Software Vault: The Gold Collection/Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO/cdr13/dutchovn.zip/DUTCHO1.TXT

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  Dutch Oven Cooking (c)1990 by Mike Audleman -:For FREE Duplication:- Page 1.






Contents:


                    2               Introduction
                    3               What Your Oven Can Do
                    3               A Little About the Dutch Oven
                    5               Other Things You Will Need
                    6               Prepairation of Your Oven
                    7               Cleaning Your Oven
                    8               A Few NO-NOs
                    9               Tips on Cooking Techniques
                    10              Measurements
                    10              Substitutions
                    12              Recipies
                    12                Beef Main Dishes
                    19                Chicken Main Dishes
                    23                Pork Main Dishes
                    25                Seafood Main Dishes
                    27                Veggies & Soups
                    29                Breads
                    30                Cakes, Cookies & Desserts
                    33                Breakfast Dishes
                    34                Miscelanious Dishes
                    35                Other Dishes
                    36              Index


































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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 recipies can be easily doubled or tripled and two  or  more
dutch ovens may be needed.  Most of the information has  been  targeted  toword
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 intice all of you potential dutch oven  cooks  to
"giv '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 Boy Scout Troops, any
other use wheather or not used for profit is a violation of copyright laws  and
is punishable by fines or imprisionment or both.

        If you wish to contribute to the growing of this book, please send your
favorite recipies to me at the following address and I will give you  and  your
troop credit in the next issue:
        Mike Audleman
        1209 Beachview Dr.
        Ft Walton Beach, Fl  32548































Ver 1, Rev 1.2 Aug 1989









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WHAT YOUR DUTCH OVEN CAN DO

        Cooking techniques such as roasting, baking simmering, stewing, frying,
boiling, steaming, and many others are easly 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, incredable deep-dish pizzas, stews, quishes  that
melt in your mouth, cornish game hens roasted to  perfection,  and  immagine  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 trivit in  the  bottom  of  the  dutch
oven.  The reason for the trivit 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 frist  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 guage wire  and  securely
attached to molded tangs on the side of the  oven.   Ovens  that  have  rivited
tabbs 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  arround  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 meticulious 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 illiminates the problem and the lid can be lifted even
fully loaded with ash and coals with little difficulty.
        Another feature to look at is the leggs.  The most common  varieity  is
one with three leggs, although flatbottomed ones and four legged ones can  also
be had.  For outdoor cooking, leggs 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 peggs.  If you figure in Murphy's  Law  here,  the









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flatbottom ovens are best left in the store or on the kitchen stove where  they
were intended.  I  highly  recomend  three  leggs  over  four  simply  for  the
stability factor.  It is much more stable with three  leggs  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 upsidedown 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 belive 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 immediatly  think  "Cast
Iron", but dutch ovens are supplied in aluminum also.  An aluminum oven  weighs
only 6-1/2 to 7 pounds opposed to arround 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 temprature.  Also on  windy  days,
you will see a greater variation in temprature 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.
        When weight is not a problem, the cast iron oven has  the  upper  hand.
Cast iron reacts more slowly to temprature 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  temprature.
Cast iron absorbs a great deal of heat, consequently, they require fewer  coals
to reach and maintain a set temprature.  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  proceedure  and  fairly
simple.  After all, I 've got Tenterfoot 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
fron 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 leggs, 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  the  user.
Wheather 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 arround by  mail,  it
is best to request their shipping charges and add that in  when  compairing  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  ARROUND!   I  have
seen the same 10" oven by the same manufacturer range in price from $25  up  to
their mighty proud $60, so be carefull.  Demand quality,  a  poorly  made  oven
with lots of options is not worth the time to carry it to the car.

OTHER THINGS YOU WILL NEED

        A good pair of leather  gloves  can  save  time  and  prove  invaluable
arround a hot fire.  A pair of Work Style gloves will do, but  I  recomend  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
reccomend 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 firepit 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.














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PREPAIRATION OF YOUR OVEN

        For aluminum, your pretreatment 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
pretreatment 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 toword 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 it's lid ajar.  Allow the dutch oven to warm slowly  so
it is just bairly too hot to handle with bare hands.  This pre-heating does two
things, it drives any remaining moisture out of the metal and opens  the  pores
of the metal.
        Now, using a clean rag or preferably a paper towel, apply a thin  layer
of saltfree cooking oil.  Oils such as peanut, olive  or  plain  vegatible  oil
will be fine.  Tallow or lard will do also but these animal fats tend to  break
down during the storage periods that typical Boy Scout dutch  ovens  experience
between campouts and are not recomended.  Make sure the oil covers  every  inch
of the oven, inside and out and replace the oven onto the center  shelf,  again
with the lid ajar.  Bake it  for about an hour  or  so  at  350.   This  baking
hardens the oil into a protective coating over the metal
        After baking, allow the oven to cool slowly.  When it is cool enough to
be handled, apply another thin coating of oil.  Repeat the baking  and  cooling
process.  Again reapply a thin coating of oil when it  can  be  handled  again.
Allow the oven to cool completely now.  It should have three layers of oil, two
baked on and one applied when it was warm.  The oven is now  ready  to  use  or
store.
        This pre-treatment proceedure only needs to be done once,  unless  rust
forms or the coating is dammaged in storage or use.  This baked on coating will
darken and eventually turn black with age.  This darkening is a sign of a  well
kept oven and of it's use.  The pre-treatment coating's purpose  is  two  fold,
first and most important, it forms a barrier between moisture in  the  air  and
the surface of the metal.  This effectivly prevents  the  metal  from  rusting.
The second purpose is to provide a non-stick coating on the inside of the oven.
When properly  maintained,  this  coating  is  as  non-stick  as  most  of  the
commercially applied coatings.












