The Dutch Oven

[fifi]

Who knew that Texas has its own official cooking impliment! But it doesn't take a leap of faith to believe that we would have clubs and official gatherings.

Earlier this year, the society lobbied successfully to have the Dutch oven proclaimed Texas' official state cooking implement, a "totally awesome" accomplishment, according to the group's recent newsletter. Texans are said to be tough and resourceful. If there's any pot you could describe in the same terms, it's a Dutch oven.

I have a dutch oven someplace around here. My nephew has about three. His are the really useful ones with legs or the lid that can hold hot coals. They are his pot of choice for the hunting camp. But these folks take the art of cowboy cooking to new levels.

Keep in mind that every dish was cooked in a three-legged cast-iron Dutch oven, over and under burning coals. There was lots more, though the Food Pyramid gang might wish for some vegetables: bayou beef with rice. Tex-Mex stew. Turkey breast with gravy. Hawaiian chicken. Indian chicken. King Ranch chicken. Sweet potatoes with marshmallow cream. Beer-braised stuffed brisket. Cowboy potatoes. Peach cobbler. Cherry-cheesecake cobbler. Cherry pie. Pecan pie. Bread pudding times two.

Some of those look like real challenges. But, it appears that with a little thought and technique, you can cook a lot of things beyond chili!

[jsolomon]

"They say you can cook anything in these ovens that you cook at home," Jim Bratcher of Lewisville told me, "except a waffle." He got that wrong. Tom and Jeanne Raykovich of College Station make waffles in theirs.

I must see that to believe it.

[fifi]

I am having a bit of trouble visualizing the waffle thing as well.

[Richard Kilgore]

Interesting find, Linda. I am not sure about this group literally saving the Dutch oven from extinction, though. Wal-Mart and the outdoor big-boxes like Cabella's and Bass-Pro carry and move an enormous amount of Lodge cast-iron Dutch ovens, skillets, griddles, deep fryers and such.

I have three without legs, but do not use them much indoors, given the advantages of enamelled cast-iron. The one large Dutch oven with legs goes camping and often is responsible for the cobbler. I could use two more of these in different sizes, but this time in the pre-seasoned Lodge.

[Kent Wang]

I wonder if anyone broke out their Le Creuset.

[joiei]

I don't think the price of the Le Creuset is worth it when my Lodge works just as well and is a heck of a lot easier on the pocket book. I have one piece of Le Creuset, the large rectangle roaster and it makes killer lasagna. The dutch oven I have was given to me by my ex sister in law when they divided everything after the divorce.

[fifi]

Well . . . I use the LC because it is easy to clean and because you can put acidic ingredients in it. But . . . These folks are cooking over an open fire. The regular cast iron is a lot more practical for that.

[Richard Kilgore]

Is raw cast iron really more practical than enameled cast iron for campfire cooking? Does the open fire harm the enamel, or just coat it with smoke?

[OliverB]

I have to get me one of those with legs, I want to do more open fire cooking (that 7 fires book does that to you...). I have some LC knockoffs from Target that work great and cost a fraction, I find LC way overpriced for what they are. They are pretty though.

All the Lodge stuff is really good quality and works very well. I'd not put an enamel one in the fire, not so much for fear of it coming off, I doubt that, but I could imagine that it might discolor and stain, which would be sad, especially with an expensive LC pot.

Open fire cooking is so much fun :-)

without having time to google right now, anybody know why it's called a Dutch oven, if it's from Texas?

[Special K]

About what you'd expect - apparently the first really good ones were manufactured in Holland in the 17th Century.