Dutch oven delicacies
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
I got a nifty postcard in the mail from a reader who suggested looking into Dutch oven cooking. What a great idea!
I was amazed at the results of my research on this. My limited understanding of the Dutch oven included making goulash or using the oven to deep fry stuff. However, you can do almost anything, from soups to sides to dessert.
The history of this cook pot stretches back to the 7th century. A Dutch oven is a heavy-duty, lidded cast metal pot that can be placed in a bed of coals or suspended above a fire and used to cook almost anything. There are several theories about how it got it’s name, ranging from a Dutch casting process used in the 16th century, to the Dutch peddlers who sold this type of pot, to their use by Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania.
Today, according to chuckwagonsupply.com, Dutch ovens are usually cast iron or aluminum, and have a lid that is either flat or rounded, and a bottom that is flat or has three legs. The lid will have a rim around it so you can perch charcoals on top of it.
Your Dutch oven should come with a chart to help you figure out how many charcoal briquettes you need to achieve a desired temperature. There’s one at www.chuckwagonsupply.com/faqs. They say that to achieve 325 degrees you take the size of the oven and take that number of briquettes less three for the bottom and that number plus three for the top. For example, with a 12-inch oven you would place nine briquettes on the bottom and 15 briquettes on the top.
Ronda Barnow of Chanute sent me several pictures and recipes she’s collected over the years. She is a member of the Amber Waves chapter of the Lone Star Dutch Oven Society, which started in Texas in the early nineties. She says there are now 25 - 30 chapters in Texas, and approximately eight out-of-state chapters. The Amber Waves group gets together most often at Kansas state park campgrounds, and they welcome visitors who are interested in Dutch oven cooking. Ronda says you can e-mail her if you like at rlb_51@yahoo.com. The Lone Star Club has a Web site at www.lsdos.com.
Ronda’s been doing this for four or five years. I asked her what she liked about it: “We enjoy camping and being outdoors, and this is a great way to cook outside. We think the food tastes better and I know we eat healthier and cook from scratch a lot more than we used to. And it's a great way to meet people! We have met so many people and made so many friends through Dutch oven cooking.”
Ronda says the main thing is to buy a well-made Dutch oven. The oven wall and bottom should be the same thickness all over with no bumps or cracks. The lid should fit well and not wobble. For cooking outside it's best to have a camp-style oven — the kind with legs and a flat lid with the lip to hold the coals on top. The legs should be equal height and tall enough that you can get charcoal briquettes under the oven.
Ronda recommends the Lodge or Camp Chef brands. She says, “Then be sure you get a good seasoning on your oven so foods don't stick (some now come "pre-seasoned" but it's usually best to do another seasoning or two on it before using). And take good care of those ovens — cleaning and storing properly to maintain the seasoning.
Basically, anything you can make in or on the stove in the house, you can make in a Dutch oven. Choose a recipe you're comfortable with, get a temperature chart to show you how many coals on top and bottom to maintain the temperature you need, and start cooking! ”
RONDA'S CAJUN
GARLIC PORK ROAST
4 lb. boneless pork loin roast
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. chili powder (Ronda uses a heaping tsp.)
1 Tbsp. oregano leaves, crushed
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 heaping Tbsp. ground pepper (coarse grind is best)
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 cans chicken broth
Nonstick vegetable spray
Spray Dutch oven with non stick spray. Blend seasoned salt, oregano, black pepper, garlic, red pepper, chili powder and cumin together well and rub the mixture over all surfaces of the pork loin. Ronda usually makes a cut under the fat on top of the loin, puts the rub under that, then puts more on top.
Place a trivet in bottom of Dutch oven and put roast on trivet. Pour chicken broth in the oven. Cook at about 325 degrees until meat thermometer registers 160 degrees, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Ronda sometimes adds an extra can of chicken broth after about an hour of cooking, then adds small red potatoes, cubed potatoes, baby carrots, and corn cobs in the broth. She cuts the cobs into thirds, places them on end around the edge of the oven, then fills the middle with potatoes and carrots. Remove the pork loin from the oven a little while before serving and let sit a minute or two before slicing.
Ronda also does a nice brisket with a recipe from her mother. She says, “I did this in a 12-inch Dutch oven, baked real slow for about six to seven hours. I put a trivet in the bottom of the oven and placed the wrapped brisket on that. We hardly ever bother with barbecue sauce — we love the brisket just plain!”
Lay a brisket on enough heavy duty aluminum foil to cover and wrap tightly. Top with sliced or diced onion, salt, pepper, lots of garlic (minced, powder, whatever) and about 1/3 bottle liquid smoke (all to taste).
Wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate overnight. Before baking, sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce. Bake in Dutch oven at 250 to 275 degrees for five hours. Mmm-Mmm!
I also have a bunch of recipes from other Dutch oven aficionados that were sent anonymously. They all look delicious.
GEORGIA’S DUTCH OVEN POTATOES AND ONIONS
(Springville, Iowa)
1 lb. bacon
Baking potatoes
Onions
Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
Fry bacon in Dutch oven until crisp. Alternate layers of sliced potatoes and sliced onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 45 minutes until tender. Top with cheese and serve.