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CLEANING YOUR OVEN

        For aluminum ovens, the cleaning is the same as for ordinary  pots  and
pans.  Use soap, water and scrub as usual for your other pans.  More often than
not, cleaning cast iron ovens is much easier than scrubbing pots and pans.  For
cast iron ovens, the clean process is in two stepps.  First,  food  is  removed
and second, maintenance of the coating.  To remove stuck on  food,  place  some
warm clean water into the oven and heat until almost boiling.  Using a  plastic
mesh scrubber or coarse sponge and NO SOAP, gently break  loose  the  food  and
wipe away.  After all traces have been removed, rinse with  clean  warm  water.
Soap is not recomended because its flavor will get into the pores of the  metal
and will taint the flavor of your next meal.
        After cleaning and rinsing, allow it to air dry.  Heat  over  the  fire
just until it it hot to the touch.  Apply a thin coating of oil to  the  inside
of the oven and the underside of the lid.  Allow the oven  to  cool  completly.
The outside will need little attention other than a good wipe down  unless  you
see signs of rust forming.  As a suggestion, it  is  a  good  idea  to  keep  a
scrubber for cast iron and never use it with soap.











































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A FEW NO NOs

        Never, and I repeat, NEVER allow cast iron to sit  in  water  or  allow
water to stand in or on it.  It will rust despite a good coating.
        Never use soap on cast iron.  The soap will get into the pores  of  the
metal and won't come out very easy, but will return to taint  your  next  meal,
though.  If soap is used accidentally, the oven should be put through the  pre-
treatment proceedure, including removal of the present coating.
        Do not place an empty cast iron pan or oven over a hot fire.   Aluminum
and many other metals can tolerate it better but cast iron will crack or  warp,
ruining it.
        Do not get in a hurry to heat cast iron, you will end  up  with  burn't
food or a dammaged oven or pan.
        Never put cold liquid into a very hot cast iron pan or oven.  They will
crack on the spot!














































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TIPS ON COOKING TECHNIQUES

        Enough about the oven and on to what you can do with it!

ROASTING: The heat source should come from the top and bottom  equally.   Coals
should be placed under the oven and on the lid at a 1 to 1 ratio.

BAKING:  Usually done with more heat from the top than from the bottom.   Coals
should be placed under the oven and on the lid at a 1 to 3 ratio,  having  more
on the lid.

FRYING, BOILING ETC: All of the heat should come from the bottom.   Coals  will
be placed under the oven only.

STEWING, SIMMERING: Almost all heat will be from the bottom.  Place  the  coals
under and on the oven at a 4 to 1 ratio with more underneath than on the lid.

THE LID!: The lid can be placed on the fire or stove upside down and used as  a
skillet or griddle.  Using the lid in this fasion, you can make virtually error
free pancakes and eggs that don't run all over.  This is because most lids  are
shaped like a very shallow bowl so things naturally stay in the center, even if
the lid is not level!







































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MEASURMENTS

Here are the abbreviations that will be used here:
oz - Ounce              tsp - Tea Spoon
lb - Pound              Tbs - Table Spoon
pt - Pint               c   - Cup (8 oz)
qt - Quart              pkg - Package
gl - Gallon


Here are a few measurment conversions you may need:
1 Tbs  =  3 tsp         1 Stick Butter = 1/4 lb or 1/2 c or 8 Tbs
2 Tbs  =  1 oz
1/4c   =  4 Tbs         1 lb bread loaf = About 17 slices
1/3c   =  5 1/3 Tbs     1 1/4 lb loaf = About 20
1/2c   =  8 Tbs         1 1/2 lb loaf = About 23
1 c    =  8 oz
1 qt   =  4 c
1 gl   =  4 qt
2 c    =  1 pt


SUBSTITUTIONS

1 c Milk = 1/2 c evaporated milk + 1/2 c water
         = 1 c reconstituted dry milk + 2 tsp margarine or butter
1 c Buttermilk = 1 tbs vinegar + 1 c sweet milk
               = 1/4c butter + 3/4c milk
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch = 1 tbs all purpose flour
1 c Honey = 1 1/4c sugar + 1/4c water or other liquid

Emergency should be the only excuse for substituting ingredients in a recipe.






























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