01/29/08

One of my favorite questions is "How hot is my fire?"  Here is how to use the Hand Thermometer:

Hold palm at the place you want your food to go:  Over coals for broiling, in front of a reflector for baking.  Count "One-one thousand", "Two-one thousand" and so on, for the number of seconds that you can stand to hold your hand.  Move your hand to find the temperature you want.

	Hand removed at count	Heat	Temperature
	6 to 8	LOW	120 to 175 C 250 to 350 F
	4 to 5	Moderate	175 to 200 C 350 to 400 F
	2 to 3	Hot	200 to 230 C 400 to 450 F
	1 or less	VERY HOT	230 to 260 C 450 to 500 F

Good ol’ Dutch Oven cookin' dates back to the frontier days, some 200 hundred years ago. The authentic Dutch oven was, and still is, a heavy cast iron kettle or pot with a cast iron lid. The inventor is said to be Paul Revere. It was the original outdoor cooking utensil of preference, carried by early trappers, explorers, cowboys and settlers and of necessity, became their most essential piece of equipment. Without a doubt it is one of the most important pieces of survival gear that helped tame our southwest.

Dutch ovens are designed like a large cast iron frying pan with high sides and a heavy lid, and a heavy wire bail for a handle, instead of an extended grip handle. The lid has a lip that fits tight and the top dips concave to hold hot coals. It has a flat bottom and three short legs. When the Dutch oven is placed over hot coals it becomes a cooking pot. When it is placed over hot coals with top of the lid filled with coals, it becomes an oven. Like cast iron frying pans, they are made in various diameters. The most common size is 12 inches. The lid itself can be turned upside down and used for a griddle. Ovens can even be stacked, one on top of the other to cook various courses of a meal at the same time. The Dutch oven is an amazingly versatile cooking utensil for stewing, roasting, frying and baking over open fires. (Yes, the Dutch oven can also be used in the manner of any cast iron pot on a stove).

Today, it becomes a generational bonding experience for those who gather around the campfire to tell stories about their ancestral pioneers and cowboys or recite legends of old prospectors.  Since the presence of charcoal briquettes, hot coals are easier to control and with just a little experience anyone can bake a wonderful cobbler or cook a sumptuous pot roast in a Dutch oven.  I can hear that chuck wagon cook hollerin; "come’n git it or I’ll spit in the skillet!"

A cast iron Dutch oven absorbs and distributes heat from coals very evenly, but such things as wind, outside temperature and foods being cooked are factors affecting oven temperatures. Since the arrival of charcoal briquettes, controlling oven temperatures became a little easier. When baking in a 12" Dutch oven, here is a simple formula using charcoal briquettes. Place 9 hot briquettes underneath and 15 on the lid. Generally speaking one third below, two thirds above. This will hold the oven at approximately 325-350 degrees. Oven temperatures are affected approximately 25 degrees higher or lower, for every two coals added or subtracted. Knowing this formula helps in estimating the use of any campfire coals. Baking biscuits is a good way to start. If your Dutch oven is too hot, biscuits tend to bake too fast and turn out hard. If temperature is too low, biscuits bake too slow and turn out soggy. Enjoy!

Ed Keenan © 2003

Cast Iron Care:

New Pans:

1. Heat the oven to 250° - 300°
2. Coat the pan with a solid vegetable shortening, bacon grease or lard, do not use a liquid vegetable oil because it will leave a sticky surface and the pan will not be properly seasoned.
3. Put the pan in the oven. In 15 minutes, remove the pan & pour out any excess grease. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 2 hours.

Repeating this process several times is recommended as it will help create a stronger "seasoning" bond. Also, when you put the pan into service, it is recommended to use it initially for foods high in fat, such as bacon or foods cooked with fat, because the grease from these foods will help strengthen the seasoning.

Cleaning:

After cooking in the pan, DO NOT use a detergent to clean it. That will destroy the seasoning. Put hot water in the pan and bring it to a boil. CAUTION: Do not put cold water in a hot pan! Let the pan soak for several minutes, then wipe it out with a paper towel. If something sticks, scrape it with a spoon to dislodge it. Do not use a brillo pad to scour it! An abrasive pad cuts into the seasoned surface. Then, reheat the pan and apply a fine coating of shorting, oil, or Pam. Do not apply enough to run. Just enough to wet the surface with a fine layer.

Pans that need Re-Seasoned:

If the pan was not seasoned properly or a portion of the seasoning wore off and food sticks to the surface or there is rust, then it should be properly cleaned and re-seasoned.

1. Remove any food residue by cleaning the pan thoroughly with hot water and a scouring pad. I understand that heating the pan first to a temperature that is still safe to touch helps open the pores of the metal and makes it easier to clean.
2. Dry the pan immediately with dish towel or paper towel.
3. Season the pan as outlined above.