Learning Dutch Oven Cooking

Howdy All,

I have taken interest in learning how to use a cast iron dutch oven. Here is my question, can I use a dutch oven inside of something like a Weber Smokey Joe grill? I know that may sound a bit weird, but what I'm running into is that I live in a condo and the laws of my state prohibit me from having an open fire less than 10 feet from the building. I also would expect the association to frown on me digging a firepit anywhere since it is all common area. With me trying to learn, it seems to me that being able to try cooking a few feet from the house makes more sense than trying while I'm out camping and going hungry because I burned dinner to a cinder.

Or, is it possible to learn inside in some way using the stove?

Thanks,
LW

You can use one on the stove, no problem. But that doesn't get you used to using one on an open fire, where you will learn how far from the coals to cook in a certain way, how long to leave it, and how many coats to put on the top for baking.

Maybe you could find a park not too far away that allows an open fire? Or a friend with his own home?

Sue

You'd use briquettes with the Dutch Oven just as you would the Weber. Highly recommend a chimney starter to get the briquettes going. Most DO devotees get or make Dutch Oven tables or some other construct. Check out this website which is devoted to camp cooking, is run by a DO expert (who welded her own DO table) and includes a section exclusively for DO cooking.

http://camp-cook.com/forum/index.php

The Dutch Oven section:

http://camp-cook.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=9&sid=7ce4e8b1607d3f299274c83c4fed0998

I'm fond of Lodge Dutch Ovens and other cast iron and have too many to count off the top of my head. Made in Tennessee by a 100-year old American company.

I have Lodge's DO table, it is excellent and though heavy folds up nicely and is easy to carry. You don't need to dig a firepit.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_55413?cm_mmc=froogle-_-350-4-2-_--1-_-38-633-587-22&hvarAID=46KY&mr:trackingCode=5DA294A9-E881-DE11-B712-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA

Once the aroma of your DO dishes begin to waft through the air, you might find a lot of appreciation for and curiosity about your new hobby.


Enjoy!

Ditto what Susan said: I've enjoyed using smaller camp dutch ovens in my kitchen oven. The legs fit in the wire racks just fine.

But it certainly is not approximating an outdoor experience.

Still, a good way to try out recipes and see what size DO's are optimal and you would be giving them a workout.

Yes, you could do it using briquets or embers. You may want a second bbq to keep the extra briquets or embers in, away from the DO, and you will probably want a heavy metal or brick base to put your heat source on.

Edit: the indoor stove will help somewhat with developing recipes, but not with the experience of cooking with actual placement of DO and embers.

They do make dutch ovens without legs.

If you want to use them over a fire or over coals you just use a trivet under them or hang them from a tripod by the bail.
If you want to stack a few of them and use coals between them you can set them up on steel trivets there too.

Because they are flat bottomed they will work on a stove or in an oven. They work off the fire just like a big heavy cast iron pot, which is all a dutch oven really is if you think about it.

More important to have than the legs is the rimmed lid so you can pile coals on top of the dutch oven, but I have seen them with lids that were not rimmed and they still were workable.
Not as nice to use, but workable.

You should make sure you have something you gan handle the lid with. A large pair of water pump pliers or a specially bent rod. The rod doubles as a poker for the fire.
You don't want to be burning yourself handling the lids with coals on them..

I recently purchased a large used Lodge Dutch Oven with legs and a concave lid but have not had a chance to use it yet.

I inherited my Grandmother's flat-bottomed Dutch Oven many years ago and it works terrific on top of the electric stove, in my electric oven, on the camp stove, on the wood stove or over the camp fire. It has a flat botton and rounded top which is marked "Drip-top". I think steam forms on the ridges under the lid and drips back onto the food, kind of like self- basting? I often cheat when using this Dutch-oven in the campfire, I partially cook the food at home and then just finish it in the fire. In a teepee fire about 20 years ago I cooked a large bear roast with vegetables with my old Scout Troop during a winter storm using this method; they chanted my name when it was served!

Dutch Ovens are a lot of fun to cook with and when used correctly definately have a "Wow" factor.

Mike

You may want to find a simple dutch oven table, which is basically a table with a sturdy metal surface - sturdy enough that you can pile the coals on the surface and cook right there on the table.

Not that they are the only maker, but Chuckwagon Supply has a 36" table - and I've bought stuff from them in the past with great results. Look elsewhere too for a good price. Lodge makes a 26" table too. Cabelas sells a 32" table for only $99.

They're not cheap, but they'll work great on a deck.

Ken

LoneWolf,

Basecamp hit the proverbial nail on the head with is reply. Yes you can use a Weber grill.

You may actually be able to use one of these DO Volcano

I have actually seen these items used and they work really well. I have even seen them used indoors (ventilated, of course).

There are also some good recipe links here

DISCLAIMER: I do not work for the company in the links, but I do know the owner. Have attended a couple of cooking classes (for fun) and I am also a "happy camper-Customer."

Stargazer

You can also try IDOS .

Lee

One thing I haven't seen mentioned (I too forgot) is the need to use heavy duty gloves and yes; you need the lid lifter or at least the pump pliers. Cast Iron gets very HOT! Trust me on this one.

You can get welding gloves instead of the overpriced Lodge brand ones and they do the same thing.

Stargazer

Thanks everyone for all of the input. I have a sneaking suspicion that a dutch oven is most definitely in my near future.

Dagny, the web site that you linked is going to get me into all kinds of trouble. I started to take a quick peek while at my desk at work and suffice to say "quick" is now a relative term.

I did some google searching and found another good site if anyone might be interested :

http://papadutch.home.comcast.net/~papadutch/

Thanks again everyone.

LW