The Dutch oven is the perfect companion for a cookout. The legs beneath it allow you to place a few charcoal briquettes or campfire coals underneath the pot while you cook. And the ridge on the lid allows you to place hot coals on top, creating heat sources both above and below the food, thus making it an “oven.” This means you can cook nearly anything: biscuits, stews, cobblers and, depending on the pot’s size, even whole chickens.
Common Dutch Oven Myths
Before learning how to restore a rusty pot, let’s set the record straight. Here are some of the most common myths about cast iron Dutch ovens:
Washing it will ruin the seasoning. A good seasoning on cast iron means the polymers in the oil have bonded with the iron. Some light scrubbing with a little bit of soapy water isn’t enough to strip the seasoning.
Cast iron cooks evenly. Not even remotely. Cook a pancake in a cast iron skillet over an electric stove and you’ll see exactly where the pan is hot. (Hint: It’s shaped like the heating element.) Cast iron is, however, a great conductor of heat. When heated properly, it’ll stay hot.
You can’t cook acidic foods on it. Though iron is a reactive material, a well-seasoned piece should have no problem handling acidic foods, such as tomato sauce.
Post time: Aug-15-2023