Cooking with cast iron.

Whether you call them settlers, pioneers, mountain men or cowboys, they all used those wonderful cast iron pots. These pots came west with practically everyone. They were among the most prized possessions. I read a story once where a mule fell off a cliff and the men were more disappointed in the loss of the Dutch oven the mule carried than in the loss of the mule itself. During the days of the cattle drives the camp cook could keep the cowboys hospitable with good meals and desserts which he cooked in a Dutch oven.

There's a monument to the pioneers in Salt Lake City, Utah. It depicts a man pulling a handcart with his wife at his side, and hanging underneath the handcart is the family's Dutch oven.

Today, Dutch ovens are used at home and on camping trips and even still on some cattle drives. That special taste is hard to beat anywhere. All it takes is to sample one meal from an oven and people are hooked. So many are getting hooked, in fact, that the International Dutch Oven Society (IDOS) has been formed. IDOS sponsors the annual World Championship Dutch Oven Cookoff in Logan, Utah, each autumn. People in many states have organized state-wide Dutch Oven Societies. Many of these societies host cookoffs with the winners going to the World Championship Cookoff.

No matter what your level of interest is in Dutch ovens, you may want to write the IDOS at 1104 Thrushwood, Logan, Utah 84321, and find out about other "Dutchers" in your area or they may be able to help you form a local group. Just be prepared to get hooked.

Legends surrounding the Dutch oven abound. It is said that they really are not Dutch in origin. Dutch traders found them to be invaluable in their barter with Indians, and that's how the oven gained its ethnic label.

We do know that cast iron kettles were used by the early settlers who carried the ovens with them as they moved westward in the late 1700's. The pots became popular and were soon produced in great numbers.

The Dutch oven has not changed much over the years. Colonial craftsman Paul Revere is credited with perfecting the camp model widely used today.

However, one of the most interesting and imaginative stones regarding the origin of the oven was written by Ted Trueblood and published in the April '71 issue of Field & Stream magazine. It begins with an obscure frontiersman named Dutch O'Leary.

Dutch's first thoughts were to name it the O'Leary oven, but later changed it; which was fortunate for him because the Netherlands government reportedly awarded him 5,000 guilders per year, and Dutch O'Leary never had need to hunt again.

Legend has it that Dutch's oven was originally two cast iron fry pans which were given him by his wife as she chased him out the door. Dutch soon found that by inverting one and placing it atop the other, he could cook anything from pies to buffalo meat.

The first improvement to be made was by another frontiersman named Beaver Charlie, who traveled to Pittsburgh and had an oven made with the bottom twice as deep as the lid, and the top being slightly dome shaped.

This worked fine until Steeljaws Newhouse got tired of eating food that was burnt on the bottom and raw on top. He figured that this could be remedied by placing hot coals on the lid and have both the top and the bottom cook at the same time. The problem was that the lid being dome shaped, the coals fell off.

Steeljaws decided he would travel to Pittsburgh and have another oven cast to his liking. He must not have been in too much of a hurry because it took him three years to make the journey.

During the trip his compass readings were thrown off by the Iron Mountains in Michigan and he ended up in Tennessee. Apparently, Steeljaws had never been to Pittsburgh, because while following a river he came upon a small settlement and walking into the general store asked if it was Pittsburgh.

The store owner, Mr. Lodge, replied, "No, but I've been trying to think of a name for this place. Pittsburgh sounds good but, then my uncle tells of a place up north called Pittsburgh and I sure don't want to copy a Yankee. Think I'll call it South Pittsburg;" and so it was.

The two men talked and soon Mr. Lodge was casting a Dutch oven for Steeljaws. The three legs happened by accident; Mr. Lodge poured in too much iron and filled the vent holes in the mold, and the Lodge Manufacturing Company of South Pittsburg, Tennessee has been casting Dutch ovens ever since.

With proper care and treatment a Dutch oven can last well over a hundred years.

There are two types of ovens. The first is patterned after the one Beaver Charlie had. This is good if you like the taste of Dutch oven cooking but can do without the hassle of an open fire and the elements.

The second, patterned after steeljaws Newhouse's oven, is flat on top with a lip around the edge and a three-legged bottom. This is commonly called the "camp model" and is recommended for use with an open fire.

Dutch ovens range in size from 8 to 22 inches in diameter, with 12-inch and 14-inch being the most common. Several companies manufacture Dutch ovens, but not all companies make all sizes. And not all ovens will be the same depth. That depends on the manufacturer. You may have to shop around a while to get the size you want.

A 12-inch oven will easily cook one chicken with potatoes or rice which will feed up to four or five people.

