Shake or Bake

By Keith Fisher

It started out as a great family, fishing trip. The full moon prevented us from catching any fish but we had fun playing with crawdads and chatting. I made waffles and eggs with real maple syrup a friend brought to us from Alberta. This syrup isn’t the thin, runny stuff we get in the supermarket, It's so thick you have to wait for it to ease out of the bottle. I discovered if you leave it in the sun for awhile, it will pour easier.

Now, as I was saying, the trip started out great, but like all good things, there was a lesson in it for me, maybe two or three.

Back in 2003, after a frustrating experience with my camp trailer, I came home and bought a new camp trailer. It was more out of pride and anger than deliberation. I had a better job then—I figured we had the money. Don’t get me wrong, however, I’ve never regretted buying the new trailer. It has brought us much joy and family togetherness.

Our trailer has a retractable awning attached. It's nothing special, not like the motor home parked next to us. I watched that camper step out in the morning, push a button and the awning unrolled on its own, but I digress. My awning came with specific instructions that if not obeyed, would void the warranty.

Last weekend, we were camped in the middle of the campground, on a very hot sunny day—RV’s were all around us. A microburst wind came out of nowhere. It blew my awning up, and over the trailer, tossing camping gear, and awning parts, everywhere.

This devastating event would’ve been easier to swallow, but mine was the only camp in the whole campground affected by the wind. After the event, I looked around with a vengeful eye, hoping at least one other awning would have been taken.

I promise, I’ll repent of my vindictive attitude, but why me? Okay, I’ve got it under control. Would you like to know what I recommend?

First, leaving the awning up was not an option. We were in Renegade Campground at Strawberry Reservoir in Utah (no trees). At 6000 feet the sun will rip your hide off. So it was either risk the shake of the wind or bake in the sun.

Second, forget the instructions, detach the vertical legs from the trailer, and anchor them to the ground. Not with tent pegs either. Have you ever seen the size of stakes they use in the circus to anchor a tent? You get the idea.

A 20-pound double jack has become part of my camping gear. Along with some thick rope and 2-foot long, 1-inch thick stakes. As for my awning, I’m still in shock. I’ll let you know how it turns out. In the meantime, I have two easy-up canopies I can anchor down.

As for microburst winds, I was scheduled to give the lesson in Priesthood meeting on Sunday. I considered getting out of it and staying over Saturday night, but the wind convinced me I’d better go home and do my duty.

Here’s a cooking tip for you. If you cook on a free standing propane stove, consider getting a shorter set of legs for it. You can sit in your lawn chair. And relax while you flip pancakes. It also makes watching a waffle iron much easier.

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Another Solution

By Keith Fisher

While having lunch in the park one day, a pickup truck pulled up. Two men jumped out and unloaded a backyard, propane barbecue. They rolled it over to a table, then rolled it across the park to another. They cooked food for a family on it and lay on the grass to nap away their full stomachs.

I turned to look at the permanently installed charcoal barbecue next to our table. I glanced at the ones next to the other tables in the park and I wondered. I turned to my companions, and mentioned the trouble the group across the way went to in order to barbecue in the park. "But nobody uses those gross barbecues," they responded.

I considered that for awhile. The barbecue by our table was full of ash and litter. The grill was caked with remnants of meat, grilled long ago. Then I thought of other parks I’ve been to. Some of those barbecues had never been used. I wondered why. What is wrong with using a public facility?

The barbecue unloaded by my neighbors across the way was old. The grill was caked with remnants of meat grilled long ago, just like the one by my table. Hmmmm, I thought. The only difference between the propane grill they brought from home and the one by my table, was fuel type. So I’d like to point out the campground barbecue appliances and tell you how to use them.

First, clean out the old ashes and litter. A fireplace shovel works divinely, but a regular shovel works well too. Campground hosts and park rangers clean these out frequently, however, so you’ll probably have a clean space to pile your charcoal anyway.

Next, start the fire. Put a pile of charcoal in the pan, squirt some lighter fluid on, and light the fire. When the coals start turning gray, it’s ready to grill. Spread the coals out in the pan for even cooking.

While the fire gets going, use a wire brush and clean off some the carbon deposits from the grill. (This is easier the hotter the grill gets). It really isn’t necessary to clean it, because heat takes care of any germs that may be on the grill, but if it makes you feel better, go for it.
The next step is simple. Start grilling. You will enjoy the taste of the charcoal in the meat instead of the taste of propane.

