[Cruiserdrew]

Originally Posted by surfpig

Hey, dutch oven experts:

What do you think are some must-have accessories with your Dutch Oven setup? Lid lifter, tongs maybe, gloves... What else? I bought one recently and have been fooling around with it... getting my trial-and-errors out of the way before camping season...

Thanks.

You've mentioned the essentials. Welding gloves are the best-I keep a set with my DO. You need tongs to position coals on the lid and the hooked lid lifter is indispensible. The lid rest that Lodge makes is handy so you don't have to set the lid in the dirt.

[rusty_tlc]

Two coffee cans, a church key and a few inches of bailing wire. Works just like the store bought ones.

[rusty_tlc]

This is what I found when I unloaded my TT after I sold it


Not so bad inside


We can save this Dutch Oven. All I have to do is wire brush the outside, then re-season as you would a new oven. If time allows I'll take care of it tommorow and post some pictures.

I have bought a lot of cast iron cookware at garage sales for almost nothing. Short of breaking it there is almost nothing that ruins a piece of cast iron cookware.

[Cruiserdrew]

Nice-Fortunately the inside looks OK. I agree to just scrub/wire brush the outside, scour the inside and reseason. It will be good as new and last the rest of your life. Good find.

[Brentbba]

What Andy said. Wire brush and some good steel wool and alot of elbow grease before you reseason.

Nice find!

Andy, will bring a dutch oven and mixings per your recipe so we can double up on cobbler the last night.

You have a choice of fruit so we can have different fillings?

[surfpig]

I still have my dad's cast iron grill and skillet (he used to bring 'em on backpacking trips... ) so I know a bit about seasoning. But I still got a lot to learn.

n

[rusty_tlc]

This sounds like a great recipe for the DO

Originally Posted by Noodle Kugel

1 container (16 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Low Fat Cottage Cheese

1 container (16 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S Sour Cream

1 cup sugar

5 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, melted

1 Tbsp. imitation vanilla

1 pkg. (12 oz.) broad egg noodles, cooked, rinsed and drained (Kosher for Passover)

1 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients except noodles and cinnamon sugar until well blended. Stir in noodles.

SPOON into 13x9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

BAKE 50 minutes to 1 hour or until center is set. Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

[alvarorb]

It's sad to see that even the manufacturer's recipe book calls for a lot of can and packaged foods to "warm up" in their ovens.
I mean, making a cake from a box is not baking. It's just like making Kool aid. There is nothing wrong with that, but it's not the same as if you really baked it.
Making a cake from a box is to the real thing, like comparing tang to freshly squeezed orange juice.

I say warm up, because it's definitely not cooking.

Alvaro

[brittan]

Originally Posted by alvarorb

It's sad to see that even the manufacturer's recipe book calls for a lot of can and packaged foods to "warm up" in their ovens.
I mean, making a cake from a box is not baking. It's just like making Kool aid. There is nothing wrong with that, but it's not the same as if you really baked it.
Making a cake from a box is to the real thing, like comparing tang to freshly squeezed orange juice.

I say warm up, because it's definitely not cooking.

Alvaro

I cooked for the CSC at the TTORA event this past weekend. I ended up not wheeling one of the afternoons because I was cooking. I opened a cake box for my cobbler, it went over well by the way, and had no problems doing it...I saved a lot of time in prep work and cooking. I wish I'd taken more time saving options. I would have had more time to wheel and enjoy the day. I aint Betty Crocker...

[rusty_tlc]

For me it depends on what kind of camping I'm doing. In a fixed camp I cook more from scratch, but even then I'll pre-measure and bag ingredients for baked goods. If you have a moving camp some things, like cooking beans for chili, are just not practical.

Some of it is also nostalgia, in my Scouting days we made everything from Bisquick®. I still make sure I have a box in the grub box.

[TUFFTORQ]

The opener is growing near, any receipes for trout by chance?

[rusty_tlc]

Originally Posted by TUFFTORQ

The opener is growing near, any receipes for trout by chance?

Try this.

[BOUNDER]

Originally Posted by Cruiserdrew

I really like dutch oven cooking, camping and at home. The Lodge Cast iron ones are cheap and work great. The only downside, and it's minor, is weight. The aluminum ones are nice, but a lot more $, and I'm not sure that they avoid hot spots as well as the iron. Since you can't season the pan, I'll bet the food sticks like mad. I've never cooked in an aluminum one though. If you want to see nice cast iron, with antique value, go on EBay and look at the Griswold brand. One day when I'm rich and famous, I'm going to get a Griswold Dutch Oven. My great grandmother probably had one.

For camping, you technically want a "Camp Oven" or "Cowboy Oven". They will have 3 small feet to keep it out of the direct coals, and a flanged lid to retain the coals on top. A standard Dutch Oven just looks like an iron pot with a bail handle. Lodge is the only US maker left. Support them and buy one of their excellent Dutch Ovens. The Chinese ones are junk, and covered from the factory with a preservative that is hard to clean off. I would not buy a pre-seasoned pan or DO, since the seasoning process is fun, and you need to know how to do it anywhay, since you will need to re-season from time to time.

