DO Report

Evan

Evan

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Donating Member
Two weeks ago we tried our first Dutch Oven meal with Wal-Mart pizzas. It worked out well, but a Wal-Mart pizza can only taste so good...

This week we went a bit further and tried several different meals:

100% homemade pizza - including the dough and the sauce
Lasagna
Popcorn
Diced Potatoes & Yams
Mountain Man Breakfast (from the Lodge cookbook - bacon, eggs, potatoes, cheese...)

We had three pizzas the first night and they were incredible.
The lasagna was a little burned on the bottom, but still good.
The mountain man breakfast was great.

The last day for lunch we tried the last 3 pizzas again, and burnt them all terribly. As far as we know, we did things pretty much the same both times. We didn't actually count the coals because the recipe called for preheating the oven to 800 degrees. We just filled up the chimney. Somehow, the second time, the oven ended up much hotter.

Should we get an oven thermometer? What about a tripod to raise the oven off of the coals? What about a trivet?

I have never been into cooking - always left that to Lena - but there is something about Dutch Oven cooking that is very appealing to me. It just looks like we'll need to keep practicing to get things down...
 
Practice makes perfect. Don't get dismayed. It will come.
1. 800 deg? You burnt your seasoning off! Reseason immediately.
2. I seem to remember that you have the camp oven? Yes? If not get a lid stand to support the pot.
3. Charcoal placement. Practice the "ring" method.
you don't need to count coals. 1 ring on bottom, and 11/2 rings on top will give you 350deg. Depending on wind conditions. But you will be very close. 2 full rings on top will be around 375-400 etc.
Frying, all coals on bottom. Simmering etc adjust as you would using a range, add or remove heat.

I have attached or copied a full description of the "ring method" below.
If you are going to use your DO often, seasoning and wiping with oil is OK, but if you are not going to use it at least once a week, I highly recommend using Bee wax as your seasoning medium. It will not turn rancid and stink up your pot.

The following is an excerpt from an article by Duane Dinwiddie of the Lone Star DO Society.

CHARCOAL AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL


Beginners frequently over-start their charcoal. By that I mean they leave it in the starter too long before they use it. It should take only 10 to 15 minutes to start charcoal in a chimney starter, and anything longer than that is a waste. It may not look lit in the starter, but if it has flames coming out the top and no smoke, it is ready. Dump out the coals and use the fully lit ones first. Charcoal that has been started for 30 minutes before it is put on a pot will be half burned away, and will not produce as much heat per briquette. It will also not provide heat long enough to finish some recipes. Always start more charcoal than you need, so you can add the extra later to maintain heat if necessary, especially if it is windy. All recipes assume that you use fresh, properly lit charcoal. A few lit coals in a starter will start charcoal put on top.


When I first started this Dutch oven thing, I tried to count out the number of charcoal briquettes called for in the Dutch Oven recipe books. I rapidly found this to be far less than satisfactory for me, as it's dangerous to have to take your shoes off to count hot charcoal. In addition, I found out that you have to use more of the cheaper brands of charcoal than if you use a quality brand such as improved Kingsford "K" charcoal. So, I decided to measure quantities of hot charcoal by geometric patterns. All of my recipes are based on using the improved Kingsford K charcoal or equivalent and the following "ring" method of temperature control. The definitions are:


1-ring : If you make a circle of hot charcoal with all of the briquettes lying flat and touching each other, with spaces left out for the legs on the bottom rings, that is "one ring". The outside edge of the ring is lined up with the outside edge of the pot, top or bottom.


1/2-ring : A "half ring" is the same size circle, but with every other briquette missing.


2- rings : is simply a second ring just inside the first, with the rings touching.


Full spread :means to put all the briquettes you can (one layer deep, lying flat) either under (very rare, except in frying) or on top of the pot.
This ring technique is kind of self-correcting for the size of the briquettes used. If your charcoal has been burning for a while, the pieces will be smaller and will put out less heat. But, it will take more of them to make a ring, so you still get about the same temperature. Of course they won't last as long and the comparison is rough, but it's better than counting briquettes!


These cooking utensils were designed hundreds of years ago to cook food using coals from wood fires. Yes, of course you can cook with campfire coals, but the technique is beyond the scope of this booklet.
 
