Congratulations on becoming a Cast Iron Chef! hope to see you at a Dutch Oven Gathering. One of forum members here owns several and has high praises for it. I went a little cheaper with a multitasking Smokey Joe Weber grill.
I remove the grate, set the DO inside piled with coals, put the grill lid on, open the vent and let it go. The kettle grill keeps the chilly winds from slowing the cooking times in cold weather plus I can use it as a normal grill when the dutch oven doesn't need it.
"The only time you should fear cast iron is if your wife is fixin' to hit you with it."-Kent Rollins
First law of science: don't spit into the wind.
Magnus