If you are new to this: buy a 12 inch Lodge Camp Oven. It's the standard and under $40. If you feed a big group, get the 12 inch deep oven. To season-Scrub out the pot with hot water and soap if you must. This is the last time it will ever see soap in any form. Clean it super well, rinse it completely with hot or boiling water. Then warm the pan on the stove and coat it inside and out with Crisco (This, IMHO, is the only use for crisco in life so borrow some). Place the greasy pan in the oven upside down and bake at 375 for 1 hour. Do the same with the lid. Allow to cool. It is then ready to use. A well seasoned pan is suprisingly resistant to food sticking so do this initial seasoning well.

I personally do not like the majority of the Cast Iron Cooking websites out there as they want to do most of their cooking from mixes and cans. Concentrate on making things from scratch, and you will be very pleased with the results. Rule of thumb for baking is 1/3 coals on the bottom and 2/3 on the top. Turn the oven every 5 minutes while cooking to avoid hot spots and burns. You have to turn the lid as well and for the same reason.

I could go on and on but I won't. This is a very fun addition to your camp cooking skills.

But better than a Weber Smokey Joe????

[rusty_tlc]

Btt

[rusty_tlc]

Now that we are back in camping season I was hoping there would be a few new dishes posted. Less than 50 post and over 1000 views? We know you're out there.

[spressomon]

Originally Posted by rusty_tlc

Now that we are back in camping season I was hoping there would be a few new dishes posted. Less than 50 post and over 1000 views? We know you're out there.

Speaking of more posts...you wouldn't be upping your post quota because you recently got your 40 up and running now would ya?

[rusty_tlc]

Originally Posted by spressomon

Speaking of more posts...you wouldn't be upping your post quota because you recently got your 40 up and running now would ya?

Jonesing to go camping. Fordyce was canceled so I will have this weekend to finish things off and be ready. If the hot weather keeps up Deer Valley might be clear by the time I finish.

[spressomon]

Originally Posted by rusty_tlc

Jonesing to go camping. Fordyce was canceled so I will have this weekend to finish things off and be ready. If the hot weather keeps up Deer Valley might be clear by the time I finish.

Ok...I'll go ahead and apologize up front for this Thread Buster!!!

I finally got ahold of Sean yesterday...he was waiting for backordered shim spacers...which came to him on Monday. He said he should have the 3rd done for me by right now. So the plan is to go to Rancho Cordova to pickup this Friday afternoon...then spend the weekend in a broiling hot garage getting the rear end put back together. Timing is everything eh!

[surfpig]

Originally Posted by rusty_tlc

Now that we are back in camping season I was hoping there would be a few new dishes posted. Less than 50 post and over 1000 views? We know you're out there.

I made a pretty good seafood Jambalya as my inagural real-life DO meal a couple weeks ago at the coast...

Also my first batch of biscuits was OK, the second was killer!

I'll be doing more this weekend in the Sierra!



Haven't tried desserts yet...

[Mace]

I have only done desserts in the DO. But, I really want to try a pulled pork stew in one..

Hmmm....

Got all the stuff to do that right now..

gonna go search for a good recipie..

[Mace]

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/beattie47.html

BTW, I have one of the cheap chineese 12" ovens. And I almost can't tell the difference between it and the lodge..

http://www.gardnersbarbecue.com/Sout...wick_Stew.html
http://davesgarden.com/place/t/573235/
http://roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6304
Interesting... http://southernfood.about.com/od/por...r/bl30115l.htm
http://www.dutchovencookware.com/dut...n-recipes.html

[rusty_tlc]

Originally Posted by Mace

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/beattie47.html

BTW, I have one of the cheap chineese 12" ovens. And I almost can't tell the difference between it and the lodge..

http://www.gardnersbarbecue.com/Sout...wick_Stew.html
http://davesgarden.com/place/t/573235/
http://roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6304
Interesting... http://southernfood.about.com/od/por...r/bl30115l.htm
http://www.dutchovencookware.com/dut...n-recipes.html

So with the temps you have had lately you just load up the DO and put it out in the sun?

[Mace]

Nah, we use black rocks as charcoal.. They heat up nicely


109* yesterday...

[rusty_tlc]

Originally Posted by Mace

Nah, we use black rocks as charcoal.. They heat up nicely


109* yesterday...

I heard Death Valley hit 122° yesterday.

[Mace]

Originally Posted by rusty_tlc

I heard Death Valley hit 122° yesterday.

But it's a "dry" heat....

[Mace]

Mmmmmm,

Green chili, chilli with pulled pork..


Tastee!!!

[rusty_tlc]

That looks good Mace.
What's in it?

Or will I have to die if I know?

[Mace]

Pulled pork
Black beans, pinto beans
Tomato paste
Stewed tomatos
Beer
buncha spices (three types of cayenne, garlic, oregano, tyme etc)

Most of my chili is just a icebox cleanup thing. They never taste exactly the same but they are ALWAYS amazing..

[rusty_tlc]

Originally Posted by Mace

Pulled pork
Black beans, pinto beans
Tomato paste
Stewed tomatos
Beer
buncha spices (three types of cayenne, garlic, oregano, tyme etc)

Most of my chili is just a icebox cleanup thing. They never taste exactly the same but they are ALWAYS amazing..

Amazing can mean so many things.

JK, I'm sure the results are stellar.

[Mace]

Come on down to the Gambol this year, I'm gonna make a BIG ass pot of chili for dinenr fri..