AZ Barbeque.com
Non-BBQ Related Topics => Dutch Oven Cooking => Topic started by: azcharlie on September 01, 2010, 07:50:14 pm
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My son and I are going elk hunting next week and will be gone for 2 weeks. I want to try cooking up some cornbread in my sons dutch oven. Neather one of us has done cornbread before and I don't want to screw it up. (BURN IT)
I'm hoping that I might be able to pick up some tips from those of you that have been cooking with cast iron for a while.
Info on the setup Questions
12 inch oven How many briquetas
No legs on oven How long should I cook
No table (will be cooking on the ground) I was told to use parchment paper on the bottom.
Is this correct?
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Pouring your batter into hot bacon grease in a cast iron skillet makes for the best cornbread. :P
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One trick I've used w/ cornbread is to put three mason jar rings in the bottom of the DO, then set a round cake pan on them, add the bacon grease, heat up your DO, and add the batter. The rings keep your corn bread from burning, but you'll still need to check it as you get close to the done stage.
Practice at home. DO's like BBQ take practice, practice, practice.
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Started looking for my boyscout DO recipes and ran into this one which looks great. We also premix all the dry stuff and put in a ziplock so all you have to do is pour a couple of things in.
Also found directions for regular corn bread (to follow)
Cowboy Cornbread
2 lbs. top sirloin (Chopped into
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Dutch oven cooking should be easy as long as you don't try to force it (Too much, too fast).
You have a 12" without legs? Were they cutoff or is this a dutch oven that was made for oven use? (Is there a charcoal lip on the lid or is it domed? Or is it a combo cooker? Looks like two skillets together.)
Either way you'll need a way to lift it above the coals. One way is with a lid stand ( http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Original-Finish-Dutch-Stand/dp/B0002LYZNK ) or use a paving stone or rocks.
The secret to not burning stuff is using less coals on bottom, more on top. Also keep the coals closer to the outer edge, so you are heating more metal, more evenly without hotspots in the middle. I've found if you just make a ring on the outer edge, top and bottom, with each coal just touching the next, works pretty well. Lodge has a chart to help:
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x2PHeo7sDKg/TB5tI67ggQI/AAAAAAAAAjI/PANgvYdfYm0/s1600/img196.jpg)
I don't know how often you use your DO but a well seasoned DO is nearly non-stick. If it hasn't been used in a while you might want to really grease that thing or use parchment paper. Also, if it's just the two of you, a 12" makes a lot of food. You might want to bring some smaller 8" baking pans to fit inside. (8" is a perfect size for Jiffy mixes)
As for telling when it's done. "If it smells done, it's done. If it smells burnt, it's burnt. If you can't smell it, it's not done." Cee Dub "Butch" Welch. (Has some very good books on DO cooking.) But I also like Byron's Dutch oven page http://papadutch.home.comcast.net/~papadutch/
Some other tools that make DO cooking easier. Tongs or a garden trowel to move coals. Welders gloves. A wisk broom (I use a wide paint brush) for ashes. And a lid lifter, Mair makes the best.
Good luck. Where did you get drawn?
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Thanks for the post. I also learned something
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I'm gonna try this one more time.
Started looking for my boyscout DO recipes and ran into this one which looks great. We also premix all the dry stuff and put in a ziplock so all you have to do is pour a couple of things in.
Also found directions for regular corn bread (to follow)
Cowboy Cornbread2 lbs. top sirloin (Chopped into
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Sorry Jim, when copying pasting this site has a problem with punctuations, esp apostrophes, quotations and colons. Remove them from the text beforehand for best results...
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Thanks for all the help
TEK465 that chart is just what I was looking for. The tip about the bacon grease sounds like something I will try while I am up in camp. This site is grate every time I need help all I have to do is ask and someone Jumps in with the answer. Sure glad I joined.
Thanks again to all
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Thanks for all the help
TEK465 that chart is just what I was looking for. The tip about the bacon grease sounds like something I will try while I am up in camp. This site is grate every time I need help all I have to do is ask and someone Jumps in with the answer. Sure glad I joined.
Thanks again to all
Mike is no longer taking checks for advice but I am. I will PM my address to you. I prefer cash in a brown paper bag. ;)
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Steve I would be happy to send you cash for your help but I'm out of brown paper bags. Sorry!
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Keep in mind when cooking on the ground, the charcoal can suck up moisture from the ground and diminish the heat that you think you have underneath. If you have some kind of a metal blank, or even a disposable cookie sheet, will help to prevent that.
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I tried using a driveway drip pan one time. Since it was going to melt thru in the first 5 minutes, I quickly abandoned that direction! I have a large chunk of #9 X 3/4" expanded metal, and a medium size chunk of smaller X metal that I can use...can I dig a hole the size of my DO, flop the X M over it, plop the charcoal down on that to cook over? I think it'll hold the DO full of chuck roast--frinstance-- used in that method...
And does HD sell firebrick? I don't recall noticing it there in the past.
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Hey, Jim--is this the recipe you're trying to post?
Cowboy Cornbread
2 lbs. top sirloin (Chopped into
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Ah. That must be the one!
Cowboy Cornbread
2 lbs. top sirloin (Chopped into 1/2" cubes)
Green Bell Pepper
Red Bell Pepper
6 shallots
2 cans chopped tomatoes (drain ONE can)
Can Enchilada Sauce
Can Black Beans (drained)
16 Oz Frozen Corn
Small Can Mild Roasted Chilies
1 Can Marie Callendar's Cornbread Mix
Start with a 12" Dutch oven, preferably a 12" deep one. Chop bell peppers and shallots coarsely, saute in bottom of Dutch oven in 1/4 cup water. Add chilies and top sirloin. Stir in Tomatoes and simmer to reduce liquid in recipe. Toss in black beans, frozen corn. Add Enchilada sauce and continue to simmer. Combine 1-1/2 cups of water with cornbread mix; stir until almost smooth. Ladle carefully onto stew mixture. Pull most of the coals from the bottom of the Dutch oven and add them to the top. You should have about 16-20 coals on top now. Check every 15 minutes, turn lid 90 degrees to the left each time, rotate bottom 90 degrees to the right each time. Remove lid and serve when cornbread is golden brown.
It was the "1/2" that was screwing things up. And likely apostrophes and quotes...wait, no, I didn't change any quote marks...
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Now that looks good ! Will have to try that one soon.