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trish
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| Posted: Feb 14 2009 at 11:52am | IP Logged
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I was decluttering the kitchen this past week and in my cleaning I found my cast iron Dutch Oven that I purchased two summers ago in a pregnancy haze. 
I know I've used one for making stew before but I bought this for roasts and chicken, I have no idea how to use it for this purpose.  Could someone give me some pointers please? It's a really nice one and could very easily fit a 8 lb chicken or a 6 lb roast. I remember I bought it for the chickens we were going to raise that year but somehow that never happened. 
Thanks so much! 
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Mackfam
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Trish - Is your dutch oven plain cast iron or enameled cast iron??
I use my enameled cast iron dutch oven weekly if not daily! I use it just as I would a slow cooker.
For a Roast:
I coat the roast in salt, pepper, garlic powder and flour. I cover the bottom with a good oil - something like sesame or safflower oil that is good for high heat applications. I brown the roast on all sides.
(The next part is optional) Sometimes, I remove the roast and make a roux with the yummy stuff left in the bottom of the pot, but more often than not...
I just pour in some beef stock right over the roast (either homemade or a good one from the store - if from the store, I pour in the whole carton), about a cup of a good white wine, some mushrooms, carrots, potatoes...put on the lid, turn the heat down to low and walk away for the day!
We eat this over rice.
I like our dutch oven a lot and use it for everything from making spaghetti to roasts, to slow cooking pork chops! I've used it on the cooktop and in the oven with great success.
*If* you have a dutch oven that is NOT enamel coated you'll want to avoid tomato based/acidic sauces. If your dutch oven is enamel coated you can use it for just about everything. Honestly, I think this is a staple pot in my house. The weight and the great heat retention of the cast iron cook so well and the little dimples on the lid of the dutch oven baste meats so that they are always tender and moist when done cooking!
I, too would love to hear how others use their dutch ovens! Thanks for starting this thread, Trish!
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trish
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| Posted: Feb 16 2009 at 2:56pm | IP Logged
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Thanks!!
It's not enameled but if it's anything like my old seasoned cast iron frying pan I'm sure I'll love it. I use that all the time.
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MelissaClaire
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Bumping this up, because I just saw a 6 qt one advertised in the Costco magazine for $49 and I'm intrigued. Anyone else have one and care to share how you use it?
Thanks!
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I use it for just about anything -- roast stovetop, roast in the oven, bake bread in (try a no-knead or almost-no-knead recipe), cooking pasta, etc. Wow, Melissa, $49 for a 6-qt? Have any idea where it's made?
That's mighty tempting, but I'm saving up for the Vita-Mix Costco tour coming up.
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MelissaClaire
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| Posted: Oct 01 2009 at 8:36pm | IP Logged
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Stef--thank you for your reply.
I don't believe teh magaize mentioned where it was made and this is all I can find online about it:
dutch oven
They were just doing a vita-mix demo in my store a week or 2 ago and it looks interesting--but really expensive. Are they really worth it? What will you be using yours for?
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DianaC
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think it was this thread that inspired me to start learning about dutch oven cooking.
Apparently, my son had already learned the wonders of dutch oven cooking in scouts but had not shared with me.
This is such a versatile way to cook, not to mention a simple, inexpensive alternative if we should lose power and not be able to use our stove.
The boy scouts have a wealth of information on using and caring for dutch ovens as well as lots of recipes at this site:
Boy Scout Dutch Oven Cooking
Also, I found this book at our library called Glorious One Pot Meals with a very diverse list of recipes and a wealth of information on how to properly use seasonings and such in dutch oven cooking. The author also has this website:Glorious One Pot Meals
Enjoy!
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Seconding the Boy Scout recommendation...we made macaroni and cheese in ours (Google Dutch oven macaroni and cheese...) last week.
We also use ours for pot roasts (Jennifer's recipe is very similar to mine, although I boost the potatoes and skip the rice). Baking cobblers in Dutch ovens is a favorite Boy Scout pastime.
You can use it on the stove, too - chicken cacciatore leaps to mind - not just in the oven.
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I'm way excited about the Costco oven. I think I'm headed to Costco sometime this weekend...I'll check it out! I'll also bug some poor employee to figure out where it is made if it isn't on the box 
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You can cook any recipes you would do in a slow cooker in the dutch oven. The "high" temperature setting is 300, the "low" temperature setting is 200. I use mine all the time! I usually add about 1/2 c.-1 c. more liquid than I would use in the crock pot.
