Dutch Oven Cooking
|
|
|
|
|
What is a Dutch oven and how do you cook in it? If you did not know the answers to those two questions, let’s find something in little more details about Dutch oven cooking. We all know what an oven is; does that mean the Dutch oven is also just another oven? The answer is, “it is not” the Dutch oven is a cooking pot made out of heavy cast iron with a thick and hard shell. It also has a cover that fits very snugly on the pot. Now you can see that it is not actually a traditional type of oven, but a cooking pot that helped to carry out the same purpose as an oven long before ovens, as know today, were invented.
A Dutch oven is normally used for slow cooking. So, if you are a fan of slow cooking the Dutch oven is made just for you. It is a very versatile piece of kitchen equipment that can bake bread, make biscuits, and prepare delicious roasts, as well as stews and casseroles. The Dutch oven is actually great for roasting meat if you only knew how.
Now let’s see what the secret to Dutch oven cooking is? Believe it or not, the secret is in how you light the fire. There are some who swear by the fact that using potato chips when setting the coals helps to start the fire. You put some chips in to coffee filters that are then put beneath the chimney and lit. The fire is on and you are ready to start cooking. Strange, but true!
The Dutch oven is also apparently used for making marinades of meat, fish and chicken which are then placed in a container and tightly sealed inside the oven to be kept fresh and unspoiled. The same can be done for vegetables, which are sealed inside the pot to be used when required. Guess one of the reasons for the oven lid being made to fish so tightly over the pot is for this purpose.
Here’s a pretty amazingly tasty dish that can be cooked in a Dutch oven. Just reading it makes me hungry.
Easy to Prepare Dutch oven Hash
2 lbs potatoes shredded
1 lb. Bacon
12 eggs
2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
First cut the bacon into 1” pieces and cook in the Dutch oven over a glowing fire. Now add the potatoes, close tightly with the lid, heap coals on top of the pot and cook till the potatoes are tender and done. (Must be stirred occasionally) Beat the eggs together and pour on to the potatoes, close the lid with the coals on top and cook until done. (The trick here is to keep the lid as hot as possible and that’s why the coals are heaped on top) Once the eggs are set, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top and cook till the cheese has melted. Serve and enjoy.
Don’t you think it’s worth getting a Dutch oven just to get this absolutely delicious meal prepared?
|