Now let me talk about other solutions. I have a tabletop barbecue that uses disposable propane bottles. It’s relatively cheap and goes on sale frequently. I tuck it in with the other camping stuff before I go, but the best solution I have found is the grill box that fits on top of a Campchef stove. As a camp cook, I’m going to be taking my stove anyway, so why bother with another grill.

When you buy that perfect backyard barbecue, and give it a prominent place in your backyard, you don’t want to haul it all over the place. There are other solutions, but don’t be afraid of the campground grills, they work fine. In fact, once you use one, you might go home and build one in your backyard.

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Picking and Choosing-part two

By Keith Fisher

You will remember last time, when we started our discussion about choosing the right Dutch oven for you. I started writing the second half today, and discovered I had 1100 words. I decided you'd probably fall asleep reading it, so I think I'll change my plans. Will it be okay if we split the subject up into brief reviews of each manufacturer, and talk about materials in another blog? We learned how to choose quality last time, but remember you get what you pay for.

Did you get a chance to go to the store and look at Dutch ovens? Did you check out the ringing sound cast iron makes? Interesting isn’t it? Keep in mind that with some types of Dutch ovens you won’t be able to perform that test. It works on what we call a camp oven, because a camp oven has a bail. What is a camp oven? Read on . . .

First off, the term Dutch oven is relative. Many types of heavy pots can lovingly be called a Dutch oven. Some are cast iron with an enamel coating, and some are made of clay. Many of them can be used in camp but for purposes of clarity, the camp oven is what most camp cooks talk about.

By definition, the camp oven is a cast metal pot with a bail, a flanged lid, and three or more legs attached to the bottom. The legs keep the pot off the coals. The bail is for pouring from the pot and for ease in carrying it. The flanged lid is useful to keep coals from sliding off.

Now, as I said above, there are many types of ovens that can be used in camping. Any pot (or pan for that matter) can be used on a fire. It can be held off the coals by employing a spider, or trivet—basically, portable legs of some kind. Three rocks can work, but it’s unstable and I wouldn’t recommend it. A makeshift flange can be fashioned from tinfoil around the edge of the lid and the bail can be replaced with a pair of hot-pads, or a good pair of leather gloves.

There are many types of camp ovens on the market, and many hand-made varieties. Over the next few months we’ll talk about a few. But for now, here’s a cool recipe for you.

Beef Enchiladas
14-inch, 12-inch, Dutch ovens

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
  


• 1 medium white onion
  


• 1 1/2 pkgs flour tortillas
  


• 1 1/2 pkgs taco seasoning
  


• 2 large cans enchilada sauce
  


• Shredded cheese
  

Dice onion. In 12-inch Dutch oven over bottom heat only, brown hamburger and onions. Set aside and keep warm. Invert a 14-inch Dutch oven lid and place on a trivet over 25-30 hot coals and heat tortillas one at a time both sides. When heated put meat mixture, and a little cheese on the tortilla. Then fold the ends in and using your little finger, keep the ends tucked while rolling the tortilla. Place rolled tortilla into the 14-inch Dutch oven that has a thin layer of sauce covering the bottom. Roll the enchilada in the sauce and place against one edge of the oven. Continue this process until oven is filled. Pour the rest of the sauce and meat over all and cover with cheese. Put the lid on the oven and bake with 10 coals on the bottom and 18 coals on top until the contents bubble and the cheese is melted.

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Picking and Choosing, which One Should You Buy

By Keith Fisher

The holiday is behind us, it’s time to start planning for the next one. It’s also time to purchase that Dutch oven you’ve always wanted. One of the most asked questions I get is, "Which Dutch oven should I buy?" It depends on what you want to cook. I know that sounds flippant, but when I finish, you will understand.

In order to discuss the answers to this question, we will talk about five manufacturers and five factors: cost, quality, size, type, and material.
With constantly rising prices today, perhaps cost should be the most important factor, but let’s start with size.

Size

Amongst outdoor cooks, the 12-inch Dutch oven is generally regarded as the standard. It’s the official Dutch oven of the Boy Scouts of America, and it can feed five to ten people, depending on what you cook. But what if you’re cooking for only two? Using the Lodge Mfg. list of sizes, let’s explore the answer to that, and the opposite question, that of needing to feed many people.

