With the Dutch Oven, you can conjure up wonderful dishes outdoors in winter.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind so that you can enjoy it for a long time.
The Dutch Oven has crept more and more into the hearts of barbecue fans in recent years.
Especially in the cold season, the cast-iron pot spreads a certain campfire romance, just like in the Wild West.
For this reason alone, the "Dopf", as it is affectionately called by fans, is the perfect accessory for winter grilling.
What is a dutch oven?
The Dutch Oven, DO or "Dopf" for short, is a cast-iron pot with a lid in which wonderfully hot dishes can be prepared over a fireplace.
Typically, it is heated with hot briquettes - both from below and from above.
Alternatively, it can also be hung over an open campfire, heated on the grill or in the oven on a dingy day.
Due to its thick walls, the pot heats up slowly and keeps the temperature all the longer.
This outdoor cooking pot is ideal for preparing stews and stews, as well as desserts or punch.
So everything that the heart desires in the cold season and warms from the inside.
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With a Dutch Oven, also called "Dopf", you can conjure up hearty stews and stews on the grill.
© fffranz/Imago
Burn in the Dutch Oven – this is how it works
If you hold a brand new Dutch Oven in your hands, you have to scrub it thoroughly before the first test run.
However, never use dish soap to avoid removing the patina – water is enough.
Then it goes to the seasoning, in which the pores of the cast iron are sealed with a layer of fat.
This is not necessary with most new Dopfen, as many manufacturers burn them in in advance.
If the patina is missing, however, it is absolutely necessary to burn the pot.
That's how it works:
Rub the cleaned and dried Dutch Oven on all sides with tasteless vegetable fat (e.g. coconut fat or sunflower oil).
It's even easier with a care spray.
Place aluminum foil on the oven rack and place the pot upside down on the rack.
Place the lid upside down on the Dutch Oven's feet.
Heat the pot and lid in the oven on the highest setting for about an hour.
Then turn off the stove and let the pot cool down.
Then wipe the greased Dutch Oven and lid again with a cloth.
Now he's burned in.
When it burns in, it can smoke heavily - then open the windows.
The patina gets darker and darker over time until it eventually appears black.
A lot can also go wrong when seasoning cast iron pans.
What foods should you always have on hand in an emergency?
What foods should you always have on hand in an emergency?
Cooking in the Dutch Oven: from layered meat to stew
Once the Ducth Oven has been fired up, all kinds of hearty dishes such as stews or stews can be prepared in it outdoors.
How about juicy layered meat from the Dutch oven?
Or an autumn pumpkin soup with chestnuts?
Caring for the Dutch Oven – never clean with dish soap
As already mentioned, you should never clean the Dutch Oven with washing-up liquid or other harsh cleaning agents.
On the one hand, the patina would be removed, on the other hand, the washing-up liquid could penetrate the pores of the pot and would then affect the taste of the dish.
Hot water and a sponge or wooden spatula are enough to remove leftover food.
If something burned on proves to be stubborn, place the pot with water on the hot embers again and bring it to the boil - after that all residues should be able to be removed.
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Store Dutch Oven properly, otherwise it will become rancid or rusty
As strange as it sounds, a Dutch oven can definitely go rancid because the oil penetrates the pores of the cast iron when it is being baked.
This can happen, for example, if you store the pot with the lid tightly closed.
Air must be exchanged to prevent the fat from going rancid.
In addition, the pot must always be dried very well so that it does not start to rust.
If the Dutch Oven has become rancid or rusty, it is best to clean it with a cast iron cleaner and then season it again.
List of rubrics: © fffranz/Imago