The Outdoor Symphony

By Keith Fisher

Now that the holiday is over, It’s time to get into your backyard and do some serious cooking. The weather has been great where I live, and for those in Warmer climates, I can hear the call of the camp cook. Can you hear it? It sounds like the clang of a cast iron lid placed on the pot.

Cold weather can make things harder, but it’s not impossible to cook marvelous meals in your backyard or campground. In fact, I’d like to invite you to check out these pictures. They were taken at a Dutch oven cook off called Klondike.

In 2002 I organized this cook off as a challenge for Dutch oven cooks. That first year, it was 9 degrees when we started cooking. By afternoon, it had warmed up to a tropical 20 degrees. We had cold extremities, but the food was world class.

The cooks found it hard to keep butter from freezing. One team wiped a table top with a wet wash cloth and left the rag on the table. When they came back moments later, the cloth had frozen to the table. Another year, I saw ice being scraped from a marble bread board.

In 2003 someone else directed and me and my wife won. This cook off continued in front of Sportsman’s Warehouse in Provo, Utah for six years. Due to time constraints I wasn’t able to direct the cook off last year, but this year, well stay tuned.

The pictures will show that great looking, great tasting food can be prepared in adverse conditions. I’m sure you will be invited to dozens of Christmas parties this year. Just think of the praise you’ll get if you show up to the potluck with a Dutch oven full of good food, cooked in your backyard. It will be all the better if you had to shovel snow to make room for your Dutch oven table.

I think it’s contest time again. Come back next time and get the details about how you can win a Lodge chuck wagon dinner bell. The outdoor symphony continues . . .



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Black Friday

by Keith Fisher



I’m writing this on the day after Thanksgiving. The merchants call this day, Black Friday. I used to spend this day chasing bargains and rubbing shoulders with humanity, but I’m older now.


Instead, I launch the start of the season by putting up Christmas decorations. I fell in love with Christmas lights years ago. When I moved into my house, I was always the first to turn on my lights. Now, my neighbors beat me to it by at least two weeks, but I have my traditions to uphold.


In my book of customs it says Christmas shouldn’t start until after Thanksgiving. Not this year, however, I have to wait until the roofers I hired are finished.


So, how did Thanksgiving go? Did you take pictures of your turkey? Send them to me and I’ll post them here. I rose early on Thanksgiving this year. I had a turkey to inject and get into my Ultimate Turkey Roaster. Things went well, the Ham turned out okay. The stuffing was delicious, but the turkey . . . well, lets just say I made an error.


Remember I told you to keep moisture in the pot? I did, but . . . well, I had about 60 minutes left and I hadn’t reached temperature yet. I turned up the heat and added water. I never dreamed I would be in trouble. Now, in my defense, I haven’t used the roaster for over a year, but I should have known better.


I went upstairs and lay down. When I got up to take a shower I smelled something burning, went down and found my oven smoking. The water had evaporated and the turkey fat was dripping on the flame. Needless to say, I had smoked turkey this year and it wasn’t a good flavor.


Well, some of the meat tasted fine, but some of the rest tasted like an incinerator. (Good thing I had a ham to serve). We ate both but I noticed the ham went quicker than the turkey, and I have a pile of leftovers.


Remember to make the season Joyful and give of yourself.







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Happy Dutch Oven Thanksgiving

By Keith Fisher

Since my Monday blogs get posted on the neighborhood on Thursday, You might be reading this on Thanksgiving. I would imagine you got up early, set up your table in the carport. Hitched up your resolve, and started cooking the turkey. Hang in there, I know you can do it. If it helps, I’m right there with you. My job this year is to cook the turkey, and a pineapple glazed ham. Oh, yeah, I’m making stuffing too.

When you get everything going and you sit down to relax, perhaps you can bask in the joy of the service you performed for that person in need. You know---the one we’ve been talking about in several blogs? Here’s a couple of thoughts for you.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
-Matt 25:34-40

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thess 5:18

What better way to give thanks to the source of all blessings then to do something nice for our fellowmen?

Here’s a tip for mashed potatoes:
When the lumps go away, make a hole in the center and pour shredded cheddar cheese in the hole. Fold the spuds around the cheese and blend it. Even with gravy, your mashed potatoes will be great.