Dutch ovens straight from the merchant's shelf have a waxy coating on the inside. This is a protection the manufacturer gives it. There are two common methods to remove it. The first is to heat the oven and lid, either in a conventional oven or over an open fire. When the oven is warm, wipe out the insides with a paper towel, a gunny sack or even an old bath towel. Follow this by applying a thick coat of vegetable oil to the inside of the oven. The oil will fill the metal pores and protect the oven against rust.

The second method is to wash the oven with warm water and a mild detergent. Then heat the oven and apply the oil.

This also helps to "cure" the Dutch oven. Other methods include cooking your first three or four meals with something that uses lots of grease or oil. Another method is to oil the oven and set it inside your kitchen oven at 200 degrees F. for about six hours. Re-oil the Dutch oven about every two hours.

There are several methods of cleaning a Dutch oven. The easiest way is to place about an inch of water in the oven and place it over heat. With the lid on, allow the water to boil then throw it out and wipe the oven clean with a rag or paper towel. Apply a new coating of oil to both the oven and the lid. Many old timers will most likely argue with you if you try this. Traditionahy, once all the food is removed, just wipe the oven as clean as possible. The main idea here is that the oven not only gets cleaned, but "flavored" oils from one meal will be there to come out and enhancc the flavor of the next. This is fine if you cook basically the same food in one pot. But if you gook a stew one time and a cobbler the next, there is a good chance of tasting the stew in the cobbler.

You should avoid clening a Dutch oven with soap because soap particles may get into the pores and can then come out during your next cooking, thus giving your food the taste of soap.

If your oven should ever become rusty, scrape it with a heavy steelwool pad or wire brush to remove as much of the rust as possible. Then heat it up again as you would a new oven and apply a thick coat of oil to it. You may need to let the oven cool and then repeat the process a time or two, but soon your oven will be as good as new again.

Since hot coals are on top it is wise to have some sort of tool or even a stick to remove the lid. A pair of pliers works good, or use something of your own making. The idea is to keep the lid level when removing it so none of the ashes fall into the food.

Sometimes, it is helpful to set the lid down when you want to work with the food. Setting it on the ground or on a rock is not a very good idea. You will almost always get the inside of the lid dirty and you really don't want to put that into your food when you replace the lid. A simple way to prevent this is with two pieces of 1/4-inch plywood or even cardboard. Cut them approximately 4-inches by 8-inches with a slit half way through in the middle so you can fit the pieces together to form an |X' that is four inches tall. You can set the lid on this to keep it level so no coals fall off and it will stay off the ground and clean.

When your oven is not m use, store it someplace where moisture and dirt will be least likely to get at it. It's a good idea to put a sheet of paper towel inside to absorb any moisture and to keep the lid ajar to allow air to circulate or the oil inside will turn rancid.

The idea behind Steeljaws' oven was that being able to place hot coals on top as well as underneath, whatever was being cooked would cook more evenly. Here are some different ways to cook. Choose the one that best fits your needs and enjoy.

Cooking over an open fire was the way it all started. But the fire isn't really used, the coals are. After the fire has burned enough to give plenty of hot coals, shovel a little aside. Place the Dutch oven on the coals and then shovel more coals on top. Keep the fire going to produce more coals, but keep it a short distance away from the oven as it will give off more heat on one side and cause the food to cook unevenly.

Keep in mind that charcoal briquettes can be used also. The heat can be increased or decreased by adjusting the number of briquettes accordingly.

There are three variations to heat placement and what type of food you cook will determine where you want the heat to be.

Bottom heat: For liquid dishes like stew, soup and chili, you want most of the heat on the bottom. For a 12-inch oven you may want to put 18 charcoal briquettes on the bottom and six on the top. This type of food is what you would cook when you want to use a cooking tripod. You can hang the oven over a fire or a good bed of coals and don't worry about heating the top.

Even heat: When you are cooking meats and vegetables try to even out your heat. But remember that your food rests on the bottom of the oven so it gets more direct heat. Because of this you will actually put a few more coals on the top. To get your oven to 350 degrees F., take the size of the oven plus two for the number of briquettes on top and the size minus two for the bottom. For a 12-inch oven place 14 charcoal briquettes on top and 10 on the bottom.

Top heat: To cook cobblers, cakes and bread you need to have most of the heat on top. For a 12-inch oven put 16 charcoal briquettes on top with eight on the bottom. You may need to experiment some. I have used as few as 12 on top and five on the bottom to cook biscuits with excellent results.

Keep an eye on the coals. They can cool off quickly and must be replaced, especially with food that takes a couple of hours to cook.

Dutch ovens can also be stacked on top of each other for easier cooking. The coals on top of the lower oven will also provide heat to the bottom of the upper oven. Several ovens can be stacked in this manner to cook an entire meal at once. The only disadvantage of this method is that in order to inspect the contents of a lower oven, the entire stack must be removed.

