Dutch ovens

I bought the Lodge little cookbook for dutch ovens.

Planning on buyin ga lodge dutch oven next week.

Any advice, good first recipes, etc>>>

Thanks,

HC

if you get the Lodge Dutch Oven up at the outlets off 75 at exit 312, it comes with a cook book and all. make sure to buy an eraser for the rust and a scraper to dislodge stubborn stuck food! They are like 99 cents at the register.

Try YouTube "dutch oven cooking."

Also a simple cobbler like peach: Pour a couple cans of peaches into the DO; pour a dry white cake mix over that; drop a couple pats of butter on top and cook. It is done when the top is golden brown.

A Boston butt is simple to do: Season meat to your taste (we used onion and garlic powder (powder, not salt) Spanish paprika and Cayenne pepper); place the butt on the BBQ and smoke for a couple hours; cut up one medium sweet onion and cover the bottom of the DO, add 1/2 qrt chicken stock; remove the butt from the BBQ and place on top the onions and cook for 1 and 1/2 hours; then add baby carrots and cook for an hour or so; finally, add some cut up "taters" and cook about 45 minutes. Check potatoes with a fork. Save the juice, meat, taters and carrots for soup the next day, just make sure you remove the fat from the juice.

Remember, to cook with a DO multiple the DO "size" ( 6 qrt will be a number 12) by 2 ( so a 12X2 would be 24); that is the number of charcoals you will need. Place 1/3 (total of 8) of the charcoal underneath the DO and 2/3 (16) of the charcoal evenly on top. Every 15 minutes turn the whole DO 1/4 turn, then turn the lid 1/4 turn ( I do both counter clockwise.. not that the direct matters).

PS to the above, I am no expert, I'm pretty new to DO cooking, so you may want to take what I say with a grain of salt. There are folks MUCH better at this then myself. I just know simple and easy recipes.

Go here.....

http://www.dutchovendude.com/campfire-cooking.shtml

and here...

http://www.idos.com/

I been looking at dutch ovens for a while and wanting one but I don't know what size to buy. I know I don't need a big one as I won't be cooking piles of food. Basically trying to decides between a 10" or 12". Whats the most popular between to two and how does it change cooking in the different sizes? Can't decide weather to get one with legs or without either.

Woodscrew,
Best advice I can give...You can cook less food in a big DO(or smoker) than you can more food in a small do(or smoker).

I have a buddy that only cooks in the alum DOs. They have been anodized and are a breeze to clean up. I don't know all the pros and cons. Do some more research. I think the brand is mecca.
He will be in Thomaston April 2&3 at a bbq comp. Bickleys lake off Hwy 36 between barnesville and thomaston. He is a great guy and will help you decide if you want to come by.

blues brother said:

Woodscrew,
Best advice I can give...You can cook less food in a big DO(or smoker) than you can more food in a small do(or smoker).

I have a buddy that only cooks in the alum DOs. They have been anodized and are a breeze to clean up. I don't know all the pros and cons. Do some more research. I think the brand is mecca.
He will be in Thomaston April 2&3 at a bbq comp. Bickleys lake off Hwy 36 between barnesville and thomaston. He is a great guy and will help you decide if you want to come by.

Click to expand...

Something I was wondering about by changing the size would the thinkness of your in different size DO. Would it take less heat when everything was spread out over a larger area or would it just cook faster? I know I go by the saying "bigger is better" most of time but thats not always the case. LOL

I have learned it is better to use less heat. Less heat= less burnt on food which=easier cleanup with my cast iron.
I have three cast iron DO. One that is about 6inches across, a 10 and a 12.
They all cook good. The only time I use the 6 is for a small cobbler.

Don't know if this is something you would be interested in doing or not, but this would be a good opportunity to learn!!............here is a link

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=508784

Part of the original intent of this event was to help folks learn how to cook in Dutch Ovens!!......................There will be plenty of folks cooking in dutch Ovens here.....................Lots of good food to eat as well!!

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php?t=20247&highlight=dutch+oven

Check out the thread above. Lots of good recipes there.