Gravy is easy:

Use the juices from the meat, add a sufficient amount of hot water and stir. Add seasoning and bring to boil. Meanwhile, make a roux with about two cups flour and add hot water, mixing with a whisk to the consistency of wallpaper paste. When the water boils, stir the roux into the boiling broth slowly. Stop when the gravy is the consistency you want it to be. The key to good gravy it to make sure there are no lumps in the roux.

It’s been a long day so I give you permission to cheat a little. Buy a pre-baked pie at the grocery store. Put it in a warm Dutch oven with plenty of ashes on it. Make believe you baked it. I’ll never tell. It will be our little secret, but don’t forget to put a trivet inside the pot. At least you need to make it look real . . .

Don’t forget to hug those you haven’t seen for awhile and give thanks to God for so many blessings. Remember those who have passed on and give thanks that you were blessed to have known them.






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A Dutch oven Thanksgiving—Part Three

By Keith Fisher

Have you spotted the person you’re going to help this year? Remember we were going to test the theory that God will give us more blessings if we show our gratitude by helping others?

Have you noticed someone who scowls when they think no one is looking? You can find them everywhere. Through no fault of their own, life has handed them too many envelopes with bad news, and now they exist because they have to, because someone is counting on them.

On the outside, this person will smile and pretend everything is fine. He/she might even tell you how great life is. It is a ruse to throw you off. The last thing this person wants is to explain their irrational feelings.

How do you help someone like that? You obviously can’t walk up and offer to help them. It would only embarrass them and confirm their low opinion of themselves. The answer lies in ignoring the problem and being a true friend. If they suspect they’re a project, they will withdraw.

Be a friend because you want to be. Be a friend because you need to be. God has a way of helping us work out our own self-doubts when we build another person. There are other blessings, however, When you see your friend smiling when they don’t think you’re looking, the swelling in your heart will be an everlasting warm-fuzzy.

The Thanksgiving suggestion for today is about pies—

I know, I know. You think its going to be hard, but I promise it’ll be okay.

There are two ways to prepare a pie in a Dutch oven. One way, is pre-made, frozen pies, and the other is from scratch. Yes, I said the "S" word but as I said, it’ll be okay. Besides, don’t you want to be a Dutch oven hero?

In the Dutch oven cook off world, baking pies sometimes separate the winners from the runners up like a chef separates egg whites from yolks. There are many recipes for pies but all you need is filling and crust. You can use the Dutch oven itself as the pie pan and you can choose to take it out or leave it in the pot. I know what you’re thinking but it really is easy.

Okay, I’ll tell you an easier way for now, but don’t think you’re off the hook. I’ll come back to this subject in a later blog. I’ll explain the pictures and hold your hand.

Now, for the easy way, If you buy a frozen pie, let it thaw. Place it on some kind of trivet or rack inside the pot. Apply the heat like you would for any bread recipe--see the chart. Rotating the lid and the pot is never more important than when you are baking a pie. A burned spot on the crust ruins the pie.

The pie is done when the crust is golden brown. Don’t tell your guests it was a frozen pie. Grandma will know, because she has made more homemade pies than she can count, but the other guests don’t need to know.

Start planning the dishes you want to cook for the holiday, but remember the real purpose is the gratitude you feel. As the words to the hymn say. Count your blessings—name them one by one. Count your many blessings see what God has done. It might surprise you to realize your blessings are more numerous than grains of sand on a beach.

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A Dutch oven Thanksgiving-Part Two

By Keith Fisher

Oh yeah, I can taste it now. The candied yams, pickled beets, green beans, turkey, and mincemeat pie. Are these things traditional for your Thanksgiving? All of these things can be cooked in a Dutch oven in your backyard. Pickled beets, however, will need to be made beforehand and brought up from the cellar. For the yams, you might want to line your Dutch oven with tinfoil. The sugars will eat your seasoning off.

Myself, I can’t eat turkey dinner without pickled beats. It’s ingrained in my soul, but I just don’t like mincemeat. If your quest is to become the Thanksgiving chef in your backyard, you will need to think of the little things. Butter, mustard pickles, and cranberry sauce. If you forget, someone will miss them. You can make mashed potatoes, vegetables, gravy, bread rolls, pies, and stuffing in a Dutch oven all it takes is a little planning.

