake. Dutch oven comes out tonight.


Ransom

 

[Phantom Hunter]

Ransom,

It is very good. I'm gluten intolerant,(no wheat), so I have to use alternative flours. Even with gluten-free cake mix it comes out excellent. I normally don't serve gluten-free stuff to others as it is not as good, but this is excellent gluten-free or not. My mother-in-law loves it with peaches and pineapple instead of cherry. Try it it's good. Another tip is to find some 1/2"-3/4' metal strips you can bend into a coil. Place the coil in the bottom of the dutch oven. On top of the coil of metal place a aluminum pan that fills up the oven. Place ingredients in aluminum pan and cook as normal. If done right, no burned bottom of cake or biscuits, no mess, no clean-up of oven. I learned this trick from one of my hunting partners at a cookout that featured dutch oven cobblers on opening day of dove season.

Phantom Hunter

 

[elk_horn]

A good breakfast at noon when you get back from hunting.... fry a pound or two of sausage maple flaver... then add 2 pounds of hashbrowns and mix with the sausage then scamble 12 eggs in a bowl and poor over sausage and hashbrowns put lid on dutch oven for maybe twenty minutes stir a little then add gradded cheese....and waite a couple of minutes for the cheese to melt then serve.

 

[DeerMadness]

I caught a nickel bright steelhead on the Columbia - we cut it in half and seasoned with salt,pepper lemon and butter in the cavity. I put 5 canning jar rings on the bottom of the canner. Wrapped up the steelhead in foil and placed it on the rings. 10 briquettes on top and 12 below for 30 minutes. It was amazing.

 

[Trix4me]

Lol I don’t have time to get going on this one. But, I have at least 15 as well as cast iron pans and griddles. Love DO cooking

 

[DeerMadness]

Then there is the Dutch Oven the women don't like. ??

 

[DeerHunter53]

>My latest dutch oven dessert is
>Cherry Crunch.
>
>spray oven with no stick spray
>
>1 can crushed pineapple covering bottom
>of oven
>1 can cherry or peach pie
>filling covering pinapple layer
>1 pkg yellow cake mix covering
>cherry layer
>2 cups chopped pecans over cake
>layer
>sprinkle 1 stick butter melted over
>top
>bake for 30 min at about
>350
>sprinkle grated coconut over top and
>bake another 5-10 min
>
>Phantom Hunter

Phantom

I'm not waiting for the next hunting trip to try this cake. Dutch oven comes out tonight.


Ransom

Hey Overton nice to hear from you how is the cove? Eel and I were going to go over and check your property when we are up there next, but he tells me you have booby traps waiting for us?

Are they real boobies? traps I mean

 

[BIGJOHNT]

Mountain man breakfast is a favorite. Also sweet and sour chicken. Along with the staples. Dutch oven potatoes and cobblers. Here is or recipes for the top two .

 

[hossblur]

Mutton.

Yup. Sheep meat. Its better the 2nd time, the grease left from the 1st time.

Get a camp chef. We cook EVERYTHING in ovens. From biscuits and gravy to taters, to chili.

Coals are fine, but camp chefs mean the ovens are universal.

Biggest tip is SLOW. Dont cook at high temps.

 

[DW]

Didn't bother read the other posts, cook a pork shoulder roast.

 

[SS!]

@Cooper has been Dutch oven’d a few times. Even on overnight snowmobile trips.

 

[Cooper]

Snow machine trips!!