Dutch oven??

[lilmom4]

We will be camping towards the end of January and I was wondering if anybody has ever used one of those Martha Stewart Dutch ovens with any success? I love mine and was thinking about trying it, but I definitely don't want to ruin it. If so, anybody have any good Dutch oven recipes? Oh and this will be my son and in laws first time, any "must do" activities for FW newbies?

 

[Napria]

A Dutch oven is a heavy, usually cast iron or enamel pot with a lid that is used on top of the stove. Do you mean a slow cooker or CrocPot? I wouldn't use a Dutch oven because it would take up too much propane. I've used my slow cooker just about every camping trip. Stews, chili, even cooked a small whole chicken.

Hope that helps!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

I love the Dutch Oven ! But ya gotta be careful who you pull the covers over (so to speak)


wait, you weren't talk'n bout the prank were you
(my bad)

We have a Dutch Oven, have never used it so far. Don't believe it would be practical at the Fort. They require a lotta heat/coals to cook with,,other wise ya may as well just be using any old cast iron pot. As for us, I don't think we can sustain a hot enough fire/long enough to use a Dutch Oven.
I have however heard that they do a real nice job.

 

[lodge]

With no open fires, I couldn't bring our Dutch oven. It needs a good fire with coals on top, in order to cook properly.

 

[Napria]

I've been thinking about this all day at work. Sad but true. And I kept wondering if I misunderstood or perhaps there is a different type of Dutch oven. So I looked it up:

"Definition: A Dutch oven is a heavy cooking pot with a tightly fitting lid that is good for braising. Dutch ovens are also excellent for making soups and stews.

A Dutch oven can be used either on the stovetop or in the oven, and they're usually made of cast iron. Cast iron Dutch ovens need to be seasoned before using, like other cast iron cookware. Because they can withstand extremely high heat, cast iron Dutch ovens can also be used for deep-frying."

If you want to slow cook while camping, definitely get an electric Slow cooker or Croc Pot. They're a great way to fix a meal, enjoy your day and come back to a delicious, satisfying, home-cooked meal.

 

[nabi]

I wonder if they're critter proof since they're heavier?

 

[rab1022]

I've been thinking about this all day at work. Sad but true. And I kept wondering if I misunderstood or perhaps there is a different type of Dutch oven. So I looked it up:

"Definition: A Dutch oven is a heavy cooking pot with a tightly fitting lid that is good for braising. Dutch ovens are also excellent for making soups and stews.

A Dutch oven can be used either on the stovetop or in the oven, and they're usually made of cast iron. Cast iron Dutch ovens need to be seasoned before using, like other cast iron cookware. Because they can withstand extremely high heat, cast iron Dutch ovens can also be used for deep-frying."

If you want to slow cook while camping, definitely get an electric Slow cooker or Croc Pot. They're a great way to fix a meal, enjoy your day and come back to a delicious, satisfying, home-cooked meal.

But you didn't look it up in the Urban Dictionary

 

[Born 2 Fish]

I wonder if they're critter proof since they're heavier?

Absolutely they are critter proof, until the fire/coals burn out burns out, which takes a while cause you need a long hot fire to cok with a Dutch Oven (in most cases) and then it'd take forever for the Oven to cool down with food in it before a critter could touch it.

Yes they are heavy but a coon sized animal could get into a cold one.

 

[SoccerDad]

With no open fires, I couldn't bring our Dutch oven. It needs a good fire with coals on top, in order to cook properly.

Couldn't the dutch oven be used on the charcoal grill at the site? I have done this in the past at other campgrounds, where I use the grill as a cook station for my dutch oven. In that case I have prepared items that take just an hour or so to cook, such as lasagna. I don't leave the dutch oven unattended.

 

[CampingDad]

I have cooked with my Dutch ovens at the fort plenty of times. I have always wanted to use the charcoal grill but the grill grate itself does not move out of the way. You need a flat steel surface to set a ring of coals on and then the Dutch oven sits on top. So I use my Dutch oven table which is a large steel table with a 3 sided wind screen. It takes between 20 and 40 coals to cook a dish in each Dutch oven.

I would not use a porcelain coated Dutch oven to cook with coals. There are 2 kinds of Dutch ovens. Camp Dutch ovens have 3 legs and allow the coals to sit underneath without touching the cast iron and a flat lid because you have to put coals on top too. The other kind has no legs and are used in ovens or stove tops.

Cooking with Dutch ovens takes lots of practice and experimentation. I use mine every time we go camping and I have been known to cook 3 meals a day in them. I have even cooked with 4 at a time. My table holds 2 side by side and one stacked on those for a total four.

There are plenty of Dutch oven cook books and websites dedicated to Dutch ovens. Most walmarts and bass pro shops have camp dutch ovens from Lodge (made in USA). They are relatively cheap considering they last forever. When I say forever I mean they'll last 100 years plus if taken care of.

 

[North of Mouse]

I have cooked with my Dutch ovens at the fort plenty of times. I have always wanted to use the charcoal grill but the grill grate itself does not move out of the way. You need a flat steel surface to set a ring of coals on and then the Dutch oven sits on top. So I use my Dutch oven table which is a large steel table with a 3 sided wind screen. It takes between 20 and 40 coals to cook a dish in each Dutch oven.

I would not use a porcelain coated Dutch oven to cook with coals. There are 2 kinds of Dutch ovens. Camp Dutch ovens have 3 legs and allow the coals to sit underneath without touching the cast iron and a flat lid because you have to put coals on top too. The other kind has no legs and are used in ovens or stove tops.

