Dutch ovens create a new cooking experience

The hardest part about cooking with a Dutch oven? Boiling water.

“You can cook anything in a Dutch oven you can cook in your oven at home,” said Laura Batchelor.

She should know. A Dutch oven enthusiast, Batchelor teaches Boy Scout leaders how to cook with a Dutch oven so they can then teach the Boy Scouts in their troops. Batchelor has always enjoyed cooking, and using Dutch ovens became a hobby years ago.

Dutch ovens are typically made of cast iron and are associated with campfire cooking. Dutch ovens were used when Americans moved west. They were a common cooking pot for cowboys and in kitchens of grandmothers all over.

On a recent weekend, Batchelor gathered on a farm near Ashford with troop leaders and Boy Scouts to practice a little Dutch oven cooking. The menu for the day included an Italian casserole, a Native American casserole and a Black Forest dump cake for dessert. Batchelor’s 17-year-old son, Matt, even cooked a pizza on a Dutch oven lid. Later in the day, Laura Batchelor planned a roast with potatoes and carrots.

“It’s like an old-fashioned crock pot,” she said.

Dutch ovens range in size — 5 inches in diameter up to 22 inches. There are deep Dutch ovens and more shallow ovens. There are Dutch ovens with legs recommended for outdoor cooking and ones without legs that can used in your oven at home. The flat-bottomed Dutch ovens are also used to hang over a camp fire, although charcoal briquettes cook more evenly than an open flame. Flat lids with a lip hold charcoal briquettes or wood coals in place. You can even stack Dutch ovens to cook multiple dishes. Some Dutch ovens are even made of aluminum.

It’s not lightweight cooking. The larger Dutch ovens can weigh more than 45 pounds.

“We like to say we’re pumping iron,” Batchelor said.

Batchelor recommends beginners buy a pre-seasoned Dutch oven. If not, then season the Dutch oven like you would any cast iron pot or skillet — coat it with oil or solid Crisco and heat it in the oven.

Some other tips?

Don’t use soap to clean a Dutch oven made of cast iron. Use water and then heat to loosen any stuck-on foods. If something is really baked on, scrub with a ball of aluminum foil to loosen, Batchelor said. If your cast iron becomes rusty, pour a Coke over it to remove the rust.

Batchelor’s pupils in Dutch oven cooking have dishes they like to eat and cook.

Taco pie is a favorite to eat, but 15-year-old Boy Scout Dalton Stacks has mastered making biscuits.

“You make different variations of what you like,” Stacks said. “You get so many ideas of what you like.”

A typical meal could take 45 minutes to one hour to cook. You may need to refresh your briquettes during cooking. Wood coals are not as exact as charcoal since wood types burn differently. Oak is best. To time your cooking put a briquette on for every 25 degrees of heat needed. One-third of your coals should be placed underneath the Dutch oven. The rest should be placed on the lid so heat will radiate through the entire oven.

“You want more of your heat on top,” Batchelor said.

————————————————
On the Web ...

There are several Web sites that provide information about Dutch oven cooking:

http://papadutch.home.comcast.net — This site by Dutch oven enthusiast Byron Bills takes you through how to choose a Dutch oven to how to care for them. He even has some recipes on the site.

http://www.dutchovencookware.com — The Web site for Lodge Cast Iron Cookware is a source for purchasing cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens. The site also provides recipes.

http://www.idos.com — The International Dutch Oven Society is a non-profit group that promotes Dutch oven cooking.

http://www.scoutorama.com/recipe/index.cfm — This is a listing of Dutch oven recipes from Boy Scouts all over the world.

http://www.dutchovendude.com — Another enthusiast Web site full of tips and recipes to try.