Outdoor Adventure USA

Our net this week covers the subject of Dutch Oven cooking. Dutch oven cooking is a skill worth learning and a lot of fun. It adds a variety of food to your outings that can only be done by baking and that includes tasty deserts. Many of the Dutch oven recipes create one pot meals which means everything is done at the same time for a hot meal the entire group can sit down together to enjoy. Second servings stay warm in the pot for a long time. It might even get you invited to go on lots of trips.

Our guest to discuss all things Dutch Oven is Bruce KI6RZW. We will discuss the A to Z of the use and care of a Dutch Oven.

Camp Dutch Oven

Some images from prior OAUSA events.

Some Tools

That is some awesome looking chow! Sign me up for the feed line!

On line check-in please...KK6CTT with some additional photos for the discussion (Cherry Oatmeal Crunch).

New Recipe - going to try it tonight

Salsa Chicken & Potatoes


This recipe can be adjusted to fit by using a different size oven and the amount of chicken. You will need enough chicken to fit in the bottom of the size oven you use - 12" regular or 12" Deep Dutch Oven or a 14" Deep Dutch Oven.

• Chicken Thigh's or Breasts, you can leave them whole or cut them up. You can marinate the chicken overnight or not.
• 1 or 2 Cups Salsa, your favorite
• 1 or 2 cans Mushrooms
• 1 or 2 Onions, sliced
• 6 to 18 Potatoes, sliced
• Salt & Pepper, to taste


Directions:
• Warm and oil your Dutch oven.
• Place the chicken in the bottom.
• Pour salsa over the top of the chicken - enough to just about cover the chicken.
• Put the Mushrooms on top of the chicken
• Cover with the sliced onion
• Put the sliced potatoes and put on top of the onions. Fill the Dutch oven till you have about 1/2 inch from the top of the oven.
o Salt and Pepper layers of potatoes so that you get salt & pepper on all of them.
• Put the lid on and cook. It takes about 1 hour or so to cook. When you smell it or see steam coming out from under the lid you know it is done.
Serve
Take off the Potato layer and put in a bowl.
Serve a whole piece of chicken per person along with some salsa.

Serves: as many as how many pieces of chicken you use!!

Here is a recipe for ham with apple-raisin sauce in a Dutch Oven. I have made this with Honey-Baked ham and received rave reviews.

Bruce


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Apple-Raisin Ham Sauce

3 cans Apple Pie Filling, (21 oz cans)
1 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Orange Juice
3 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Cinnamon

5 lb Cooked ham

Prepare a 12-inch Dutch oven by lightly greasing it or coating it with non-stick cooking spray. Combine the pie filling, raisins, orange juice, water, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix well. Cut the ham into slices. Place the ham slices and apple mixture alternately in layers in the Dutch oven, ending with the apple mixture on top.
Place 9 coals in a circle under the Dutch oven and place 15 coals on top. Bake for approximately 60 minutes. Depending on the outside temperature, you may need to add 12 more coals after 45 minutes, in that case add 4 on the bottom and 8 on the top.
Note: A standard, 12-inch standard Dutch oven will hold approximately five pounds of sliced ham. If you are using a canned ham, use a five-pound ham. If you are using a bone-in, cooked ham, you have to account for the weight taken up by the bone; in that case, you can use a seven to eight pound ham. If you have to bake a larger ham use a larger oven, either a deep, 12-inch or a 14-inch Dutch oven.

Cast Iron I use:

-Lodge Dutch oven
-Camp Chef Dutch oven and 12" skillet
-and some Wagner skillets (6, 8 and 10 inch)
-A no-name yard sale find that is about 15" in diameter and a beast to wield but I can lay out some nice hash browns on that huge surface area.

Cast iron lids are great but sometimes a nice glass lid helps to keep heat in and still allows a view of what is going on inside the skillet or DO.

Coveted brands: Definitely the old Griswold and Wagner cast iron...US made and old, you can't go wrong but be careful because some of the Wagner ware are made overseas...you don't want that, get the US made stuff and research before you buy.

So, here is the sequence of cooking steps for the meal that Tom cooked just before the net. Tonight's cuisine goes by the name of "Salsa Chicken and Potatoes". All of the equipment, including the wine glasses, are exactly what we bring into our wilderness campsites. There is no finer way to compliment the great outdoors than a fine meal. With no disrespect to those who enjoy hot dogs and chili when camping, I will only suggest that the type of meal that we prepare is the best. With a fine bottle of wine and some good friends, it's really hard to beat!!!! No need to eat like a primitive when in the wilderness.

Please check me in to tonight's net. Thanks!