For Dutch oven fanatics only

“I hesitated to start this thread because it could take over my life. I love Dutch oven cooking. I use my Dutch ovens regularly on my backyard patio, while car camping, and at the trailhead. (My son and I have considered buying an aluminum one and packing it in!)

By popular demand I am making a page of Dutch oven recipes used before we hit the trail on the Llama-Rama-Ding-Dong trip. Two recipes are up so far...two more to follow.

Any other Dutch oven fanatics out there?”

“Big fan myself! I've done quite a bit of dutch oven cooking in the past with scouts and at Philmont and want to get one for home use. What do you use on your back porch for heat? I'll definitely try your recipes, they sound pretty tasty. Also, Marie Callendar's is available most everywhere.
I'm a big fan of cast iron skillets as well, I make some mean cobblers this way. Here's how I do it.

Sautee your fruit (peaches, apples, berries, whatever) in
butter until they start to soften.

Add brown sugar and some regular sugar and allow to melt to form a syrup around the fruit in the skillet.

In a bowl mix flour, butter, sugar, brown sugar, cinammon, to get a crumbly consistency. You don't want a really wet dough. Throw this on top of the fruit almost like dumplings and bake at 350 or so until done.

I usually don't measure anything, I just add until I get the consistency I want from the dough, you want little clumps or lumps, not a real wet mess. Its very tasty, especially with ice cream.”

“Ranger - When I cook with the Dutch oven in the backyard I put a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil down and put my coals, etc. on top of it. I only use Kingsford charcoal briquettes, no matter where I cook. They are consistent and predictable. If I was car camping and had a good campfire, I would consider using hot coals from the fire.

I remember at our trip to Philmont in 1993 our ranger cooked us a peach cobbler in a Dutch oven the first night out. We were at Vaca Camp. It was cool.

Neat cobbler recipe. Thanks. I'll add mine later.”

“Okay, here's my world famous bean recipe. Well, maybe just locally famous, but famous all the same. Unless you're feeding a very large group, I suggest cutting the recipe in half.

Phil, thanks for sharing your recipes. The aluminum dutch oven however scares me. I avoid cooking with aluminum like the plague.

Beans galore!”

“There's a great D.O. cook book out called CeeDub's Dutch Oven Cook Book. He was a cook for an outfitter company for many years, he includes has some funny stories in the book too. They sell it at our local outdoor store where they sell D.O.s. I have a couple of favorite recipes I've used out of there, I'll post them soon.”

“One thing that I have made in camp (dump camping, not backpacking) for the scouts is pineapple upside down cake. Were they surprised! Food like that when you are camping. It's an easy recipie, probably in several cookbooks.”

“This one is GOOD! Most of the time I cut this recipe in half.

12" D.O.
Serves 10-12
35-45 min cooking time

14 top and 10 bottom briquets.
Preheat D.O. over bottom briqs and brown 1/2 lb. bacon cut in small pieces and one medium chopped onion until onion is clear.

Remove bacon and onion from D.O. and drain on paper towels. Remove excess grease from D.O.

Place D.O. back over hot briqs and add 1 32 oz bag hash brown potatoes. Fry until potatoes are golden brown, then mix bacon and onions back in. Beat 12 eggs in mixing bowl and pour over potatoes, bacon, and onions. Cover with hot lid and cook until eggs are almost solid.

Sprinkle with 1 to 1-1/2 lbs grated cheddar cheese.

Cook until eggs set and cheese melts. Just before serving top with 1 jar of medium salsa.

Note: I serve this on warmed tortillas, even though the recipe doesn't call for it.

Enjoy!”

“Phil, who was your Ranger at Philmont in '93? I was there that summer, wouldn't it be weird if I was your Ranger? I'm not gonna hold my breath that the world is that small, but you never know. Vaca Camp was a bear, that was the one that went straight up from the drop off point. It was a heck of a way to start the trek.”

“This one is super simple.

Cork's Camp Chicken

Ingredients:
2 T. oil
1 med onion (chopped) - OPTIONAL
1 green pepper (chopped) - OPTIONAL
1 small can (6 oz.?) pineapple tidbits - OPTIONAL
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package Lipton Onion soup mix
1 jar, 8 oz. apricot jam
1 bottle, 8 oz. Catalina or Russian salad dressing

Heat 2 T. oil, brown chicken, add green pepper and onion and sautee for a couple of minutes. Mix other ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cover and cook at 350 degrees approx. one hour or until chicken is done. Sauce should be thick.

Serve with steamed or wild rice.

Note: The original recipe didn't call for the optional ingredients listed at the top, I've just doctored the recipe up as I've used it. Either way is good. Its also good with some hot salsa tossed in for a spicier taste.”

“Ranger - I can't believe I found the names after all this time! At Philmont we started out with Vicky Ayling. However, because of a previously sprained ankle, she couldn't take us out on the trail. Then our Ranger then was Jon Weirenga. He took us onto the trail for the first two days. Was that you?”