BOY SCOUT TROOP 116’S MEXICAN LASAGNA
(Waterloo, Iowa)
1 1/4 lbs. hamburger
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. to 3 tsp. chili powder (to taste)
1 16 oz. can black beans
1 c. cold water
8 10-inch corn tortillas
2 c. salsa
1 can green chilies
1 c. diced tomatoes
1 small can black olives, halved
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded hot pepper cheese or Monterey Jack
In an iron skillet or spare Dutch oven, brown hamburger and onions. Drain off excess grease. Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and chili powder. Add the black beans along with the juice. Add 1 cup of cold water and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes, stirring often. The mixture should be slushy, not soupy. Set aside.
In a lightly greased 12-inch Dutch oven place half of the meat and bean mixture. Place a corn tortilla on top and press down firmly. Cover the tortilla with 1 cup of salsa. Place another tortilla on top pressing down again. Continue building layers, using the diced green chilies, tomatoes, olives, remaining salsa, cheese, and the sour cream, either singly or in combinations as it suits you.
When you have added the last tortilla, cover the top with the remaining meat and bean mixture. Add a few dots of sour cream and sprinkle on any remaining cheese. Decorate with a few olive halves.
Put lid on oven and bake with 12 to 14 coals on both the top and bottom for about 40 to 45 minutes until hot through the middle. Don’t forget the tortilla chips!
CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
(from Gene, Independence, Iowa)
3 or 4 cups cooked chicken
2 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 cups sour cream
4 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup milk
2 cans diced green chili peppers drained
12 7-inch flour tortillas
1 cup grated cheese
Salsa and chopped onions for garnish
Shred chicken into bite size pieces. Combine chicken, spinach, and onions and set aside. In a small bowl combine sour cream, flour, cumin, and salt. Stir in milk and chili peppers. Divide sauce in half.
Combine chicken mixture and half the sauce. Divide this filling among tortillas and roll them up. Place rolled tortillas in bottom of a Dutch oven. Spoon the remaining sauce over the enchiladas.
Bake in Dutch oven for 25 to 30 minutes or at 350 degrees in a conventional oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and let stand 5 minutes. To serve, garnish with salsa and additional chopped onions. Tasty!
There are a ton of Dutch oven desserts out there. I thought these two cakes looked like an adventure worth trying.
PINA COLADA CAKE DESSERT
(from Mary Jane, Ron, and Alex of Decorah, Iowa)
1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple with juice
1 white cake mix
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup shredded coconut
Pour the pineapple and juice into a 12-inch Dutch oven that has been lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray. Sprinkle cake mix over top of pineapple. Pour melted butter over the cake mix. Sprinkle on the nuts and then the coconut. Bake for about 55 minutes with six to eight coals on the bottom and 12 to 16 coals on top.
BANANA SPLIT CAKE
(Dale and Deb Thelen, Beans-N-Que)
1 Chocolate cake mix
Eggs, water, oil per package directions
1 can strawberry pie filling
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
2 bananas, sliced crossways
1 can whipped cream (or 8 oz. cool whip)
Caramel sauce
Chopped nuts (optional)
Grease and flour a 12-inch Dutch oven. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour a thin layer (1/4-inch thick) of batter in the prepared oven. Bake over six coals with 18 coals on lid for about 15 minutes, or until layer is almost cooked.
Remove from heat and spoon strawberry pie filling over the cake layer, being careful not to tear it. Spoon the pineapple tidbits over the pie filling. Add the remaining cake batter.
Now, with five coals on bottom and 16 coals on top, bake the cake for about 30 minutes. Turn lid and oven a quarter turn at 10-minute intervals. The cake will not become firm; it will remain somewhat wobbly.
Remove from all heat and allow the cake to cool for 10 to 20 minutes. If you are brave enough, turn it out onto the lid. Otherwise, you can cool all the way and serve right from the dutch oven.
Add the layer of sliced bananas followed by the whipping cream. Squeeze a small amount of caramel sauce on top, then sprinkle with the nuts. The cooks say “serve sparingly, this is very rich!”
Ronda wrote that they are a family-style group of all ages, and kids are always welcome. ”We cook for Friends of the Lake events at Cross Timbers/Toronto/Fall River. We also do an annual cooking for hospice at Chanute Elks lake, where all the proceeds from our food go to hospice.”
“It's all about fun, food, and fellowship.” says Ronda.
Speaking of fun, food and fellowship, Emporia Main Street’s “The Taste” will be held April 25 in White Auditorium. There will be Kansas and California wines for tasting, various microbrews, light munchies from several downtown eateries, and fancy cigars from Jack’s Tobacco. The Tallgrass Big Band will perform, and all you have to do its buy a ticket for $30 to enjoy it all! Call 340-6430 for more information.
Next week it’s more recipes that don’t cost an arm and a leg to make. Your challenge for the week is gourmet burgers. There’s a lot going on in the “meat between the bun” segment of American cuisine. Sometimes it’s not even meat! If you have a favorite turkey burger, chicken burger, shark burger, salmon burger or burger-burger combo, send it in to murphysmenu@yahoo.com or The Emporia Gazette, P.O. Box C, Emporia, Kans. 66801. The deadline is April 15. Let’s get cooking!