To the uninitiated the Dutch Oven is nothing more than a big heavy black pot, but to those in the know it is a wondrous tool that opens up a world of outdoor cooking possibilities. Besides the obvious soups and stews, a Dutch Oven aficionado can roast meats, bake breads, and even craft fairly complex desserts. In fact, anything that can be cooked in a conventional oven or slow cooker can be duplicated in a Dutch Oven. It might take a bit more work, but the effort is worth it!

The History Of Dutch Oven Cooking

The Dutch Oven, in its most basic form, has been with us for a long time. Initially the Dutch (go figure) came up with a method of using dry sand molds to greatly increase the smoothness of their cast iron cooking vessels. This advancement attracted the attention of an Englishman named Abraham Darby. Darby traveled to the Netherlands to learn the new method.  He eventually brought it back to England where he patented a process similar to the one the Dutch were doing. These cooking vessels made their way to the New World but the name Dutch Oven stuck for good.  Three centuries later we are still using the same basic technology!

In North America, the Dutch Oven underwent a few changes. The familiar legs, to hold it above the coals, were added as well as the flange which keeps the hot coals securely on the top. The Americans so embraced the Dutch Oven that it became the quintessential cooking utensil and headed west with the pioneers as they set out to settle a continent. From Lewis and Clark, to the Western settlers, to the cowboys on the range, everywhere the Americans went so did the Dutch Oven. It was those hardy individuals that mastered the big black pot and proved its versatility on the trail.

Essential  Items

Before you can jump into the world of Dutch Oven Cooking you will need a few things. An actual Dutch Oven comes to mind first but there are several items that will make your first foray into Dutch Oven Cooking a much more enjoyable experience!

• Dutch Oven – A 10-inch Dutch Oven is a good starting point. The big 14-inch Dutch Ovens may be cool but unless you are going to be feeding a small army or doing heavy duty baking they are just to big (and heavy) for daily duty.
• Charcoal Chimney – Once you embrace Dutch Oven Cooking you will find yourself using a lot of charcoal and really appreciating having hot coals at the ready. The charcoal chimney gives you an easy supply of hot coals and as a bonus you won’t burn your eyebrows off fooling around with lighter fluid!
• Welding Gloves – These may seem a little bit “out there” but you will be dealing with a 400-500^oF hunk of cast iron and they are perfect for avoiding disfiguring burns.
• Long Handled Utensils – Like with the welding gloves these are a comfort item. Being able to keep your delicate hands away from the blistering heat is a good idea.
• Dutch Oven Table – If you decide to get serious about Dutch Oven Cooking adding a dedicated Dutch Oven Table to your arsenal is a good idea. Getting up out of the dirt is good for the back and the knees. Dutch Oven Cooking should be fun and not stoop labor!

Key Points of Dutch Oven Cooking

• Top heat makes the difference! Bottom heat is important but stepping up to baking and roasting requires top heat.
• Seasoning is a must. A well seasoned Dutch Oven will make all methods of cooking with it that much easier.
  
• When baking or roasting always pre-heat the Dutch Oven.
• Don’t be afraid to take notes. Dutch Oven cooking is far from an exact science and is highly variable depending on the a lot of factors. Having good  records to fall back on can be very helpful.

Brats, Beans, And Beer Recipe

This is a great recipe to get your feet wet with Dutch Oven Cooking. For the most part it cooks like a stew but the finishing step requires some top heat, so you can get a feel for it. Another great thing is if you mess up with the top heat portion it doesn’t take much away from the recipe.

The Ingredients

• 1lbs of Bratwurst (5 or 6 Brats)
• 2 Large Onions, halved and sliced
• 2 Tbsp + 1 Tsp of Olive Oil
• (2) 15oz cans of Cannellini Beans
• 8oz of beer (a lighter beer works best here)
• 1/4C of seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4C of  grated Parmesan cheese

The Directions

1. Start 40 coals going in your charcoal chimney. Once they are going nice and hot put 15 underneath the Dutch Oven and start pre-heating the lid with 18 on top of it.
2. Add 2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil and the Brats to the Dutch Oven. Brown them for 5 minutes. Remove them and set them aside. Add the sliced onions to the Dutch Oven and allow them to soften for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally so they don’t burn.
3. Pour in the beer and bring it to a simmer. Dump in the beans (liquid and all) and return the brats to the Dutch Oven. Bring the mixture back to a boil and let it thicken for 2 minutes.
4. Mix the bread crumbs, cheese, and remaining olive oil together and spread over the top of the mixture.
5. Place the pre-heated lid onto the Dutch Oven and move the Dutch Oven onto 6 fresh coals. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Check it at 20 minutes and if the bread crumbs have browned it is done. Otherwise give it a few more minutes. Once it is done remove the lid and serve!

Like this recipe?  Mike’s got plenty more over at The Backyard Pioneer’s Dutch Oven Recipe Page!

Dutch Oven Cooking Wrap-Up

Dutch Oven cooking can be fun and rewarding. It offers a direct link to the brave souls who tamed a continent and is a valuable preparedness skill as well. It is also just a fun hobby as you can challenge yourself with more intricate recipes.

