Louise Davidson - Camping Cookbook Dutch Oven Recipes

Cooking with cast iron requires a few extra steps of care and upkeep; however there is no doubt that the results are worth it. Here are a few pieces of advice concerning care, upkeep, and use of your cast iron Dutch oven.

The first thing you need to know about cast iron care is seasoning. Seasoning is the process of applying oil to your cast iron, initially to remove contaminants, and also to prevent rust, corrosion, and baked-on food particles from devaluing your cookware. The only time that you ever need to use a dish detergent on your cast iron is before the initial season. Using a hot, soapy mixture, scrub the inside and the outside of the oven. Dry it thoroughly with a cloth, and then place it on a very hot heat source to finish drying the surface. Once it is completely dry, rub an oil or fat, excluding butter, into the surface, both inside and out. Once the oven has been coated, take another cloth and continue to rub and polish the oven until it appears that there is no oily residue left. Place the oven back on the hot heat source for about an hour, flipping the oven upside down at halfway through. Remove from the heat and let cool before handling. Depending on the oven, you may want to repeat this process several times before your initial use. Repeated seasonings help to condition the cast iron and provide an attractive surface sheen. Repeat seasonings periodically through the life of the oven as you see fit.

The next thing to know about cooking with cast iron is that you will use a non-traditional method to keep it clean. After using your Dutch oven, do all that you can to remove any bits of food that are left on it. Add about an inch or more of water into a still warm Dutch oven and let it sit with the lid on. After 15-20 minutes, remove the lid and scrape off any remaining food bits. Discard the dirty water and repeat the process with clean water until the oven is free of food debris. Dry the inside thoroughly with a cloth and place the oven back on the warm coals to help absorb some of the remaining moisture. Once the oven is dried and cool, apply a very light layer of vegetable oil to the surface inside and out.

When using a cast iron Dutch oven at your campsite, you will usually be applying heat to both the top and the bottom by means of charcoal briquettes. The recipes in this book assume a temperature of approximately 350F. In order to achieve this, you will use briquettes in numbers that are proportional to the size of your oven. A general rule is to use twice as many briquettes as the diameter of your oven. So for example, if you have a 12-inch oven, you will use 24 pieces of charcoal. A 16-inch oven would require approximately 32. This of course is a very generalized rule that should only serve as a guideline. Always use a thermometer when you are learning to gauge the temperature of your oven, especially if you are using wood rather than coals.