The Dutch Oven Cookbook.pdf

The Dutch Oven

Version 2.3 -- July 1995

Original Compilation in 1990 © by Mike Audleman

With additional editing in 1994 and 1995 by

John W. Lyver, IV, ASM, Troop 1577, Herndon, VA

For FREE Duplication Within the World Brotherhood of Scouting

Scoutmaster Rule #47:

"No Boy Scout ever starved to death on

a weekend campout."

-- Roger Morris, Scouter

Cookbook

Table Of Contents

Paragraph

Title

Page

Introduction

What Your Dutch Oven Can Do

A Little About the Dutch Oven

3.A.

Other Things You Will Need

3.B.

Preparation of Your Oven

3.C.

Cleaning Your Oven

3.D.

A Few No-No's

Tips on Cooking

4.A

Techniques

4.B.

Measurements

Recipes

5.A.

Beef Roast Main Dishes

5.B.

Beef Stew Dishes

5.C.

Beef Main Dishes

5.D.

Ground Beef Main Dishes

5.E.

Chili Dishes

5.F.

Chicken Main Dishes

5.G.

Pork Main Dishes

5.H.

Seafood Main Dishes

5.I.

Pasta and Pizza

5.J.

Veggies and Soups

5.K.

Breads

5.L.

Cakes, Cookies and Desserts

5.M.

Breakfast Dishes

5.N.

Other Recipes

Food Reference Information

6.A.

Substitutions

6.B

Dried Beans and Peas Yield Values

6.C.

Can Sizes

6.D.

Storage Times

6.E.

Mixes and Packages Foods

6.F.

Canned and Dried Foods

6.G.

Storage Times of Spices, Herbs, Condiments and Extracts

Sample Meal Evaluation Sheet

Appendix 1

Some Additional Recipes

The Dutch Oven Cookbook

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Audleman & Lyver

Introduction

The reason for this book is to provide reference material for an individual who is planning or

cooking a meal for six to ten people. For larger groups, most of the recipes can be easily doubled or

tripled and two or more Dutch ovens may be needed. Most of the information has been targeted toward

the first time Dutch oven user, although, the more experienced cook may find a tidbit or two here and

there. I hope this book will entice all of you potential Dutch oven cooks to "give 'er a try" and you will see

why I call them "man's best friend".

This book is intended to be reproduced by and for members of the World Brotherhood of

Scouting. Any other use whether or not used for profit is a violation of international copyright laws. This

book is intended as a growing document containing Dutch Oven tips, techniques and recipes. Please let

me know which recipes are good, bad or need improvement. If you wish to contribute your favorite

recipes for the next issue, please send your inputs to me at the following address and I will give you and

your troop credit in the next issue:

John W. Lyver, IV

1382 Rock Chapel Road

Herndon, VA 22070-2059

Internet: [Unknown as of 1996]

What Your Dutch Oven Can Do

Cooking techniques such as roasting, baking simmering, stewing, frying, boiling, steaming, and

many others are easily done on the campfire with only a single utensil, the Dutch oven. Think of the

possibilities, delicious fresh baked bread that will rise up and lift the lid, cobblers made from berries picked

fresh at the campsite, incredible deep-dish pizzas, stews, quiches that melt in your mouth, Cornish game

hens roasted to perfection, and imagine a chocolate cake a foot in diameter. These and many, many

more are very possible and sometimes easier than they are at home. With very few exceptions, I have

been able to duplicate my home recipes on the campfire using the Dutch oven.

All recipes use one of two Dutch oven techniques, cooking with your Dutch oven or cooking in it.

The first is when the food is placed directly in the bottom of the Dutch oven. In the second method, food is

placed in a second dish and this dish is then placed onto a trivet in the bottom of the Dutch oven. The

reason for the trivet is to elevate the dish above the bottom of the oven to prevent burning.

A Little About the Dutch Oven

Before we get started, we should review some of the things you will need to know before

purchasing your first Dutch oven. There are literally hundreds of option and size combinations available,

so it would be impractical for me to tell you which oven is the one for you. Because each type of oven is

designed for a different type of cooking situation. I will go over the various options and you will have to

decide which ones you will look for. In shopping for an oven, you should look for one that is obviously

well made. Look at the bail handle, it should be of heavy gauge wire and securely attached to molded

tangs on the side of the oven. Ovens that have riveted tabs should be avoided. Most oven handles will lay

down against the side of the oven in both directions, but if you look hard enough, you will find some that

allow the handle to stand up at a 45 degree angle on one side. This allows you easier access to it when

positioning or removing the oven from the fire.

