- Abraham Darby traveled to Holland in 1704 to learn a process for casting brass vessels in dry sand molds. Many believe this adventure is the origin of the name, "Dutch Oven." These squat, three-legged pots were ideal for colonial and frontier cooking. Prior to the invention of the flat-topped Franklin stove, meals were cooked in fireplaces. Housewives would sear a piece of meat, place it in the dutch oven with vegetables and broth and hang the pan from a hook over the fire or set it in the coals to simmer slowly. Biscuits, bread, corn muffins and pies could also be made in the dutch oven.
- Camp cooks on the open range relied on the dutch oven to keep dust out of food while it cooked. Chuck wagon cooks would place one or more dutch ovens in the fire, filled with beans, meat, bread or pie. Because they had limited time to set up, cook, serve, clean and move to the next day's camp site, dutch ovens enabled chuck wagon cooks to make the most efficient use of available time. Cleanup consisted of wiping the dutch oven with an oiled cloth and placing it in the flames to burn off any residue.
- Dutch ovens are an essential tool for the Slow Food movement. Between 1970s, and the late 1980s, use of convenience foods and reliance on microwaveable and fast foods increased, and traditional slow cooking was nearly abandoned. The Slow Food movement, which began in Italy and reached the United States in the late 1980s called for a return to roasting, braising and simmering foods on low heat over time. Packaged foods are high in sugar, salt and fat and low in nutrients and flavor. As a compromise, electric slow cookers replaced the dutch oven in many households. Electric slow cookers used the same principles as the dutch oven but can be programmed to turn on and off while the family is out taking care of other business.
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Braising is a technique in which meat is seared brown in fat on the outside and placed in enough water to cover it halfway up the sides. It is good for cheaper cuts such as top blade, chuck eye and seven-bone roasts, ribs, short ribs, brisket and shanks. The liquid is then used to make a thick, brown gravy. Braised meat is usually served with fibrous vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and turnips.
Roasting in a dutch oven requires even heat on top and bottom. Place your oven in the coals of your campfire. Place the food to be roasted in your dutch oven and close the lid. Put an equal number of coals on top of the lid and under the legs of your dutch oven, using a pair of metal tongs.
To bake bread or make pies, you need more heat on the top than underneath. Use three coals on the lid for every one coal underneath the pan. For frying or boiling, all heat needs to be underneath the pan. To stew or simmer, place four coals beneath the pan for every one coal on top of the pan.
Turn the lid upside down to fry eggs and bacon. The lip will prevent spills. The lid can also be used to make pancakes, French toast and toasted cheese sandwiches. - Dutch ovens must be seasoned before use. To season a pan, wipe it with a damp towel and with a cloth dipped in bacon grease, shortening or vegetable oil. Wipe the entire pan inside and out. Place the pan in your oven or in the coals of your campfire and allow it to bake at a low heat for about an hour. The pan will acquire a shiny coat that will prevent food from sticking and reduce the chance of uneven heating during use. Do not use steel wool or detergents on your dutch oven, as these cleaners will damage the seasoning. If it cannot be avoided, immediately season your pan after cleaning it.