Dutch oven cooking is not restricted to the outdoors. An ordinary kitchen oven is a good source for Dutch oven cooking in doors. Prepare foods as would be done outdoors. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and put the Dutch oven in. The time is basically the same indoors as it is out, an hour's worth of cooking for an hour.

And let's not forget that woodburning stoves can also be used. Placing an oven full of stew or beans on top and slow cooking with low heat will give any home a pleasant aroma. Served with home baked bread or rolls, this is indeed a special treat.

An easy way to cook is to set the oven on top of your stove. Put your food inside and bring it to a rofling bod. Keep it there for about 15 or 20 minutes. Now, remove the Dutch oven and with the lid on, of course, simply wrap it in an old heavy quilt or blanket and wrap a sleeping bag around it. You can cook a roast and potatoes in 3-4 hours this way. The sleeping bag will keep the heat in long enough for the food to cook and then keep it warm until you are ready to eat.

You might want to try this when you are preparing to go camping. Start cooking your dinner at home on the stove. While it is reaching its boiling point you can be packing the car with all your gear, but leave room enough for the Dutch oven. Just as you are ready to leave, wrap the Dutch oven in the blanket and sleeping bag and set it in the trunk of your car. When you reach the camp site you can set up camp and relax because dinner is ready and waiting.

If you have a camp model and want to do some frying, remove the lid, invert the Dutch oven so the legs are on top, place coals on the oven and place inverted lid on the legs or just set the inverted lid on a pair of bricks.

Keep in mind that "outside" factors play a part in the temperature. For example, high altitude and shade will lower the temperature of the oven, thus requiring more heating and cooking time. On the other hand, direct sunlight and a strong breeze, will actually increase the heat. If you are cooking outside and the temperature says its "cold", lay a sheet of tin foil on top of the Dutch oven while cooking to help keep the heat in.

Just about any type of food can be cooked in a Dutch oven and the best part is that anybody can cook and be successful. Here are a few recipes to try. But remember that anything you can cook at home can be cooked in a Dutch oven.

Pot Roast & Potatoes (12-inch oven)

3 pound roast

1/2 cup water

5 pounds potatoes, sliced

2 onions

1 bell pepper (optional)

your favorite seasonings

Sprinkle meat with seasonings. Brown roast on every side in open oven. Add water, cook about 1 hour in covered oven. After roast cooks for an hour, add sliced potatoes, onions and whatever else you want. You can fill oven completely full. Cover and cook for one more hour.

Chicken & Rice (12-inch oven)

2 chickens

flour

your favorite seasonings

2 cups rice

1 can cream of chicken soup 

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 soup cans water

Skin and wash chicken parts. Coat in flour and seasoning mix. Add 1/2-inch of oil in the bottom of Dutch oven. Completely brown chicken parts. Remove from oven and drain off excess oil. Mix soups and water in oven and add rice. Place chicken back in the Dutch oven. Cover and place on a small bed of coals and cook for about 1 hour or until tender.

Biscuits

3 cups flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

5 tablespoons cooking oil

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients. Roll on flat, floured surface, cut out and place in oven. Cover and bake about 15 minutes. Yields around 25 biscuits. Note: Breads are the most difficult. You may need to experiment a few times to get it right. About every 10 minutes give the oven a quarter turn on the coals. Do the same with the lid, too. This will prevent your food from uneven cooking due to cold spots.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake 

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 can sliced pineapple

1 yellow cake mix

1 egg

Line Dutch oven with tin foil. Mix butter and brown sugar and pour into Dutch oven. Place pineapple slices in the butter and sugar mixture. In separate bowl, mix the cake mix and egg. Pour the batter over pineapple, cover and bake 30 minutes. Test the cake with a toothpick to make sure it is done. About every 10 minutes give the oven a quarter turn on the coals. Do the same with the lid, too.

Apple Crisp 

8 apples

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup melted butter

Line Dutch oven with tin foil. Peel, core and slice apples and place on bottom of oven. In separate bowl combine cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle apples with half of mixture. Combine sugar, flour, egg, salt and baking powder and spread over apples. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon and brown sugar mixture on top and pour melted butter over that. Cook for 40 minutes. Here, too, rotate the oven on the coals about every 10 minutes or so to avoid cold spots.

Sources:

Some of the best sources for Dutch ovens and other cast iron products are your local hardware or sporting goods store. You can also contact the following manufacturers for information on their products. Lodge Mfg. Co., P.O. Box 380, South Pittsburg, Tennessee 37380 and Maca Mfg., P.O. Box 885, Springville, Utah 84663.