Dutch oven cooking

[rangerjean]

I am learning enjoying dutch oven cooking over coals. I recently acquired a smaller oven and really want to try stacking the two with coals in between. Does anyone have any great ideas about recipes that work well this way. So far I have had great success with Mountain Man breakfast and cobblers. Love the cast iron

[ppine]

I have cooked for up to 50 people at a time with a small wood fire.
Stacking is useful in colder weather or if it is windy.
Otherwise it is extra work stacking and unstacking.
It does not change the style of cooking much at all.
Counting charcoal has always seemed like a dumb idea.
I like wood.
For baking and some recipes, you need more top heat than bottom heat. Bread ovens are low and wide, so it makes it hard to put them on top.

[JRscooby]

I do a lot of cooking in cast iron, and most all when camping.
My mother taught me to always have a lid to fit the pan handy. More efficient use of heat for most cooking. And even more important inside; If the grease catches fire, put the lid on. Don't even have a mess to clean up.
I carry 3 camp ovens, a couple of smaller ovens w/o legs, and couple sizes of skillets.* And lids to fit all. Once one of my little dogs invited a kid to our site. Her Dad came with, and when he saw me lift the domed lid off a camp oven to stir the beans "That is the wrong lid!" I moved the beans, and he saw the lid with rim under it, and on top of a skillet. Started to say something, I lifted that lid, cornbread is done.

SpeakEasy wrote:
I typically do a main dish (anything) on the bottom and brownies on top. For the brownies, it's a good idea to line the DO with parchment paper.

-Speak

For brownies I bent the corners of a cheap 9X9 pan so it drops in the 12 inch DO, and sets about half inch above the bottom. Brownies done lift out oven is ready to put meal in.
*When we head out for Thanksgiving I load extra iron. And the ovens not only get stacked some pull extra duty. Example, turkey and rest near done, put pie in the 14 inch DO, and the rolls around. Roll done, take them out, and let pie cook. About the time the dishes done, pie is ready.
Next day, when we get all the ovens cleaned and ready to put away we line them up on the picnic table. Over a dozen ovens.
One of my often used "stacks" is biscuits in the oven below gravy in the skillet on top.

[Mehico]

I want to tell you a great recipe.

club.cooking/recipe/mexican-spaghetti/

This dish will appeal to all your family.

[rangerjean]

thanks everyone

[magnusfide]

You'll find that putting your meat or main course in the middle pot works best. Breads or desserts on the bottom. Side dishes on top of the main course. Timing is important too. For pot roasts, they should go a couple of hours before putting anything on top that takes less time. Check out some of the youtube videos that are now available for stacked dutch oven cooking.
I rarely have to stack because these days I use a DO cooking table with a tall windscreen and make only a couple of recipes on it. If I were DO cooking for a crowd it might be different and I would stack. Now the crowd does their own cooking and brings it along.

There's a ton of DO recipes on the internet now. Just do a search for dutch oven recipes.

[SpeakEasy]

I typically do a main dish (anything) on the bottom and brownies on top. For the brownies, it's a good idea to line the DO with parchment paper.

-Speak

[ppine]

Stacking them is more effecient, but will not change your recipes.
I like to make stew or burgoo with different kinds of meat, especially beef, elk or buffalo. Stacked enchiladas, spaghetti, ravioli, chicken with vegetables, any kind of potatoes with onions and bacon.
A DO works fine for stir fry type Asian dishes. Works good for pizza using prepared dough. You can make almost anything in one. 10,000 Sourdoughs can't be wrong.

[Lwiddis]

Wouldn’t stacking violate the 1/3 of the coals underneath and 2/3 on top rule for the upper oven?