Wound up with 2 dutch ovens - standard cast iron and porcelain coated

[wahoowad]

I've used my Lodge cast iron dutch oven to cook a lot of meals that need to simmer for hours. For example pot roast or boneless short ribs. I end up losing the cast iron 'seasoning' following cleaning up meals that simmer with liquids, then have to re-season the dutch oven again.

I decided to buy a 2nd dutch oven, this time a porcelain coated one that will clean up easier. Any meals requiring a lot of cleanup will get cooked in the porcelain coated one. Anything that will enhance the seasoning (or at least not remove it) will get cooked in the standard cast dutch oven.

But pretty much all my dutch oven meals are of the type that simmer in liquids so I'm wondering what I will cook in the standard dutch oven? I fried some bacon and cooked a couple pork chops recently, these liberated a lot of fat that added to the seasoning. What types of things do you cook in a cast iron dutch oven?

 

[Dune]

I grill a lot of food. I cook everything in a dutch oven except eggs. For eggs I use a separate cast iron pan. The high sides prevent splatter.

 

[CrufflerJJ]

I used one of my dutch ovens today to bake bread. I've made it this way for years, and you end up with a great tasting bread with a nice crust. It's based on the original NY Times "no knead" recipe.

See:

http://steamykitchen.com/168-no-knead-bread-revisited.html

 

[pen]

I used one of my dutch ovens today to bake bread. I've made it this way for years, and you end up with a great tasting bread with a nice crust. It's based on the original NY Times "no knead" recipe.

See:

http://steamykitchen.com/168-no-knead-bread-revisited.html

I make the same bread in mine, great recipe. Can't get simpler.

 

[eclecticcottage]

We bake whole chickens in ours. About 1 1/2 hrs at 350, best chicken ever.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Our DO gets used for everything. I don't worry much about seasoning anymore. If you have a problem with food sticking, sand it smooth. I had to do this with a griddle. The old stuff was finished to a much higher quality.

After the pot is rinsed or scrubbed if need be we heat it back up and rub a new film of oil into the warm pores.

 

[pen]

Our DO gets used for everything. I don't worry much about seasoning anymore. If you have a problem with food sticking, sand it smooth. I had to do this with a griddle. The old stuff was finished to a much higher quality.

After the pot is rinsed or scrubbed if need be we heat it back up and rub a new film of oil into the warm pores.

I'm the same as limestone. Use the cast for everything. An easy way to season them is to bake in them. Things like biscuits, hell, even fish sticks, chicken nuggets, etc, for a quick supper can really help season a cast anything.

What I had to remember, is that my great-grandmother used her skillets for everything. Once I took that mindset in, and started baking things in mine (like 40 cloves and a chicken, etc) then my pans started to become more weathered in a good, seasoned way.

For me, rough seasoning happens on the grill. I coat it in Crisco (tried lard, and various oils, I find Crisco works best) just a thin coat, turn it upside down on the gas grill, turn the heat on so it runs about 350 to 400, and let it go until the smoking starts. This is often after taking an old pan that other folks would have discarded, and cleaning it for several days with a scraper and oven cleaner, or if I seriously screw something up and need to start over.

 

[BrotherBart]

and cleaning it for several days with a scraper and oven cleaner

I remember well those times sitting watching Grandpa start the big fire in the yard and tossing the cast iron cookware into it to burn all of the crud off of it.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

This morning I had some somewhat clean water after doing the dishes. I washed and scrubbed the frying pan, DO, and steel wok. The water didn't look so clean afterwords and oil was still seeping out of the pores. A fresh coat of olive oil and they are all ready to go again.

I didn't touch the griddle, which is used most often by me. I only scrape that clean most of the time. Maybe I add a little oil here and there if I over heated it the time before. I also took a random orbit sander to it a few winters ago and really smoothed it out.

 

[Dune]

I usually sand them when I first get them, rusty or carboned. When my Father's mind started going, I had to sand his dutch oven. It got so carboned over the spatula would get stuck.

 

[Jags]

I usually sand them when I first get them, rusty or carboned.

I do the same if I come across one of the newer, less finished models. My 100 year old pan is pretty smooth to begin with, but the abused Lodge that I got at a yard sale needed some help right out of the gate.

Note: I do LOVE my porcelain coated dutch oven. Very easy cleanup.