Cooking with a Dutch Oven

A number of entrées and desserts involve the use of the Dutch Oven.  “DO” cooking is an art form among Grand Canyon boatmen, and few people have more experience.  These tips are based on that experience.  Dutch Ovens aren't just for baking with coals, for several of the entrées the DO is simply heated on the stove.  A DO is nice for cooking chilis, rice or other items on the stove because it heats slowly and evenly and stays warm for a long time.

 

General Tips for Baking

• Level the fire pan in a place out of the wind. Use the kitchen boxes for a windbreak if it’s really blowing.
   

• Pile 24 briquettes for baked goods or 30 for casseroles in the fire pan. A careful pyramid seems to light most evenly. Soak the briquettes with lighter fluid and let them sit for a few minutes before lighting. Allow up to 30 minutes for them to get started.
   

• When about half of the briquettes have turned white, they are ready to use.Tongs are the perfect tool for placing charcoal briquettes.
   

• Before adding food to the DO thoroughly wipe the inside and lid underside with an oiled paper towel.One 12” DO is plenty full with an entrée for 16 people. You may split an entrée into 2 DO’s for faster cooking.
   

• Place between 4 (cakes/cornbread) and 6 (casseroles) briquettes evenly spaced where the DO will sit in the firepan. Place the balance of the briquettes around the edge of the lid, and 3 or 4 next to the handle in the center.
   

• A DO bakes from the top down. If a baked good isn’t baking, add briquettes to the lid, not the bottom. Too much heat from underneath will burn the bottom, whereas adding heat to the top will increase the oven temperature.
   

• Don’t ever put a hot DO in cold river water, it will crack.
   

• Use channel lock (or pliers) and hot mitts when working with a hot DO.
   

• Let your cake cool before you ice it…otherwise the icing will run.
   

• Once a DO is heated it stays hot for a long time. Since it’s impossible to tell if a DO is hot by looking at it, make sure others are aware of its location during and after baking. The sand under the area where the DO was cooking will also remain hot for a while. To avoid blistering feet, leave the firepan in place as a marker, or in some other way keep barefooted boaters from stepping there.
   

• Keep your cake and cornbread batter slightly stiff; use less liquid than called for in the mix.
   

• To ensure that you can remove cakes or cornbread intact from a DO, here’s the trick: Place one sheet of paper towel in the bottom of the DO and saturate it with cooking oil. Pour the batter on top of the paper towel. When the baked good is done,
  remove the DO lid and let it cool for at least 15 minutes. Place a cutting board over the top of the DO and use hot pads to turn the entire assembly upside down. Don’t forget to remove the paper towel before frosting or serving!!
   

• When baking a cake – Do not disturb the DO at all for the first 45 minutes or your cake will fall. When you must touch it, be very gentle. Resist peeking until you’ve smelled your creation for at least 15 minutes.
   

• Test how done your baked goods are by sticking a knife in several spots around the middle. If the knife pulls out easily without anything stuck to it, it’s done. A cake will pull away from the sides of the DO when it is done.
   

• When you first smell a casserole, it has just reached boiling temperature, and probably will need to cook a bit longer. You may lift the lid to check – it will just take longer to cook.