At the bottom of the scale is the 8-inch Dutch oven. This is a good size for sauces and parts of larger dishes, but it’s also a great size for two pieces of chicken. You can use it to cook a whole one-pot meal for one person. Next, is the 10-inch size. Use it for two, maybe three people, sometimes four. The sizes increase in proportion with 12, 14, and 16-inch sizes. Also, there are deep models for large items such as roasts, or big pots of stew.

Other manufacturers have different standard sizes and some make only deep sizes. But for the most part, you can find 5 ½-inch through 22-inch. I’ll show you the different sizes in a chart at the end of the article. So, how many people are you cooking for? What size will you need?

One Saturday, about the time I started cooking in Dutch ovens, my wife had to work. I was in my garden and didn’t want to be interrupted, but I wanted to do something nice for her. I wanted to cook dinner without leaving my garden. I found the Dutch oven and started cooking a Venison roast. I added carrots and potatoes from the garden. Of course I had to add corn on the cob. Before long, I had more food than we could eat. I called my dad and brother. They came to eat and thus began a long list of backyard parties. I found that if I cooked in Dutch ovens, more people would come than when I invited people to come to a barbecue. I started with a 12-inch, but if I had started with a 10, or even an 8, I might never have noticed the joy of cooking Dutch oven for parties.

Quality

The next factor we should talk about is quality. I once had a sporting goods salesman ask me if I ever worked in a foundry. I replied that no, I hadn’t. To which he asked, "Then how do you know what is a good casting and what isn’t?" I believe my answer was that I have eyes and I can see cracks. You too, have eyes and you are intelligent beings. You can tell a good product from a poor one.

Now, I realize that most Dutch ovens are packaged in a box the store won’t let you open, but most stores have a display model and most manufacturers have standards you can trust. There are some that don’t, and we will talk about those later, but realize the display is a good indication.

Pick up the piece, look at it, feel it. Does it have obvious imperfections? Can you see grind marks where the post-production people removed the flaws? Please note manufacturers grind the edge where the lid fits that pot. This is normal, but if you see grind marks on the cooking surface or on the outside, beware. You can cook in that oven but it will never be smooth, and the seasoning will never stick to those grind marks.

That brings us to the pores. Cast iron is porous. Those pores hold carbonized material, making a non-stick, smooth surface. If the pores in the sample you look at are large, it’ll be hard to get them to close which will cause food to stick.

Look for uneven casting. If the wall of your oven has thick and thin places, these will be hot spots and the food can burn easier next to them unless you keep it moving.

Imperfections in the casting can turn into cracks, rough spots will never be seasoned, and I’ve even seen ovens that cracked and split in half. A good test is to hold the pot by the bail (handle). Then tap the oven with a metal object. The cast iron should have a high pitched ringing sound. If it makes a thunk sound, it’s a bad casting and it will let you down.

I need to go and cook something now, but we’ll continue our discussion in the next blog. We’ll talk about types, material, and the always important cost factors. Also we’ll talk about manufacturers. Don’t miss it. In the meantime get out to the store and take a look. Don’t buy anything yet and if you have questions, leave them in the comment trail.

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Putting my Pots into Practice

By Keith Fisher

I know I promised to talk about Dutch ovens today, but it’s been one of those weeks when you end up with too many tasks and not enough time to do them. Now I’m camping cooking a pile of good food. I came back down the canyon in the middle of the night in order to post my blog. I need to hurry back to make waffles and eggs. Later, I’m making baked beans and bratwurst.

I realize that most of you won't read this til Monday but some of you will read it today, July 4, I suggest you make your holiday great. Invite your friends and family to eat it what you cook, and take a bow when they start the applause. Since I’m taking a little break, I’m going to show a few Dutch oven dishes I’ve encountered over the years. I cooked some of them. Click on the picture to see a biger one.

See you next time. when we talk about Dutch oven types and styles.

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Independent Thinking

By Keith Fisher

Big doings are planned in most families this weekend. It’s Independence Day, and the Fisher clan is going camping. Yes, I’ll bring my Dutch ovens, and yes I’ll be cooking for the masses.

Since we started celebrating the birth of our country, many traditions have crept into our culture. Not the least of these, is mans desire to cook and eat outdoors. There’s just something about stepping outside, firing up the grill, and burning something beyond recognition. Ah yes, the taste of charcoal in the afternoon.

