There are many individuals that are looking for tips to help them get started with some easy dutch oven recipes. Dutch ovens are an old and reliable method for cooking, and are regaining in popularity. Unfortunately, not many know how to use them, so the following are some tips to help you cook with your dutch oven.
Remember that you can always look inside the oven to see how things are looking. Do not be afraid to pop the top. Usually this will not spoil the food. We aren't dealing with a 'pressure cooker' here! Just remember not to do so too frequently as you will be releasing a lot of heat that is necessary for the food to cook properly.
Usually, steam escaping out from under the lid will imply that the heat is too much. Either reduce the heat or remove the pot until the coals have reduced some. Remember that heat regulation is often key with dutch oven recipes.
Try to turn the dutch oven about every 15 minutes. This will usually help reduce the browning of the foot in central areas and/or overcooking certain areas while undercooking other.
When you do rotate the dutch oven, turn it about 90 degrees. Try to stay rotating clockwise so that you do not accidentally rotate clockwise once, then counterclockwise the next. Effectively negating the rotation.
Always use caution when handling the dutch oven. Use mits or a thick towel to touch the pot as it can often hold heat for long periods of time and no one wants to burn themselves now do they?
Slightly more advance dutch oven cooking tips can involve using the briquettes properly. Adding, removing, or moving them usually be a way to adjust and/or monitor heat levels in the oven. This was the effective method when dutch ovens were frequently used, and we should learn the same if we want to be excellent campfire chefs!
When you become more comfortable cooking with dutch ovens, you can learn to stack and/or shuffle multiple ovens. This can be a bit advanced so keep it for later if you are new. But this ability will greatly increase food variety and decrease time spent cooking.
If you really want to become proficient at cooking easy dutch oven recipes, then you should take the time to watch how 'old timers' cook with dutch ovens, and take the time to learn from good old fasioned experience. The best way to learn is to do, and this is definitely true when it comes to easy dutch oven recipes.