If your goals are only to cook a portion of the meal, that’s great too. Tell the organizer, and make it spectacular. Remember it’s Thanksgiving. As an alternative to turkey, My family turned to Ham, now we have both, so you can guess you know what I’ll be cooking this year.

Pinapple Glazed Ham

12-inch deep or Maca Oval
Cook at aprox 250 degrees for 1 hour then finish with 350 degrees. how to

6-8 lbs ham (bone in)

Marinade
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 cups pineapple juice

Glaze
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 14 ounce can of crushed pineapple
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Remove ham from package and clean excess fat from it. Mix marinade in a very large bowl with a lid and place ham into it. Begin injecting the marinade with a syringe. Close the lid and place in the refrigerator or cooler for awhile. Then, remove and repeat the process. (The longer you can marinate the better.)

Place ham in the Dutch oven fat side up. Pour the marinade over the ham into the oven you may wish to add more pineapple juice for cooking liquid. Place Dutch oven with nine coals on the bottom, none on the top.

One hour later, arrange 16 coals on the lid following a checkerboard pattern and 9 coals on the bottom around the outside edge (none in the middle under the oven). Roast until inside temp is aprox.160 degrees. Change your coals during the process when they are spent. (Charcoal coals are at their peak when all edges are gray, after that, they start to loose temperature).

Prepare glaze by mixing all ingredients together in an 8-inch Dutch oven or saucepan. Stir thoroughly, place on low heat stirring frequently until thick.

About thirty to forty minutes before serving, remove all the moisture from around the meat inside the pot. Pour glaze all over the meat and replace the lid making sure you have hot coals around the outside edge of the lid (none in the middle). The glaze will solidify and sweeten the ham.

Serve with your favorite vegetables, and cut meat into chunks. Takes about 3 1/2 to 4 hours and serves about ten.

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A Dutch oven Thanksgiving

By Keith Fisher

How was Veterans Day? I hope you turned to all the veterans in your life and told them thanks. At the very least, I hope you said happy Veterans Day.

As I promised last time, we’re going to start getting ready for the big day when your family loosens their belt and says, "Okay, pass me some more." For the next couple of blogs before Thanksgiving, I’ll talk about ways you can steal the glory of a fantastic meal, well prepared. You’re family will praise you for cooking it outdoors, and you will learn something new.

First, we need to deal with a main course. By tradition, we will be looking for turkey. I’m going to talk about two ways to cook it and maybe talk about everybody’s alternative-ham.

How many of you remember the deep frying craze? A few years ago, Campchef introduced deep pots and paraphernalia for cooking in oil, on top of a Campchef stove. Many folks tried it, and wowed their holiday guests. After a while, a problem surfaced. People were putting the burners too close to walls, on flammable decks, and weren’t allowing for oil displacement when lowering the bird into the pot. The resulting fires made many fearful. Campchef offers very specific instructions now, and a disclaimer, begging people to act responsibly.

Deep frying poultry is still an option, but please pay attention to the directions. In an effort to offer their customers a better way, Campchef developed the Ultimate Turkey Roaster. It offers the speed of deep-frying with none of the cholesterol or extra fat. It’s safe and you can use it on the burner or over charcoal. The way it works is simple. The bird goes in upright on its haunches, like it’s going to church. Open the cavity so air and heat can pass through and drape the bird over the cone in the center.

You’ll notice the cone has holes that draw heat from underneath and deposits it directly on the inside of the bird. (You can also use flavor-enhancing charcoal or smoke chips.) Life is great. The cast-iron exterior, and the heat from the inside helps you roast a 20 lb. turkey in half the time. I’ve cooked 15 lb. birds in 100 minutes.

Prepare your bird by injecting with any number of substances, like juices, and commercially available marinades. After using a flavor injection needle, massage the hole you made so the marinade doesn’t leak out. The final step is to use a rub. You can use anything you want, but I’m partial to Emeril’s poultry rub. If you prefer crispy, brown skin, you may want to use a red or brown rub. It will give a golden brown appearance.

The last step in preparation is to insert the thermometer in the breast (not near the bone). The groove provided in the flange of the lid will allow you to use the thermometer without opening the lid. Put a half-inch of moisture in the bottom, under the grate. The steam helps in cooking so you might want to use something aromatic. Also, remember to keep it moist. If it dries out, the residue will be hard to clean off the pot.

