Prepping for post-election mayhem in the US?

[Amish Heart]

Hey Duncan, I'm a dutch oven fanatic. I have a large set up outside our old milkhouse with my iron cooking tables and shelves that hold my dutch ovens and other cast iron accessories. It's a large covered patio area, so I keep it out all year long. With the tables, I usually have four going on at a time. A main dish, a side, one for bread rolls, and one for dessert. Also do a very large cast iron skillet for stir fry veg, have the popcorn and the tortilla iron cookers. Some pie irons for grilled sandwiches or dessert pies like smores. Lots of fun. I love it. I don't barbeque. I dutch oven.

 

[Duncan]

Duncan: I have a Dutch oven, but admittedly, never used it. I have watched videos on line, and I feel comfortable with the process. It seems that in everything I watch the people doing the cooking know the temperature they are using. How do you know the temperature? How do you know how many coals should be underneath, and how many should be on top? I really would like to learn how to use it properly.

Thanks for sharing.

First, assume the working temp of a DO is 350 deg F once the briquettes get white. You can determine that temp by using (X+2) briquettes on top and (X-2) on the bottom, where "X" is the diameter of the DO in inches. So, if you have a12-inch DO, you'd put 14 briquettes (12+2) on the top and 10 briquettes (12-2) on the bottom. Then, for every ten degree increase over 350 deg F, add one each briquette to top and bottom. That usually works for me.

If you use a Volcano, your bottom briquette count will be equivalent to about half of the "regular" loading, where your top loading would be "X"; in other words, the same number of briquettes as the size of your DO in inches.

 

[Duncan]

Hey Duncan, I'm a dutch oven fanatic. I have a large set up outside our old milkhouse with my iron cooking tables and shelves that hold my dutch ovens and other cast iron accessories. It's a large covered patio area, so I keep it out all year long. With the tables, I usually have four going on at a time. A main dish, a side, one for bread rolls, and one for dessert. Also do a very large cast iron skillet for stir fry veg, have the popcorn and the tortilla iron cookers. Some pie irons for grilled sandwiches or dessert pies like smores. Lots of fun. I love it. I don't barbeque. I dutch oven.

Truly, Amish Heart, you are a pearl of great price! I'd love to come over to your place for the DO colloquium just to take notes and taste-test your food!!

We have a couple of those gargantuan 12" and 13.5" cast iron skillets, which we use for things like curry, or adobo chicken. We do them right on the top of our glass-topped electric stove in the kitchen. I know that the use of cast iron is supposed to be a no-no for a glass-topped range because of scratching the glass but we don't care!

I do want to get a couple of enameled cast iron dutch ovens (the one without the legs or rimmed lid) when I get rich, which should be about a month after the Second Coming of Jesus.

 

[Amish Heart]

I have all the solid cast iron. Did a pizza once on the lid of one and it turned out great.

 

[Morgan101]

First, assume the working temp of a DO is 350 deg F once the briquettes get white. You can determine that temp by using (X+2) briquettes on top and (X-2) on the bottom, where "X" is the diameter of the DO in inches. So, if you have a12-inch DO, you'd put 14 briquettes (12+2) on the top and 10 briquettes (12-2) on the bottom. Then, for every ten degree increase over 350 deg F, add one each briquette to top and bottom. That usually works for me.

If you use a Volcano, your bottom briquette count will be equivalent to about half of the "regular" loading, where your top loading would be "X"; in other words, the same number of briquettes as the size of your DO in inches.

Thank you for your help. I will give it a try.

 

[user 55]

Off topic Duncan, how are you and the wife doing with the Covid? Can't find the thread but hope all is going well.