Subject: Re: What is a Dutch Oven?

From: [email-masked] (Doug Kennedy)
Date: 22 Oct 1994 19:44:48 GMT

[email-masked] (Nadir A. El Farra):
> Hi folks,
> 	I was recently at Major Suplus in Gardena, California.  In their
> book department, there was quite a bit on Dutch ovens.  I didn't have time
> to thumb through them - could someone give me a synopsis of how they work
> and why they're of interest to survivalists? 
>

Here's some ascii art:

 |         |
 |_________|
  |   |   | 

You've got a cast-iron pot with three legs arranged like a tripod.
Cast iron distributes heat evenly, and when properly cared for, has a
durable (and replenishable) non-stick surface.  You apply cooking oil
or shortening to the pot, which fills the pores in the cast iron and
coats the surface.  The legs are there so you can sit it on top of
coals, and still have a level cooking surface (if you don't level your
oven, cakes and the like will be thin (and burnt) on one side, and
thick (and undercooked) on the other.)

You also have a tight fitting, flat lit.

 |____I____|

The "I" in the center is the handle of the lid.  Notice the rim around
the edge.  With this, you can pile coals on top and not worry about them
falling off.  (Especially when you remove the lid to check the food!)

Charcoal briquettes are the fuel of choice for dutch ovens.  With briquettes
you have uniform heat sources that you can place under and on top of the
oven.  Using briquettes eliminates hot spots that'll burn your food.  You
also don't have to wait a long time for wood to burn down to coals...

You can use the oven, with or without lid, for boiling or simmering soup,
stew, etc.  You can also use the oven (or the inverted lid on metal spikes)
for frying.  Only when you bake do you have to add coals to the top lid.
Just be sure to put twice the number of coals on top, than you do on bottom.
You can conserve even more fuel by stacking smaller ovens on top of larger
ones (in which case you don't need quite as many coals on top of the
one on bottom.)

Back to your original question, why dutch ovens for survival?  Well, these
are what the Pioneers used to cook their food as they traveled west over
the Oregon Trail.  Heck, it's what most everybody used, before stoves were
widely available.  I'm not so sure that stoves were that great of an idea :)

If you plan on using a dutch oven as part of your emergency food preparation,
you ought to stock up on a few items.  I'll try to do a list:

Charcoal briquettes.  (takes about 20-24 to cook a meal w/ a 12" oven.  Rotate
                       these every year, so they'll always light for you.)
Cooking oil or shortening. 
Paper towels or rags  (to clean a dutch oven, just wipe it out and rinse with
                       clean water.  Wipe dry and store.  Paper towels make
                       this easier, although you can use rags.)

As far as equipment:

Dutch ovens (a 10" and 12" oven will do most anything for 4-5 person group)
10" spikes  (to you can use the lid as a griddle, or a lid rest, or for
             leveling an oven on uneven ground)
Hammer      (I use the claw to remove hot lids--they make fancy tools that
             do the same thing)
Tongs       (to handle hot coals--I use a big pair of pliers)

and, a pair of gloves might be nice (with the hammer I never need them.)
Toss in your usual outdoor cooking utensils, and you'll be set.

There are several good books written on the subject. Here's a couple
I had at hand;

Hopkins, Lynn.  _Dutch Oven Secrets_.  Bountiful, Utah : Horizon Publishers,
c1990.  ISBN 0-88290-372-1.

This book has detailed instructions on how to use your oven, and plenty of
good recipes.  There are also sections on cooking for large groups, and the
use of a dutch oven in a home food-storage program.

Holm, Don.  _Old-Fashioned Dutch Oven Cookbook_.  Caldwell, Ohio : Caxton,
1989, c1969.  ISBN 87004-133-9.

Also covers basic dutch oven care and use, and lots of dutch oven recipes.
Emphasises wild game (dutch ovens can turn an old boot into a tender,
tasty meal!)  Includes information on gutting, skining, and boning game,
sourdough cooking, and drying and/or smoking meat.  Also has a chapter
on the eating habits of  the Lewis and Clark expedition (and man, did they
ever eat!)

Hopefully this answered your question,

-- 

-- Doug Kennedy (N5RQI) <[email-masked]> --
--            University of Oklahoma            --
--  School of Library and Information Studies   --