6 Tips for a beginner Dutch oven cook

Tip #1

You don't need a fancy cooking table! I have cooked many meals on my garbage can lid. Just find a 32 gallon galvanized garbage can lid at your local hardware store. Break off the handle, stomp on it a little to get it flat and now you have a go anywhere cooking platform!

Tip #2

Use a charcoal chimney to light your coals. It's fast and re-usable. I load the bottom of mine up with one sheet of newspaper. Don't use charcoal fluid! Yes, I know it's quicker, it also leaves a smell on your Dutch oven, a smell in the air and it is a known carcinogen.

Tip #3

Do the math! If you are cooking with one 12″ Dutch oven then light no more than 24 briquettes. Basic cooking requires double the diameter of your pot, don't waste your charcoal, take the time to count them out. Last time I checked, the price is going up not down.  (I'll go into temperature specifics in another post)

Tip #4

Patience! When you light your paper, let it do it's job. It will burn from the bottom up. If the smoke stops and you don't feel any heat from the top, stick one more piece of newspaper in the bottom and give it a light.

Tip # 5

Don't wait till the coals are completely grey! I can't tell you how many times I have seen people prep there coals for barbecuing instead of Dutch oven cooking. The coals should only be grey on the sides, this will give you maximum heat and cooking time. If you wait till they are completely grey you have lost a lot of your heat.

Tip #6

Preheating is your friend! A hot Dutch oven cooks better than a cold dutch oven. Since the heat travels up, you can save your Dutch oven a lot of time by pre-heating the lid. This is a must for baking! If your frying first, might as well put those extra hot coals to work, pre-heat the lid. This will make life a little easier.

Hope this helps!