I failed at DO cooking this trip : (
I made biscuits -they were hot and edible, but that's all I say.
I shall practice in the back yard, till i get the bugs worked out....
Eileen
 
Eileen said:
I failed at DO cooking this trip : (
I made biscuits -they were hot and edible, but that's all I say.
I shall practice in the back yard, till i get the bugs worked out....
Eileen
Click to expand...


Good attitude. Maybe you could tell me you procedure that you cooked with and your set up in a PM, and I might be able to give you some pointers.
 
That goes for anyone else as well. If you are needing some help, but don't want to air your DO in public, drop me a PM with your questions and I will try to help you.
 
After spending our first weekend out with Evan and his family and eating their DO pizza, getting a DO is now a must. What is the best size DO for camping (family of four)4, 8 or 10qt? What other accessories should we pick up? I've noticed several DO cook books too, what are the best for teaching DO tricks of the trade and/or recipes?
 
Hey George, this is George,
To start out I suggest a 12" reg camp oven (for the pizzas)
You should hae both a 10 reg and a 10 deep oven for your family. A Mair lid lifter, as well as a trivet, and a lid stand. (note all can be substituded by something else) The next thing is a starter chimney to start your coals with.
www.lodgemfg.com
www.katom.com
www.mairdutchovenlifter.com
www.btoutdoorproducts.com look at the Quod pod good deal
get the starter at Lowes or Home Depot.

Once you get your DOs, be sure to scrub em up and give them a couple if not more coatings of seasoning. My preferred material is bee wax, but crisco or a good shortenning will work. Keep them clean and DRY

From there the castiroitis only gets worse LOL
 
Other recommendations:

Cooking with DO is an art. Begin with meals that contains moisture, such as roasts, potatos, vegs. Moist meals are much more forgiving in regards to temperature regulation and do not burn. Dry food such as breads, cakes, rice, Lasagna are going to be much more sensitive to heat, burn easier because of the dryer nature and increased sugar content.

Consider going a local DO group. Search IDOS for the local chapter. I took a class thru the Boy Scouts!

I second the 10 and 12 inch DO as being good sizes.

As for cooking services: I found an iron mesh table at Target, nice height. From the local Fleet Farm found metal oil changing/pig feeders. Have also used electrical stove top burner covers (no paint). A friend crafter a charcoal tray from old highway signs.

George, where do you find bee wax?

Jean
 
Jean W said:
Other recommendations:

George, where do you find bee wax?

Jean
Click to expand...

I got my 1st BW off internet, but have since picked up 6 lbs from local bee keepers.
Most of them will have BW available. I also bake my CI @ about 475 - 490 deg. The iron will definately turn black. I am a member of the 500deg club. The finish is extremely hard, black, and very slick.
 
George

"I am a member of the 500deg club."

What is the 500 deg club?
Since I have never woked with BW, what forms does this product come in? Guessing to apply a light "rub" to the CI instead of wiping with oil.

Jean
 
I will try to set it up for you. This is where I get into trouble. My mind goes to fast and I typeing gets the steps out of sink
One of my goals is to produce a video or a slide show showing the seasoning process.
In short, prepare your CI as you would for shortening type seasoning. Get it warm enough to melt the bee wax, getting a puddle. Soak this puddle up in a lint free cloth. Spread a coating of the wax all over the CI piece. Take a second lint free cloth and wipe the surfaces of the CI that you had coated.
In the mean time, preheat your oven to 475minimum, 500 max.
When oven is up to temp, put piece on oven rack set at middle of oven. Bake CI for 1 hour plus. Then shut oven off and let it cool till you can handle it. Repeat the coating and wiping process, return to oven reheated to same temps. Again let it bake for an hour. Now you can repeat as many times as you like obviously the more times you do it the better the "season coating". When you finally let the CI get to room temp, not how black it is, and how hard and slick the surface feels.
Now for fun and giggles give your piece a lite spray of non stick, heat it up, and fry an egg. When you go to pick it up and flip I'll bet you have a lot of trouble getting the egg on your spatula. You will chase it all around the pan.
When you clean this pice now, use boiling water to cut residual oil, or grease. Wipe dry, heat it up to dry, and then you are ready to store unit. Bee wax will notturn rancid, it your pot does stink, it is because there is residual cooking grease in pot, or on lid.
Now to answer your questions
Bee wax will be in a solid chunk, possibly even molded.
The 500 club is a group of cooks that follow the IDOS forum. It refers to people that season their iron at 500 degrees.
Now a warning if you get too much nhotter than 500 deg. you will burn your seasoning off.