“Cork - I have been looking for another good breakfast recipe and I like yours. I assume it is the same one you mentioned briefly on the Llama hike. Thanks!”

“No, wasn't me, too bad though. That would have been pretty cool though if we would have met in a prior activity. Thanks for starting this thread by the way, I'm going to be trying some of these recipes.”

“[Ranger - Too bad it wasn't you! You can see my Philmont Page if you like.]

I have two Dutch Oven Cookbooks that are quite good also:

The Outdoor Dutch Oven Cookbook - by Sheila Mills (It is a little on the 'gourmet' side.)

Lovin' Dutch Ovens by Joan Larsen (Includes a good introductory section on the basics of Dutch oven cooking. Lots of recipies.)

Also, there are some interesting Dutch oven sites on the internet.

I am particularly interested in recipes where you can put everything in and let it cook...you know, "one-pot" recipes...not the ones where you have to pre-cook five items before you assemble the Dutch oven.

Here is one of my favorites: CORNISH GAME HENS

2 Boxes of Farmhouse or MJB Flavored Rice (such as Herb & Garlic, Chicken, or Rice Pilaf) with liquid as per instructions.

4 or 5 Cornish game hens stuffed with celery and carrot sticks and mushrooms.

Salt and peppered inside and out. Lay hens on top of rice and liquid.

Cover and cook one-hour.”

“Middle Fork Spareribs

4-5 lbs. spare ribs
1/2 cup vinegar
1 can beer
salt/pepper/garlic salt/seasonings
barbeque sauce
water

Parboil spareribs in a 12" DO in water & vinegar for 20-30 minutes. Drain water and fat off. Season ribs with your favorite seasonings.

Brush the ribs with barbeque sauce. Place ribs in Dutch Oven and add the can of beer, reserving the last swig for the cook. Cook in DO with 8 - 10 briquets top and bottom. Bake for 30-45 minutes.”

“I revived this thread because it has a couple good recipes worth showing again.”

“Thanks Phil! I imagine now that I'll be working, going to school full time and raising three little kids, I'll have go back to crock pot cooking, casseroles, and dutch oven cooking. Of course, I'll need to buy one. I have a birthday coming up. Maybe I'll treat myself. :o)”

“When's your b-day, Sunshine?”

“December 10 ... not too near but time is flying!”

“hmmmmmm...”

“Oops!

I thought this thread was for sunshine fanatics...
my bad.”

“gojo, I'm Swedish and I hate ovens. If it weren't for my children, I wouldn't cook at all.
:^P”

“I figured if we are going to trash every thread, we might as well dig some up that are 10 years old.

I set the over/under for the first political post at 3.”

“I've been thinking i need to acquire a nice dutch oven.”

“Thanks for reminding me I've got a freshly seasoned cast iron grill still hanging around in the oven. We forgot to take it with us on our Smokies trip. :P”

“The best Dutch ovens are in the wintertime when there is heavy coverage on the bed and the aroma better is better encapsulated.”

“If you want some prime dutch oven cooking, just go on any trip that stikmon and dutch oven dave are hosting.

I hiked in to the 11 Pt river a few years ago and they came down by river.

I hiked 21 miles that weekend and gained 5 pounds.”

“Nice!

I've heard Stiky talk about Dutch Oven Dave. Back in the scouts we used to do some mighty fine dutch oven cooking, but it's been YEARS since I've used one. I definitely need to get back in teh swing of that.”

“Same here, but those two make it look easy.”

“Phil is a Dutch Oven Maniac, too, isn't he?

Personally I'm a tremendous fan of the Micro Dutch oven.... the Pudgy Pie Iron. A friend turned me onto them back in the Dark Ages. I was thinking about grabbing a couple more, but the ones that seem to dominate the market now ("Rome") are lots heavier ---- Fine for car-camping but heavy for trail use.

”

“Corned beef on pumpernickle? Is that what you turned out at TC3?”

“I've been known to try a meal or two in a Dutch oven.”

“I love dutch oven cooking.
The troop used to do a big dutch oven spread at the end of every summer. I remember one summer we had three stacks of ovens four high going at once.

Good times.”

“That was a grilled ham & cheese on rye.... honey-baked ham^TM, jarlsberg, coleman's hot english mustard and a touch of mayo on sourdough rye (with seeds).

Alas, the baker/owner of Sunshine Bakery on Broad Street (and proud WWII Vet) passed on a couple of years after that. Either he simply took his secrets with him or none of his progeny wanted to rise at four in the morning to bake bread.

In any event.... no more of that sourdough rye. They'd been turning out that bread for about half a century.”

“Si, good sourdough tortillas too. Si”

“well, if someone arranges a ride over to Ollie cove for me, i may be talked into some camp ovening. :D”

“Maybe they deliver.”

“I don't know WTF that means but I LMAO anyway.”

“Figures.”

“W / cork”