Usually the farthest thing from our minds at these times, is safety. Yes, I’m sorry, guys, I said the ‘S’ word. I know it’s hard, but we need to talk about it. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, 10,000 people were injured last year in Fireworks accidents—11 people died, but what about barbecue accidents? Remember guys, It’s HOT, and heat will start fires or possible explosions.
tahnks

Here is a recipe for you:

Sanpete Chicken marinade

• 1 cup soy sauce
  
• 1 cup 7-Up
  
• 1 cup vegetable oil
  

Marinate the meat for 24 hours then place on the Barbecue. Medium heat, turn over when brown on one side. Try it with 1 tablespoon of Horseradish.

If you really want to relax this weekend and have a taste treat at the same time, use a Dutch oven, and leave the Barbecue alone this year. Here is the recipe:

• 1 onion diced
  
• 1 red Bell pepper diced
  
• 1 green bell pepper diced
  
• 6-8 chicken breasts (boneless)
  
• Two bottles BBQ sauce I like honey and hickory
  

Cut the veggies. Place in the bottom of a 12-inch Dutch oven. Sauté in a dab of olive oil. use bottom heat only. When translucent, add the chicken and cover. Keep your coals in a ring, no coals in the center of the circle. Add coals to the lid to cook chicken. When the chicken is done, let it rest without heat. About 40 minutes before serving, add BBQ sauce. Stir and simmer over bottom heat.

While it cooks, you can relax and talk to your guests. Who wants to worry about slaving over a hot grill on Independence Day anyway?

Next time, we’ll start a two-part discussion about how to choose the right Dutch oven. Have a great 4th.

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Making a Molehill Out of a Mountain

By Keith Fisher

In all the classes, demos, and cook offs I’ve done over the years, one of the questions I always receive is, "How do I clean a Dutch oven?" The question came up again this week, so I decided to answer the question here.

I told the inquirer that cleaning a Dutch oven is quick and easy, but she didn’t agree.

In every Dutch oven event, you will find a group of hard-liners that will tell you never to use soap on a Dutch oven. There are others who invert the cast iron over a campfire and burn out the remains of a meal. I have a friend who listened to all the advice on the subject, shook his head, and tossed his Dutch oven in the dishwasher. I’ve also seen another, more experienced cook use a big tub of soapy water to clean hers.

The point is it’s your Dutch oven, do with it what you want. That being said let me provide some insight:

I once heard a story about a man that cooked a meal for a neighbor. He left it in the Dutch oven and took it over. He got worried when the pot didn’t come back right away. When he finally got it back, the neighbor apologized and said, "I scrubbed and scrubbed and I just couldn’t get all the black off. Remember when I wrote about seasoning your cast iron? See below. It’s the seasoning that is the question, the reason for all the fuss.

It has been proven, harsh detergent removes seasoning, but so does sugar and acidic foods like tomatoes. Not to mention what can happen with a metal spoon. It is a constant battle to protect the seasoning, but in time, your cast iron will have a seasoned surface that is much better than Teflon. When that happens, cleanup is easy.

Here are the rules. Remove the leftovers. If the meal was moist or sticky you may need to soak the Dutch oven in hot water. Use a soft rag to wash it out then rinse well, and dry. Next, feel the surface. If it feels rough and sandy, use a light coating of vegetable oil. If it’s smooth, you won’t need oil. The oil protects against rust but it also turns rancid so use only what you need, or heat up your oven after oiling it, starting the seasoning process again.

I have a Dutch oven that I use as my cake oven. The seasoning is so perfect I never oil it. I never wash it either. I use a paper towel and wipe it clean. Most times a paper towel is sufficient, but make sure you get it clean.

Now a note about sanitation:

Use common sense. You can tell when something is clean. If it isn’t, use soap. A tablespoon of bleach in a gallon of water will sanitize, but use your favorite method. Remember food-born illness can’t exist at certain temperatures. If you heat up your oven before using it again, it should be safe.

Our ancestors did it everyday, but even they had trouble with lost seasoning. I read an account once about a mountain man who wrote in a journal saying he was glad to get some bear meat because after boiling roots for three weeks, the seasoning was wearing off.

A final note:

Cast iron is porous. When it’s heated the pores open and every taste that has been in that oven goes into what you are cooking. Some say that includes detergents. Thus the argument to avoid using soap in your Dutch oven, if possible. Don’t be afraid of the molehill. You can always scrape off the old, and start a new seasoning.

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clicking here.

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