OK I hope this helps, and I will try to produce a video for every one to watch. I have some old pieces that I am restoring that I could use for the video.
Phew that was long winded.
 
Thanks, this helps a lot. I think it's a great idea to find a group around town that does DO cooking. I would have never guessed it had that kind of following. It's running across stuff like this that has made owning a CampInn so much fun so far.

George, I have to be honest, at first read I had to wonder why you wanted to cook a CampInn at 500 degrees. Then I realized CI was referring to cast iron in this thread... silly me!

Well, I'm off to the mountains again tomorrow morning.
 
GeorgeJ said:
George, I have to be honest, at first read I had to wonder why you wanted to cook a CampInn at 500 degrees. Then I realized CI was referring to cast iron in this thread... silly me!

Well, I'm off to the mountains again tomorrow morning.
Click to expand...

You are right LOL Sorry gang, but in this thread CI stands for cast iron not Camp Inn!
 
George, thanks for all your instructions. I have been following this thread with interest. I have been using olive oil on my CIs. If i change to bees wax, do you recommend baking off the old seasoning at 475, scrubbing it off, or neither?
 
mcnugit said:
George, thanks for all your instructions. I have been following this thread with interest. I have been using olive oil on my CIs. If i change to bees wax, do you recommend baking off the old seasoning at 475, scrubbing it off, or neither?
Click to expand...


Thanks for the following.
If you are currently using your cast iron, and are satisfied with the seasoning, by all means use your iron. Treat as normal. If you get to a point where your piece should go rancid, or rust, or even develop a bare spot, or you are getting a mettalic taste, re-season. At that time, I suggest the bee wax. If you are getting your piece ready to use the 1st time, I suggest a couple (minimum) seasonings. Again my sugegestion is bee wax. The reason I am so high on bee wax is it doesn't turn rancid. If you have ever eaten anything from a rancid pot, you will more than likely not want anything out of a cast iron cooking utensil again.


I hope that helps.
 
Hilditch said:
And George, what have you got against lard and grape oil?

Member of the 525o club. Oops.
Hilditch
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Hilditch,Frankly I have not used either one. I know a few use lard, or bacon grease. They are very happy with it. I have used bacon grease. If you over heat it it turns rancid. If you store it for a relatively length of time it goes rancid. If you don't provide air to be able to circulate in pot it turns rancid.
So my problem with the pork renderings is its instability.

You tell me about grape oil.

520 club ehhh I am impressed! You like lvin on the edge! :D :D :D
 
McNugit, if you want to bake off old seasoning, you have to hit over 500o. That's where the 525o club came into play. I overheated one piece and the seasoning turned to ashes just like in a self cleaning oven. One only does that once. Any carbon is good carbon.

George, One does have to be careful with lard so it doesn't turn rancid by cooking out all the impurities so there is just carbon left. Re-baking and cooking with it a few times works good. However, every time one cooks up a mess of bacon or fries anything the CI has to be treated right not go rancid. I've never had rancid or rust as I let it breath, store it in the kitchen and use it once a month. I've also NEVER had to re-season, except for that 525o pan mentioned above. My ancestors wouldn't allow abusing their CI to the point it needed to be re-seasoned.

Grape Oil, I should have said Grape Seed Oil, has a high smoking point of 485o but completely carbonizes at 500 - 510o. It leaves a very hard shiny black surface which will protect softer seasoning or get things started. Fortunately my stove only varies from 490o to 510o when set at 500o so I can play safely at 500o. Many stoves today have a range of 80o.

Folks should be told to start seasoning outdoors if possible. I pre-bake (read smoke) in my Weber up to 475o and then move to the kitchen where I have a 350 CFM outside exhaust fan for 500o. Smokin' in the kitchen with a blow it in you face fan is insane.

I'm now signing off this thread, as there are more questions about CI than I have the urge to answer. It's all yours George.

Hilditch
 
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