Cooking with Dutch ovens takes lots of practice and experimentation. I use mine every time we go camping and I have been known to cook 3 meals a day in them. I have even cooked with 4 at a time. My table holds 2 side by side and one stacked on those for a total four.

There are plenty of Dutch oven cook books and websites dedicated to Dutch ovens. Most walmarts and bass pro shops have camp dutch ovens from Lodge (made in USA). They are relatively cheap considering they last forever. When I say forever I mean they'll last 100 years plus if taken care of.

Wow, this seems like a ton of work! I'm sure the results are very tasty, but that's really 'roughing it' IMO.

Personally, there would be no way I'd go to all that expense/trouble when I had electrical hook ups and could just use a crockpot. You can leave a crockpot, but I can't see leaving the dutch oven in that situation.

I've never seen anyone cook like that - our main experiences with cooking outside is with a Coleman stove which we enjoy using in the Smoky Mtns. I never cook outside at the Fort.

 

[JanL]

It makes incredibly delicious food, though. Like most skills, it gets easier and takes less time with practice. Walmart sells parchment liners for the DO so there is less cleanup. You don’t wash them out with soap anyway, just wipe them out if they’ve been seasoned properly.

 

[xie]

We will be camping towards the end of January and I was wondering if anybody has ever used one of those Martha Stewart Dutch ovens with any success? I love mine and was thinking about trying it, but I definitely don't want to ruin it. If so, anybody have any good Dutch oven recipes? Oh and this will be my son and in laws first time, any "must do" activities for FW newbies?

Seasoned cast iron dutch ovens are great when camping, but I wouldn't try to use one at Fort Wilderness.

Normally you set them on a bed of coals and put more coals atop the lid, and since the Fort doesn't permit open fires, this would be pretty difficult to manage.

Better to just bring a crock pot and plug it in!

 

[Napria]

CampingDad, I never knew there were camping Dutch ovens. The one I use at home is a LeCruset enamel Dutch oven. No way would I ever put coals on it! I'll have to check out the cast iron camping ones next time hubby takes us on a Bass Pro Shops outing.

rab1022... Ewww.

 

[bama_ed]

CampingDad, I never knew there were camping Dutch ovens. The one I use at home is a LeCruset enamel Dutch oven. No way would I ever put coals on it! I'll have to check out the cast iron camping ones next time hubby takes us on a Bass Pro Shops outing.

rab1022... Ewww.

That's funny! The Boy Scouts have been cooking with the camping dutch ovens made of cast iron for over 70 years. In fact, I have a camping dutch oven with the Boy Scout Fleur-des-Lis symbol made by Lodge.

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L12CO3BS-America-Pre-Seasoned-6-Quart/dp/B0009JKG92/ref=sr_1_1?srs=2595663011&ie=UTF8&qid=1389741654&sr=8-1&keywords=lodge+dutch+oven+boy+scout

Nothing beats a good cobbler out of a real dutch oven. CampingDad, I've seen the coal tables you referred to that will handle multiple ovens. It is an art form and a fun one.

When Martha Stewart is connected to a dutch oven, I don't think it's one of these.

Bama Ed

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . Nothing beats a good cobbler out of a real dutch oven . . .

1) I sit here waiting for MrsRustyScupper to finish dinner prep.
2) And, you HAVE TO mention cobbler in a dutch oven.
3) Now, I am trying to type while wiping the drool off of the keyboard.

NOTE: And, yes, dutch ovens in-the-wild are a great cooking tool.

 

[mkrober]

A Dutch Oven is a great way to cook while camping. I'm a scoutmaster and one of our troop's favorite cooking pastimes is using a dutch oven to cook cobblers for dessert and an egg scramble and biscuits for breakfast. My family and I have taken it camping (and will use it at the Fort over Easter), and tailgating at football games. We seem to attract a crowd around our vehicle once you start to smell the apple cobbler cooking. It doesn't take many more charcoal briquettes than you would use if you're grilling burgers. For cooking breads and cobbler, you put most of the briquettes on top of the oven and bake it from the top->down. As someone said earlier, if the oven has been seasoned, cleanup is pretty easy, or you can even drop in a parchment paper or aluminum liner, beforehand. Give it a try, you're on vacation!

 

[JanL]

You could use the grill with a baking pan, cookie sheet, or even several layers of foil on top to hold the bottom layer of coals. I would build the fire in the grill as usual and transfer the coals when ready to the pan or foil on top using tongs. You can also use a cast iron DO with a flat bottom by putting it on top of 2 bricks, then arranging the coals underneath the DO, or use a baking pan or cookie sheet, and put it on top of the grate with coals underneath, then more coals on top of the pan around the base of the DO. It sure feels like real camping when dinner is in the "oven."

Of course, a crock pot would be faster if you were hitting the parks, but somedays I like to just hang out at the campsite and enjoy The Fort's atmosphere.

In our camping club, a member once made a "DO" with a new galvanized garbage can. On top of foil on the ground, he put the lid upside down, then a special basket device he fashioned from metal to hold the turkey, then the turkey over the spike, then a ham over the turkey to baste it, then the garbage can upside down over it all and into its lid. Then he put the hot coals around the base and on the bottom of the can (which was actually at the top of it all) It only took a couple of hours to cook and it was falling-off-the-bone tender and so good! It was a great way to feed a crowd. Of course, Disney might frown on the coals not staying on the grill, so save this for your back yard.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

When Martha Stewart is connected to a dutch oven, I don't think it's one of these.

Bama Ed

Couldn't you just see ol Martha laughing while yanking the covers over her husbands head in the middle of the night and hearing,,
FRRRRRRRRRTTTTTT,,