Another area that bears close examination is the handle on the lid. It should be a loop attached to

the lid on both ends and hollow in the center allowing it to be easily hooked. Stay away from the ones that

have a molded solid tab on the lid for a handle. These are very difficult to grasp and manage with a load

of coals. The loop style offers much better control. While examining the lid, check that it has a lip or ridge

around the outer edge. The lip keeps the coals from sliding off of the lid. Don't get me wrong, the

ridgeless ones can be used but it is difficult to keep coals on the lid and if you are not meticulous in

cleaning the ash from the lid each and every time you open the oven, you will end up with ash and/or

sand in your food. The lip virtually illuminates the problem and the lid can be lifted even fully loaded with

ash and coals with little difficulty.

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Audleman & Lyver

Another feature to look at is the legs. The most common variety is one with three legs, although

flat-bottomed ones and four legged ones can also be had. For outdoor cooking, legs are a necessity, they

maintain the height of the oven above ground allowing air for the coals underneath. The flat bottomed

ones can be set up on rocks(which are scarce as hen's teeth here in Florida) or up on steel tent pegs. If

you figure in Murphy's Law here, the flat bottom ovens are best left in the store or on the kitchen stove

where they were intended. I highly recommend three legs over four simply for the stability factor. It is

much more stable with three legs sitting on rough ground than with four.

The last option to look at is a second handle attached to the lid or upper rim on the oven base.

Some ovens are offered with a skillet type handle attached to the lid. This, in theory, is a good idea, but in

reality they seem to be more in the way than of assistance. The handle does assist in using the lid upside

down as a skillet or griddle but when using it as a lid, they get in the way of the bail handle and also

misbalance the lid when lifting by the center hoop. They also tend to be in the way during storage and

packing situations. Fixed handles on the oven base, with one exception, should be absolutely avoided. I

believe the theory behind these handles was to make the oven easier to position in a deep fire pit. If you

insist on considering the handle, take a couple of red bricks with you to the store and place them in the

oven. Then give her a lift by the handle and you will see the uselessness in the handle. A loaded 12" oven

can weigh 20 to 25 pounds, a real wrist breaker. The one exception is a small tab sometimes offered

which is about 1 to 1-1/2" deep and 2-3" wide on the upper lip of the oven. This tab makes pouring liquids

from the oven very easy and its small size has never caused storage or packing problems for me.

When someone mentions "Dutch Oven" most people immediately think "Cast Iron", but Dutch

ovens are supplied in aluminum also. An aluminum oven weighs only 6-1/2 to 7 pounds opposed to

around 18 pounds for the cast iron oven. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.

The most obvious aluminum advantage is weight, 11 pounds lighter. Additionally, because

aluminum doesn't rust, care is restricted to simple washing with soap and water. Aluminum tends to heat

faster requiring less preheating time but they don't retain the heat very long after the coals are removed.

Also because aluminum reflects more heat than cast iron, more coals will be required to reach and

maintain a set temperature. Also on windy days, you will see a greater variation in temperature than one

of cast iron. Where weight is very critical, most of the disadvantages can be overcome. For canoeing,

backpacking or trips where weight is a problem, aluminum ovens are the answer.

Be careful with aluminum, it will melt! The melting point of aluminum is (cast alloy 43 is 1065 to

1170 degrees F Ref Perry's Handbook of Chemical Engineering 6th edition p 23-40 Table 23-6). Other

alloys are higher melting point up to 1200 degrees F. The melting point of cast iron is 2100 degrees F to

2200 degrees F (same reference). It is possible to generate that kind of temperature if the oven is in

direct contact with the coals below it or if there are too many coals below the oven.

Personal Note on Aluminum:

With charcoal on and under when a strong wind came up a blast furnace effect caused the

bottom to sag and the lid was dripping molten aluminum into the cake! The top held its shape, but there

are little metal balls stuck all over the inside of the lid. I always thought they were indestructible until then.

Milt Forsberg, SM, Troop 7, Champaign, IL

Aluminum is OK if properly used. Keep coals from contact with the bottom of the Dutch oven.

Only use the number of coals needed to prepare the meal. Spread the coals below the oven out to evenly

distribute the heat. Train the boys in the proper method of using an aluminum Dutch oven. Spread the

coals below the oven out to evenly distribute the heat. Train the boys in the proper method of using an

aluminum Dutch oven. --Ralph Romig, Scouter

When weight is not a problem, the cast iron oven has the upper hand. Cast iron reacts more

slowly to temperature changes so don't burn food as easily if the fire flares up and they retain heat for

quite a while after the coals have been removed, keeping food warmer longer. Also, because they retain

heat well, they fair better on windy days with smaller variations in temperature. Cast iron absorbs a great

deal of heat, consequently, they require fewer coals to reach and maintain a set temperature. Weight is its

obvious disadvantage, but there are others. Clean up is not as simple, but done regularly and correctly, it

is not much of a chore. Rust is the other, bare cast iron will literally rust overnight if not protected. This

protection naturally must be done each time it is used but is part of the cleanup procedure and fairly

simple. After all, I 've got Tenderfoot Scouts that are 11 years old that do it like clockwork.

