Dutch oven cooking – Mountain Man breakfast Hash browns, sausage, eggs, and cheese, cooked in a Dutch oven. Our Boy Scout patrols love to make this on campouts. It’s very easy to make, and you’ll get about eight good-sized portions. For complete recipe or more Dutch oven cooking videos, please see my blog at dutchovenvideo.blogspot.com.

Brownwood Texas Dutch Oven Chapter

Dutch oven cooking is fun and easy! This video will show you how to make a delicious pork roast in 2 hours time.

A cake to make in a dutch oven in the campfire coals.

A dutch oven makes campfire cooking easy! This video, the second of a series of 3, demonstrates some basic 1-pot meals: chicken stew, beef stew and a pot of beans. For more information about Texas state parks, including free dutch oven cooking classes, visit www.LifesBetterOutside.org.

Dutch ovens are perfect for cooking meats because you can brown the meat then cook it in the moisture of its own juice all in the same pot.   Here are three rump roast recipes; not all of the recipes call for a dutch oven, but each can be adapted for cooking in a dutch oven very easily.

Rump roast or round steak is very easy to prepare and great for serving a large group of people. Rump roast can be served with just about any side dish you can imagine and is very versatile. It is also very tasty and has a very low fat content but it can also be tough if not prepared properly. By using a few different cooking techniques you will learn what methods and recipes you like best. The following three recipes are simple to prepare and will leave your guests wanting more.

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While I prefer the enamel dutch ovens, my husband enjoys cooking in a cast iron dutch oven when camping.  Here are some advantages and disadvantages of cooking with cast iron cookware:

The use of cast-iron for cooking goes back over 2500 years albeit in Europe countries such as the UK have only used it for about 1000 years after it became popular when folk realised that complete pots with handles could be made using molten metal poured into moulds made out of sand. Originally cast iron pots came with three legs as they were to be used on the open fire.The Benefits of using cast iron cookware

Cast iron offers many other more widely based benefits:

Disadvantages of cast iron cookware

Seasoning cast iron cookwareCast iron must be seasoned to protect the metal from rusting and to provide a non-stick surface. This is a straightforward process which once done shouldn’t need redoing. There are many good articles explaining this process but in summary it comprises of a simple 3 step process:

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Haven’t tried cooking your pizza outdoors yet? Well, read on and you’ll find out how to create your own Dutch oven-cooked pizza like a pro!

Easy-to-make Dough

Many people find dough a bit hassle to make because they don’t really want to spend long hours in the kitchen. So maybe you can just grab a pizza shop dough, just make sure it’s frozen to keep it longer. But you have to try making your own dough. It’s not really that hard and it’ll just take less than an hour to make. You can prepare it earlier, maybe a day or two before your party so you’ll have more time to prepare other things you need.

You can basically make your dough from scratch. All you need is all-purpose flour (unbleached), active dry yeast, oil, salt, sugar or honey, and lukewarm water.

Pizza ring and a stand

The most important thing you have to consider is of course, your tools. I love to cook my pizza using my Dutch oven. This is somewhat a little hard to handle especially for first timers so I suggest you make use of a pizza ring and a stand. The unique advantage of making use of such is the regulation of heat both on top and at the bottom simulating your indoor oven. Your Dutch oven will have the right amount of heat that will cook your pizza to perfection! And by using your Dutch oven, you can definitely add a little flair to your recipe because of the distinctive taste and aroma the smoke brings to your pizza.

Pizza Perfect!

I personally can not resist my pizza with mouth-watering golden crispy crust, lots of cheese and pepperoni and crispy bacon bits. The best thing about cooking your own pizza is that, you can overload it with your favorite toppings and simply omit some ingredients you prefer not to be found in your pizza (well, anchovy is one for me).

You can create your very own version and who knows, you might even get famous for your unique pizza recipe!

Cooking with a Dutch Oven is fun and easy. Any meal can be cooked in a Dutch Oven that would normally be prepared indoors.

The Dutch Oven is a great addition to camping and can be very handy in a power outage. In many parts of the country you can even join club that is designed for fun, cooking, sharing recipes, teaching Dutch Oven cooking, and Dutch Oven Cook offs.

Cooking is simple and easy to master. All you need is a good oven, charcoal, and practice.

Dutch Ovens can be purchased in most any sporting goods store and most ovens come with a complete instruction book, a small book of recipes, and a guide for oven temperatures when using charcoal briquettes.

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My favorite use for my dutch oven is making homemade soup, especially potato soup (yum!).  Here’s a potato soup recipe as well as a split pea soup recipe I hope you will enjoy:

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In my opinion, one of the best places to get really good recipes is from the local churches and other local organizations cookbooks.  When the best cooks in a community come together and share their recipes, it is always a treasure trove of mouth-watering results.  So, needless to say, I have many such books in my vintage collection.  This Pork Split Pea Soup recipe was found in a church cookbook from Waterloo, Iowa.  I have never been to Iowa but was born and raised close by in Indiana.  Since both states are farm states and have a lot in common, I grabbed this old cookbook when I got the chance.  I felt sure it would be full of good recipes and I have not been disappointed.   The potato soup is from an old grocery store in the midwest that gave away recipe cards.  Most of their recipe cards featured quick, easy, and economical recipes.  This soup is no exception.   If you like soup, if you are looking for quick and easy recipes, if you are looking for ways to feed your family economically, here are some old-time recipes to add to your files.

POTATO SOUP

This recipe is another grocery store give-away recipe.6 med potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 tsp seasoned salt
Dash of pepper
1 tbsp parsley flakes
4 cups water
2 cups milk
3 tbsp margarine

Combine potatoes, onion, celery, salt, pepper, parsley, and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes until potatoes are tender. Reduce heat and add milk and margarine. Cook until heated through. Serve hot.

PORK SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 lb dry green split peas (2 cups)
8 cups cold water
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried marjoram, crushed
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb ground pork
3/4 tsp sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3 med potatoes, peeled and diced

Rinse split peas.  In a large kettle or Dutch oven combine split peas, cold water, onion, celery, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, marjoram, and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer till peas are tender, about 1 hour.  Do not drain.  Meanwhile, combine ground pork, sage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  Mix thoroughly.  Shape into twenty-four one-inch balls.  Drop balls and potatoes into soup mixture; return to boiling.  Cover, simmer 20 minutes longer.  Season to taste if needed.

Serves 10 to 12

Enjoy!