Dutch Oven camp Hacks

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Dan

[krakns]

Great review. To use the lid as a pan you would typically flip the base upside down and set hot coals on the back. You can then put the lid on the legs and cook on top of the lid. This way you don't destroy any coating inside your pan and keep it clean as well.

[larryn]

Great tips Dan! You mentioned putting coals in the Dutch oven and cooking on the lid underside. You could turn the Dutch oven over, placing coals on the bottom of the Dutch oven, and the legs would support the lid for cooking, allowing the coals not to burnout.

[michaeleschner]

Thanks for this nice introduction into the Dutch Oven. One advice, do not forget your welding gloves or you will get burnt fingers. A lid lifter is a versatile tool, too.

[MrOldzimm]

Dan you are so right, with a Dutchoven you can cook anything. I used Dutchovens all my life. I suggest for the people that have never used Dutchovens you should do a part 2 on how to care for them. Dutchovens can last for generations if properly cared for.

[crib]

Ooh, is that what they are called?! They're a staple here in South Africa, common in making "potjie-kos", pot food, which is a type of stew over coals. :) You gave lots of extra tips for utilizing the whole thing I didn't know about, thanks :)

[chrissewell]

Great video! Can I add some tips? - If you are going to use your pot, as a base for your coals:
1) You can use some fresh, Green wood, sticks or metal skewers (something that won't burn!). Put these between the rim of the pot, and the lid skillet, to let fresh air in and keep your coals burning.
2) First, place some aluminum foil in the pot, to help preserve your seasoning inside the pot!
3) Turn your Dutch oven, into a Hibachi Grill - Take along a small, round, grill grate, slightly larger that the top of the pot. Put Aluminum foil, and hot coals in the pot. Then add your grill grate on top of the pot! Boom, you are grilling!

[rocketman]

I went out and bought one immediately after watching you bake bread in one of your videos. The look on your face when you bit into it was priceless and I wanted to experience it myself. Thanks for all the tips.

[meatdog]

Im old school and cook almost exclusively with cast iron. My dutch ovens are indispensable and the perfect vessel. The lip lid is critical when cooking on a outdoor fire. I built an inground oven that my dutch ovens fit into and the oven has a cover and it is the perfect oven. Thanks for this video. ❤

[kcstevens]

Great video.
The one complimentary piece if kit for a dutch oven I would add is a pair of welder's gloves or the like - they make handling hot iron safer (fewer accidents, ie., burns, spillage, etc.). Makes hot coal transfer to the lid easy.

[tiredandretired]

I use a 12 inch around deep dutch oven by putting small pans inside it like with a regular oven. I can cook my vegetables, meat and scalloped potatoes separately that way.

[gerardmartyn]

They make a single person Dutch oven. Great for the backpack. Great information as always.

[jgstevens]

LOVE Cast Iron Dutch Ovens!!! Rimmed Lids and the feet are VERY important. Thank you for your tips. Appreciate you getting everyone up to speed on how versatile Dutch Ovens can be. Also, loved the comment Charles included about stacking the ovens. Sure, they're a beast to lug around, but fantastic for car/truck/trailer camping. Heck, use 'em at home too for good practice. Get out into the woods.

[Cubestone]

One of the handiest DO accessories I have (besides a good set of tongs) is the Lodge lid stand/lid lifter. You've probably seen one, a folding X shaped device. You can set the inverted lid on it, with coals under the lid and cook on it while the bottom half is doing pot duty for something else. Or the newer versions of the device are shaped to easily lift or rotate the lid with coals on it. The "bake kettles" are one item that were important enough to the Lewis and Clark and expedition that they carried them both going and returning. They were not for trade and carefully cared for.

[gregwebb]

That's my favorite size dutch oven! I've used it for everything from meatloaf to biscuits, and of course chili and stew. One of our favorites is chicken and dumplings from scratch. It just tastes better cooked over a camp fire!

[daverenshaw]

Pre ordered the book, cannot wait to experience more wild adventures and more father son experiences

[lukenewton]

There is no better video on the internet that explains what you just did so succinctly. Great video.

[bradivy]

I use my Dutch over 30 years easily and cool trick for almost fool proof baking with is to use 3 aluminium wadedup foil balls about golf ball size. And flatted them to thickness of a large grape and then use a cake pan sitting on those balls inside the Dutch oven. Naturally have put maybe 6 to 8 hot coals on top and about 5. On bottom remember heat rises. Average temperature will be about 350 degrees inside depending on weather conditions. The flavor will always be better than the oven at home. And like the man ANY THING you can cook at home you can do it in a Dutch oven. And if you have several Dutch oven to use at one time, ground permitting double or triple stack to save coals.

[mikesmith]

Dan - As always, great tips! Thank you sir! I absolutely love me some cast iron cook wear.
If you remove the lid, turn oven upside down, coals on bottom, lid on top of the legs, use lid as frying pan. Then you won’t smother the coals as you would by putting inside the oven, can easily add coals if needed and easily remove the lid.

[davebetker]

I use a round wire rack/trivet inside as a thermal break and a round cake pan to do pies and cakes, bread in camp, wooden utensils to avoid removing the seasoning

[keithrayeski]

This is why Dan is the guru of bushcraft!!! You should have a TV show BUT, I prefer you here!!