Dutch oven/braising cookware

[ronfland]

I saw a Kmart ad that Martha Stewart was now making/selling cast iron enamel dutch ovens through Kmart.  I think for 20-40. 

I have the Martha Stewart enamel-coated cast iron oval dutch oven - its FAB, practically identical to the Le Creuset, and a fraction of the price. Mine is the largest one (I don't know the volume) and was about $60US. I've had it for about three years now, and would throw out two of my all clad pots/pans to keep it if I had to.

[Anna N]

Thanks Adam, will add Chasseur to my list while I am on the hunt.........oh I am getting sooooooooooooo confused 

If you have a HomeSense store in Vancouver (we have one here in Burlington, ON) check if they have the LeCreuset - I have seen some real deals on it. And believe it or not, I got a deal and half from Canadian Tire on a whole set of LeCreuset. Anna N

[Al_Dente]

If I had to throw away every piece of cooking equipment I own except one, I'd keep my LeCreuset. It heats perfectly, has many uses, and cleans easily. Comes with a 99 year warranty, so I plan on leaving it to someone worthy of it in my will.

[elyse]

Does e-bay help you at all? They have a couple of Le Creuset pages. Pretty good prices, I think.

[forever_young_ca]

Thanks Anna - we have a Home Sense so I will check it & Canadian Tire out.

I have my three of my grandmother's cast iron fry pans, but want to be able to do some tomato based foods in this one so would prefer enameled cast iron or another addition to my All Clad. However, at this point I am leaning toward the enamelled cast iron rather than All Clad. I think for braising & long simmering the cast iron would be better than stainless steel.

I hope my hubby is up for all this comparison shopping this weekend.

Thanks for all your help & suggestions. I appreciate all your comments very much.

[Marlene]

Thanks Adam, will add Chasseur to my list while I am on the hunt.........oh I am getting sooooooooooooo confused

If you have a HomeSense store in Vancouver (we have one here in Burlington, ON) check if they have the LeCreuset - I have seen some real deals on it. And believe it or not, I got a deal and half from Canadian Tire on a whole set of LeCreuset. Anna N

Gotta love CT

[oraklet]

i am thinking of buying a (used and therefore very cheap) large non-enameled cast iron pot. will it be a waste of money (i believe that anything involving acidity may be problematic, and this seems to be confirmed by anna n)?

[Richard Kilgore]

Since you can buy a new Lodge 5 qt Dutch Oven for about $20, it would be hard to get hurt on one. If it is well used and well-seasoned, it's better than new. Not a waste, just respect its limits.

[Jim Dixon]

I've coooked tomato sauce and other acidic foods in my cast iron for 20 years. I've never detected any kind of metallic taste, and I've never had anyone else say they did. I don't think it's an issue. I recell reading soemthing about getting a little iron, but that's actually one of the benefits of using cast iron.

About the only thing that might happen is a slight loss of the pan's seasoning. The seasoning is actually fat filling the pores of the cast iron, and other foods can remove it, too. But it happens all the time. When it does, just cook something in fat the next time you use the pan or wipe it with a little oil.

Jim

[oraklet]

i think i'll go get it, then!

[oraklet]

another double post. silly me.

Edited March 13, 2003 by oraklet (log)

[forever_young_ca]

Thanks to all the sage advice given to me regarding dutch/french ovens. Since this was one of my first posts in this forum I appreciate your response & depth of knowledge/experience.

I am happy to anounce that I am now the proud owner of Le Creuset's 5.3 litre (5.5 qt) blue round french oven.

I read with interest all the posts regarding round vs oval, & had a difficult decision. I settled on the round blue, but am now lusting after an oval one!

In honour of its french heritage I felt I must do a french dish for its first task. So, as we speak, Jacques Pepin's beef bourginon is gently simmering away.

To all the readers who live in Vancouver Ming Wo's currently have all their Le Creuset on sale 30% off - I got my piece for $160 Canadian- about $100 US at the Chinatown store. Maybe I should have got the oval one as well.................

[slobhan]

why are dutch ovens important? am i missing out or messing up (when a recipe calls for a dutch oven) by not having one?

[Smithy]

why are dutch ovens important? am i missing out or messing up (when a recipe calls for a dutch oven) by not having one?

←

It depends on what you're doing with it, and what you're using instead of a dutch oven. A deep, heavy pot with a tight lid can help retain an even heat to bring out the best in your stews, braises and stovetop roasts. On the other hand, you don't need a dutch oven to make stock.

So:

* what sorts of recipes make you wonder about the dutch oven, and

* what do you use instead?

[slobhan]

So: 

* what sorts of recipes make you wonder about the dutch oven, and

* what do you use instead?

←

I guess it's largely stews & braises that I wonder about. I don't make them often, because when I read "dutch oven" I usually freeze.

