How to Cook in a Dutch Oven
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There's nothing like cooking in the great outdoors. The smell of campfire covers your hair, your clothes and most of the rest of your camping gear. I loove it. I'll sometimes go back to the closet and throw on that unwashed sweater that was full of that smokey camping smell of awesomeness.
A camp dutch oven, with feet and flanged lid, is one of a camp cooks most versatile tools. Both the 4-quart (10 inch) and 6-quart (12-inch) sizes are useful. You alsoneed long tongs, thick gloves, regular charcoal briquets, newspaper, a fire starter and a charcoal chimney starter. Or, just maybe a campfire with hot embers. Using charcoal makes it easier to control the heat versus hot embers, but they'll work just fine. Then you need a clear , fireproof area like a fire ring if your campsite has one. |
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PREP THE FIRE- If using charcoal, light 50 regular briquets in a chimney starter and burn until spotted grey...about 15 minutes.If using a campfire, mount hot embers
( 2-3 quarts worth) to the side in the fire ring, clearing a level space for the dutch oven. |
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| ARRANGE THE COALS- Bottom Heat Cooking (2A)- For recipes in which you want concentrated heat from underneath, to saute meat or vegetables, simmer a quick soup, just use the tongs to spread the charcoals into an even layer the size of the dutch oven and set the pot on top. |
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| TOP AND BOTTOM HEAT COOKING (2B)- For recipes like long-cooking stews, you need heat comming from the top and bottom. Use tongs to arrange some coals in a circle a little smaller than the circumference of the dutch oven. Set the oven on top, then arrange the coals evenly across the lid. |
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| BAKING (2C)- Here you need heat coming from both the top and bottom and arranged carefully fro even browning. Use tongs to arrange some of the coalsin a circle a little smaller than the circumference of the dutch oven. Set the oven on top, then arrange a single ring of coals on top of the lid around the lip. Space a few more across the lid. |
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| CHECK THE FOOD- To check food and temperature, lift the lid occasionally by sliding tongs through the pot lid's center handle and bracing against the edge of the lid closest to you. |
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| TWEAK THE TEMPERATURE- To decrease heat, scrape away some of the charcoal.To increase the heat or to cook longer than 45-minutes, add 5-6 briquets to both top and bottom of the dutch oven (touching lit one so they'll ignite) about every thirthy minutes. If briquets don't light, be ready to ignite them in a chimney. |
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