When the temperature reads 165, the bird is done. Take it out, place it on a platter, and sit back. Your guests will be amazed at how moist and tasty the turkey is. It won’t have a crispy skin, but who cares. After tasting the white meat, they will dub you the master of Thanksgiving. You will have stolen the honor from Dear Old Mom. But I’ll bet she’s okay with that. She might even learn to watch football.

Here's another way to make a turkey dinner, using a traditional Dutch oven:

Stuffed Turkey Breast

12-inch Deep oven

Turkey
8-10# Turkey breast, legs and
wings removed
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 1/2 inch water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Stuffing
1 1/2 cubes butter
1 small onion, cubed
2 cups sliced celery
10 slices white bread, cubed
2 1/2 - 3 cups raisins
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Wash Turkey breast and season with sage and garlic powder. Place in the pot and sprinkle with rosemary. Add water to the sides of the breast. (Don't wash off seasoning) put on heat with 10-11 coals on the bottom and 16-17 coals on top.

One hour later, inject the breast with the moisture from the pot. Then use the injector with out the needle to collect some more juices and using the holes that you have just created with the needle, carefully baste the breast. When you have finished, change your coals out for new ones and adjust the temperature as necessary. You will want to do the basting again.

Make stuffing by melting 3/4 cube of butter in a hot Dutch oven on bottom heat only. Cut up your onion and celery and place in the Dutch oven with the butter and sauté until soft. Cube your bread slices and toss together with sage, salt thyme, pepper and raisins. Stir in with the onion and celery until bread cubes are coated with butter. Take off heat and put in the rest of the butter in pats. Let stand in the warm Dutch oven until you are ready to stuff the roast.

When the roast is done, at least 165 degrees, take it out of the juices and stuff the cavity with the stuffing. (Sometimes the butcher cuts the backbone, which can make it hard to stuff) put the turkey back into the pot with the juices removed. Arrange the rest of the stuffing around the sides of the roast. And rub the roast with oil. Put the lid on and load the lid with coals (none on the bottom) in broiling fashion. Leave on top heat until skin turns golden. (You may wish to skip this step because it dries out the turkey). Before serving you may wish to heat a cube of butter and inject it into the bird.

Take out of the oven and serve on a lid with stuffing. Garnish with parsley and green onions. Or other vegetables. Serves approx. ten

You might want to use the juices for gravy. Or the base of a turkey soup. Also, stuffing a hot bird is easier if you use a pair of cotton gloves with latex gloves over.

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Giving Thanks---Asking for Blessings

by Keith Fisher



Do you remember these men, and their wives?


Here they are again, with one difference.

Q. What do these men have in common?

A. They were all willing to serve their country. Each one suffered ridicule for their choices. Each one was great in their own way.

Aren't you glad the election is over? Whether your Candidate was elected or not, perhaps we should take a moment and thank God for those who are willing to serve. While you're down there, maybe you could ask him to bless our leaders with wisdom. With all the problems our country faces, they will need all they can get.

This brings me to the subject at hand. In a conversation at work, I heard two guys talking about their Christmas trees, and whether they were up yet. I asked, "What about Thanksgiving?" The answer went something like, "Oh yeah, it's a great day for dinner, but Christmas is the important holiday." Of course Black Friday was mentioned (the day after Thanksgiving---the biggest shopping day of the year).

Don't get me wrong, the birth of our Savior is the greatest thing that ever happened on earth and we should celebrate, but what about the holiday devoted to giving thanks to God for all we have, for our very lives. In a couple of weeks, many of us will have the opportunity to remember our blessings, greet our loved ones, and yes, eat a great meal. Some of us, through no fault of own, won't have these opportunities. There is still time to make plans. Maybe we can think about things we can do to help those in need.

Let's make Thanksgiving the most important holiday of the year, and Christmas, another day for giving thanks. We can give thanks on December 25th in ways we never dreamed of. We can make this holiday season the most spiritual time of our lives. After all, hasn't God promised blessings to those who are grateful?

In my next blog, I'll start posting recipes you can use in your backyard to make your Thanksgiving great, and you can show your gratitude to those you love.

Happy holidays, and don't forget Veterans Day on Nov 11. It's the day we honor those who were willing to serve our country in ways we may never be able to repay.



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