What do I use instead? Usually a big sauce pan with a lid.

edited to add this:

in fact, i wikipedia'ed it and there's an old school picture there, but i'm not even sure i know what a dutch oven looks like today.

Edited February 22, 2006 by slobhan (log)

[Chris Amirault]

They look like this.

If your big sauce pan is nice and thick (retains heat) and has a tight-fitting lid, then it can work just fine.

[snowangel]

Chris is right. But, it needs to be really heavy. It should also be able to go from stovetop to oven and back to stovetop.

Don't let a dutch oven scare you! I think, for myself, that it would be far more work to braise something is a saucepan, which probably isn't nearly as heavy as the pans to which Chris linked. Do you do stovetop or in the oven braising and stews? With a really heavy pan, you greatly reduce the possibility of burning the braise or stew.

[nacho]

Yup, also keep in mind that the shape of the pan can change the cooking times/techniques on recipes. I learned this the hard way when making Paul Prudhome's seafood jambalaya one time. My cast iron dutch oven wasn't quite large enough to hold the whole recipe, so I used my taller calphalon 8 qt stock pot. All went well, until the last part of the recipe that called for stirring in the raw peeled and deveined shrimp, cover, and turn off the heat. The recipe said that the heat from the pot will cook the shrimp if you don't pick up the lid for about 10 minutes. I figured, hell, I'll leave it on for 20 minutes just to be safe. I took off the lid, the shrimp were pink and had curled up, so we dug in. Within an hour of dinner, me and my unfortunate dinner partner that evening were fighting over the bathroom.

I guess I needed the jambalaya cooking wider and shorter to cook properly, not tall and skinny.

[John S.]

why are dutch ovens important? am i missing out or messing up (when a recipe calls for a dutch oven) by not having one?

←

They are useful in the kitchen but I always find myself using a heavy stockpot. I find myself using my dutch ovens when I camp or when I go on river trips. They are NOT LC Dutch ovens, just the inexpensive 60.00 large cast iron ones. I use them for desserts like upside down cakes. You put them on coals and cover the tops with coals also, giving a consistent baking temp everywhere.

The only expensive thing similar I use is a French oven - basically a roaster.

John S.

[fannus]

I would have to say that the thing I like most about my Dutch oven is its versatility. It was one of the first larger sized cooking vessels I purchased, I use it for stews, soups, braises, curries, it makes an excellent cooking vessel for savory pies. It's also great beacuse my stovetop and oven both electric, do a terrible job of maintaining a consistent level of heat, so the cast iron really helps keep things more or less constant.

I would say cast iron skillet is to a frying pan as dutch oven is to a pot. More versatile, sturdier and with a much higher specific heat (also my dutch oven has a pretty good nonstick patina on it at this point

[RonC]

I'm beginning to feel like a PR rep for Lodge, but, again, I think cast iron is really great for Dutch ovens -- especially for braising. Mrs. Sidecar has some beef short ribs on order for tomorrow that will be going into the pot for some slooooow cookin'. Ooops, drooled on my keyboard again.

BTW, I know some can taste an "off flavor" when; e.g., tomatoes, are cooked in cast iron. Maybe my ol' taste buds are shot, but I sure don't detect anything in our well-seasoned pots.

Sidecar Ron

[slobhan]

Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate the answers and the fact that I don't feel dumb when I'm asking them here (even if they are basic qs).

If anyone happens to read this -- how can I check for replies to my posts quickly? I keep having to do a search for each thread to see if there are new replies.

Happy Dutch oven cooking!

Siobhan

[Kim WB]

I fyou find that you enjoy braising, then a dutch oven is a good investment. beofre I bought my two beloved LC's, I used the Calpaholon rounded saute pan, about 3-4 inches deep w/ a domed lid..and it worked. But the LC's really take the guess work out of it, and braising is my favorite now. they are calling for snow tomorrow, so I defrosted a duck...in the oval LC it will go...ginger, soy, broth...mmmm.

[Bill44]

It's funny how things vary from country to country. In Australia "Dutch Ovens" are usually only used when camping. They are usually buried in a hole surrounded by hot coals and with hot coals covering the top. They are used like a crock pot slow cooker.

The other use (same coals treatment) is for making "Damper" which is an Aussie unyeasted camp bread, sort of like a big US biscuit.

In Aus. Biscuit = US cookie.

" " Scone = US biscuit.

[Lori in PA]

If anyone happens to read this -- how can I check for replies to my posts quickly? I keep having to do a search for each thread to see if there are new replies.

Happy Dutch oven cooking!

Siobhan

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Hi, Siobhan,

Immediately above the body of your first post above, there's a grey bar and oriented from the right side of the screen it says "track this topic, email this topic...". If you choose "track this topic," you can have an email notification sent to you when someone adds a post to this thread. Alternatively, you can save this page in your "favorites" (that's what it's called by Internet Explorer) and just check it yourself from time to time. Welcome to eGullet!