One yummy dish I made recently was sort of made-up "coq au vin". I oiled the pot, browned chicken thighs in it, then added chopped up onions, celery, mushrooms, and carrots. I poured some chicken broth and red wine over the top, seasoned with salt, pepper, and thyme. Very basic. I cooked it about 1 hour at 300, then 4 hours at 200.
You can take any meat and add some vegies and seasonings with a little liquid and you have dinner.
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Alright I'll admit it... I have no idea what a dutch oven is!! 
I've been reading this thread and wondering?
Off to google and find out what you ladies are talking about!
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Trish I had no idea how to use mine either . It was my grammas so when I did wish to use it I went for my mennonite cook book as she was mennonite
First thing I made was swiss steak out of some tough steak we had . roll meat in seasoned four , pound with a hammer , fry with oinions in dutch oven , brown really well add boiling water on top to cover meat . cook in slow oven . it is so so yummy and gooey and great with biscuits .
For chicken I do chicken and dumplings in it . I take a whole chciken cut up and fry the pieces . Once again you can roll it in flour first . You can fry with veggies too . This chicken is done on the stove .
cover chciken 7 veggies with water and stew simmer . When chcicken is ready make up your dumpling recipe which is basically a very wet biscuit recipe and add to pot . cook about 20min and its ready .
Baked beans are done really well in dutch oven . I do not use salt pork as it is so expensive I use the left over ham and fat from a roast smoked pork pinic shoulder we've eaten a few nights back . These are done in the oven and cook slow all day too .
Although my mum says beans were always done in a bean pot not a dutch oven but traditional old bean pots are antiques now and very pricey . So I use dutch oven and it works just fine .
Dutch ovens are great stove top or in oven and especially good for stews . Mine is cast iron too not enamel .
This autumn weather is the perfect time to try it out Trish , enjoy
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| Posted: Oct 03 2009 at 4:27pm | IP Logged
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Dh went to Costco as I had somewhere to else to go this morning. I told him just to get the dutch oven. It is Made in China. So I'm still thinking? I know crockpots from China aren't good...or at least a lot aren't. What do you guys think? Where can I get more info? And do you just buy lead test kits at Lowes or Home Depot?
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DianaC
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I just don't trust cookware coming from China. And I've read that the dutch ovens coming from China are coated in a non-food grade shellac that has to be dealt with before you can cook with it.
Target has some good prices on the Lodge brand (which are made in the good ole USA!!) cast iron dutch ovens. For instance, they have a 5 qt. for 29.99.
Target dutch ovens
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Tami
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Fyi, while Lodge cast iron is made in the US, their enameled cast iron is made in China. 
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Yeah...I think I might just take it back. I'll always feel funny about it. A Le Creuset will be on my Christmas list!
Oh and I did see on the Lodge site that they clearly state the enamelware items are from China. It's slightly infuriating trying to find something NOT China made and have it be less than a fortune!
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new kid on the block:
Fontignac, now available at Bed Bath and Beyond. good price points too.
waaah... no budget for this, maybe next year.
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Thank you Stef!!! This looks like the answer I have been looking for!!! LC is too pricey right now for me, but using that handy dandy BB&B coupon for 20% off is very helpful and more doable for us.
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MelissaClaire wrote:
| They were just doing a vita-mix demo in my store a week or 2 ago and it looks interesting--but really expensive. Are they really worth it? What will you be using yours for? |
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I'm actually still debating with myself -- this debate has been ongoing for several years now. Every fall I tell myself, this is the year I get my Vita Mix, then I chicken out and put off the discussion (with myself) 'til next year.
I really mostly want to use it to make smoothies that are high-fiber -- e.g., including the peel, etc. Right now we have a juicer and blender and I don't like the fact that I discard so much pulp. But that sounds like a really minor reason to get such a high-priced blender. I know other people use it for other things but really that's the only thing I need it for. I don't really blend a lot of our soups and I already have a handheld blender. I don't want to grind grain in it because it tends to heat up the grain, plus I already have a grain mill. So... I don't know... maybe I'll get a Fontignac cast iron thingie at BBB with the money instead. As you can see, I still haven't convinced myself. In case you want more info on what to use the Vita-Mix for, though, there are other threads here.
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Wanted to pop back in and say I got the Fontignac from BB&B. Tonight I'm planning on a full chicken with honey and butter. I'll report back! Thanks for that heads up Stef!!! Oh and it is French...everything about it is in French, including their website! It sounds like it is more popular in Europe whereas in US LC gets more noticed.
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Dutch Oven ?