The last thing you must consider is the size of the oven. They range from the tiny 4" to the giant

24" monsters. Personally, I have ovens ranging in size from 6" to 18". For small group or patrol situations,

10"-12" will serve rather adequately for almost all circumstances.

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As a review, you should look for a 10"-12" oven that is obviously well made and of good design. It

should have three legs, loop type handle and a lip on the lid and a strong bail type handle for the bottom.

You can choose other options but those are personal preferences and totally up the user. Weather to

choose cast iron or aluminum should be based on the service conditions the oven is going to be MOST

used in.

Now that you have decided the type, style and options, where do you find one? Check your Boy

Scout Troop Equipment Catalog or your local Boy Scout Equipment Center. Many good sporting goods or

camping supply stores also will carry them. Also, restaurant supply houses may stock them or will have a

catalog they can order them from. From my experiences, the restaurant houses typically cost a bit more

but the ovens are commercial quality and they usually have a better selection to choose from. Another

option is mail order. Companies such as REI, Campmor, etc may carry them but look out for the shipping

charges on the cast iron ones. In your shopping around by mail, it is best to request their shipping

charges and add that in when comparing to local prices.

If you go into the store armed with information, you should have little problem in selecting an

oven for your needs and it will be the start of some long lived happy memories. One word of fair warning,

SHOP AROUND! I have seen the same 10" oven by the same manufacturer range in price from $25 up to

their mighty proud $60, so be careful. Demand quality, a poorly made oven with lots of options is not

worth the time to carry it to the car.

3.A. Other Things You Will Need

A good pair of leather gloves can save time and prove invaluable around a hot fire. A pair of Work

Style gloves will do, but I recommend you look at a Fire and Safety Supply house or a store that supplies

fireplace accessories and locate a pair of fire handling gloves. Although these typically cost more, they

offer thicker leather and an inner insulating lining. They allow you to literally place your hand into hot

coals, though I don't recommend doing so. Because of my experience on the Fire Department, the extra

protection and quality far outweigh the few extra dollars they cost. You will have to weigh the quality

against the higher price for yourself.

Something else you will need is a shovel. The standard garden type will be sufficient. It will be

used for stirring the coals and lifting them out of the fire pit to the oven. The style and length of the handle

is up to you, the user. The longer ones are great but not practical on hikes and canoe trips. While the

short "ARMY" folders are great for hiking and canoes, they suffer from short handles, getting you and your

hands closer to the fire.

Another item which will prove to be worth their weight in gold is a pair of hot pot pliers. The pair

listed in the Boy Scout Troop/Patrol Equipment catalog are probably the best designed for the job. They

are inexpensive, well built, and light weight. The pliers have a specially designed jaw that grips the oven

lid very securely. The handle has a hook that is used to grab the bail handle when it is too hot to hold by

hand or when it is hanging down in the coals.

3.B. Preparation of Your Oven

For aluminum, your pre-treatment is simply washing well with soap and water. Some aluminum

ovens are shipped with a protective coating and a simple washing will remove it. Since aluminum doesn't

rust, no further protection is required, however, I have found that if you treat the aluminum like the cast

iron oven, food will not stick near as often as the untreated oven. This pre-treatment is at the user's

option, so if you just want to wash it and be done with it, you can.

Cast iron ovens, if properly cared for, will last many a generation. I know several individuals that

have Dutch ovens belonging to great-great-grandmothers, dating back well into the 1800s. Personally, I

have an oven that belonged to my grandmother and dates back before the turn of the century.

Although this book is oriented toward Dutch ovens, the treatment and care instructions are

applicable to any cast iron skillet, griddle etc.. The secret of cast iron's long life is really no secret at all.

Constant and proper care beginning with the day it is purchased will keep the oven in service for many

years. All quality ovens are shipped with a protective coating that must be removed. This will require a

good scrubbing with steel wool and some elbow grease. Once removed, the oven needs to be rinsed well,

towel dried and let air dry. While it is drying, this would be a good time to pre-heat your kitchen oven to

350. After it appears dry, place the Dutch oven on the center rack with

The Dutch Oven Cookbook

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Audleman & Lyver

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