For some reason, smoking meat seems like a very ‘homesteady’ thing to do. I’m not sure if it’s the presence of fire, the smoke, large cuts of meat or the ‘art’ of it all. In the end, there’s a certain primal instinct that comes out when you smoke meat and I think a lot of us associate that feeling with getting back to the earth and homesteading. I got that feeling this weekend when I smoked some baby back ribs on the Smokenator!

What’s a Smokenator you ask? Well, in short, it’s a nifty little contraption that allows you to turn your Weber One-Touch Gold Kettle Grill into a smoker. You won’t be able to do large quantities of meat on it, but it’s the perfect size for your family – it fits a rack of baby back ribs perfectly. And, with their Hover Grill, you can probably accommodate a decent size dinner party worth of baby back ribs. Don’t know what a Hover Grill is? Click the Smokenator link above and you’ll find out!

Let’s get into the nitty gritty on how I smoked these Baby Back Ribs.

Baby Back Ribs Dry Rub

Full disclaimer, I got this recipe from the good guys over at The Smoker King.

• 1c Brown Sugar
• 1/2c Paprika
• 2-1/2tbsp Ground Black Pepper
• 2-1/2tbsp Salt
• 1tbsp Mustard Powder
• 1-1/2tbsp Chili Powder
• 1-1/2tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1-1/2tbsp Onion Powder
• 1tsp Cayenne

Simply mix all the ingredients together and store in an empty seasoning container. This recipe is great on baby back ribs – or any kind of rib.

Direction

Written direction can be found below the video:
[youtube_sc url=SBm-SlAVN1Q]

1. If there is any fat on the baby back ribs, trim them so you have a layer about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick.
2. Trim the membrane off the baby back ribs. Everyone has their own technique for this task. Personally, I use a pairing knife to get under the membrane and give me a little bit of a flap to work with. Then I use a butter knife and work my way down the ribs. After a few times, you’ll get the feel for it. It may help if you use a paper towel to increase your grip.
3. Place the baby back ribs on a cooking sheet and cover both sides of them with olive oil. You can probably use a yellow mustard here as well. I’ve never tried that, so I can speak for it, but it does seem like a lot of people use mustard in this step. The idea is to provide a wet surface the rub will bond to.
4. Apply the rub as liberally or frugally as you want. I tend to be heavy-handed on this step, but it’s up to your own preference. Be aware that this rub does have a bit of heat to it, so choose accordingly.
5. I usually let baby back ribs sit overnight in the fridge with the rub on. This step allows the rub to permeate the meat a bit. It’s not a necessary step – I’ve smoked ribs with applying the rub only a half hour before they were put on the smoker and they turned out good. Allowing them to set up overnight just seems to push the taste a bit.
6. Take the ribs out of the fridge about 1/2-hour before you’re ready to smoke them. The ribs will have less of an effect on your smoker temperature the closer to room temperature they are.
7. Bring your smoker up to roughly 250F. It’s not an exact number. I’ve run them anywhere from 225F to 300F with great results.
8. Place the baby back ribs on the smoker, close the lid and get a beer or two. The only reason you should open the smoker over the next 2.5-hrs is to tend to the fire and smoke.
9. At the 2.5-hr mark, remove the ribs and wrap them in heavy gauge aluminum foil. Put them back on the smoker for another hour.
10. Remove the baby back ribs from the smoker, unwrap and let sit for 10-min. Cut and enjoy!

Recommendations

Recommendation #1: Beer is always good with BBQ!

Recommendation #2: Bring lots of napkins!

There’s really not much more to recommend. As with any BBQ, traditional items like baked beans, mac and cheese, collard greens and cornbread go well as sides. The idea should be to let the baby back ribs speak for themselves and let the sides be supporting players.

This approach is simple and efficient. Your family will love these baby back ribs and you’ll have honed another skill around the suburban homestead. And, if you ace these baby back ribs, you just might earn the moniker of Neighborhood Pitmaster!

I spent some time this weekend cooking for the family and decided to make one of my favorite dishes – penne alla vodka. While it’s not one of the most rustic dishes I’ve ever made, I did use a cast iron skillet to make it so it has some ‘suburban homesteading credibility!’

I have made this dish a few times, slightly tweaking the recipe every time. This weekend’s version was the best yet and I decided to share it with you.

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Recommendations

This penne alla vodka dish is always a crowd-pleaser – whether you are cooking a romantic dinner for your better half or making dinner for a house full of guests.  Hearty and filling, it really hits the spot and goes great with a nice cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir.  Add a little fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano and you have a restaurant quality meal that you can make on a budget in about 45 minutes.

Even though this dish is great the way it is, there are a few ways to tweak it.  The first tweak is the amount of sausage you use.  Personally, we like a meal with a lot of meat so we use a full pound of sausage.  If you want more of a pasta dish without meat, try using a lesser amount like 3oz (2 links) of sausage.  Secondly, this dish has a slight hint of heat thanks to the red pepper flakes.  If you want a milder meal, remove the red pepper flakes and if you want a bit spicier meal, use hot sausage and take the red pepper flakes out of th recipe.  Whatever you do, don’t use spicy sausage AND red pepper flakes.  I made that mistake once and it caused the dish to be super hot and not very enjoyable.

Go and try this spicy penne alla vodka recipe and let us know how it worked out for you!