Dutch Oven Apple Cherry Cobbler

This was an easy and delicious cobbler.  I used one can of cherry pie filling and 2 large apples thinly sliced.  Place into a 12 inch shallow dutch oven.  For the crumble topping I used 1 cup of butter (2 sticks), 2 cups sugar, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg.  You can use a pastry blender to cut the butter but I like to use frozen butter and grate it on a cheese grater.  Mix until it is a nice crumble and sprinkle on top of cherries and apples.  Cook at 375 degrees using 18 briquettes on top and 9 on the bottom. Bake 45 minutes or until nicely browned in top.

Thanks for reading, and get out there and get cooking! 

Smoked Cheeseburgers and Dutch Oven Fries

 

Today was my wife's birthday and I decided to make smoked cheeseburgers and dutch oven fries for her birthday dinner.  When you smoke a cheeseburger you get a taste that is delicious and completely unique.  All I do is mix some seasoning salt into ground beef and I used a hamburger press to shape the patties.  Using offset heat in my Weber Kettle Grill I smoked the burgers for at least an hour.  If you were making smaller burgers it would take less time.  The last 10 minutes I topped the patties with cheese and bacon.  Once I pulled them off the grill I toasted the brioche buns on the grill. The cheeseburgers have a great smoke ring and a flavor that cannot be beat.  

For the dutch oven fries I used a recipe I found in Barbecue Biscuits & Beans: Chuck Wagon Cooking.   

Slice the potatoes into thin wedges.  Preheat a 14 inch dutch oven to 450 degrees using 26 briquettes on top and 14 on the bottom.  Melt 1/4 stick of butter in the dutch oven and place the potatoes wedges cut side down in the bottom.  Make sure they do not overlap.  Cook about 20-30 minutes or until browned on one side an then flip the wedges over and cook for another 20 minutes until crispy.  You can top them with salt or seasoning salt.

Thanks for reading, and get out there and get cooking! 

Dutch Oven Quick and Easy No-Knead Bread

This bread is wonderful.  It only takes a few hours to prepare (most of it is just a resting period) and it tastes like artisan bread that has taken days to prepare.  I used this recipe for Fast No-Knead Bread and adapted it for my dutch oven.  

After letting the dough rest for 3.5 hours and shaping it into a loaf I placed it on parchment paper that I trimmed down to fit in my dutch oven.  Let that rest for another 30 minutes while you preheat your 12 inch deep dutch oven to 450 degrees using 22 briquettes on top and 11 on the bottom.  After 30 minutes carefully place the dough with the parchment paper into the dutch oven and cook for 50 minutes or until done.  Like I have said in other posts I do not change out the briquettes on the bottom of the dutch oven but I do replace the top as needed.  And every 15 minutes rotate the dutch oven a quarter turn so everything cooks evenly.  Let the bread rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and enjoying.  

Thanks for reading, and get out there and get cooking! 

Dutch Oven Pizza

Dutch Oven Pizza is one of my families favorite.  It is easy to do and has a taste that can't be beat.  I used my wife's pizza dough recipe and spread it in a 16 inch greased dutch oven.  Pour about a teaspoon of olive oil over the top and spread with your favorite pizza sauce.  Top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.  We topped it with pepperoni and oven roasted garlic tomatoes.  Bake at 375 degrees using 27 briquettes on top and 14 on the bottom.  Cook it for 40-45 minutes or until done.

Thanks for reading and get out there and get cooking!

Dutch Oven Pork Chops

Today I finally got back to my dutch oven and made these pork chops.  It is a super easy recipe and I used the shake and bake method to bread them which makes it simple and little clean up which would be perfect for camping.  

Dutch Oven Pork Chops

I used 12 boneless pork chops that were about 1/2 inch thick

Preheat your dutch oven for about 10 minutes while you are getting the food ready. 

1 sleeve saltine crackers crushed

1/2 cup pretzels crushed (I used my food processor for these)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/4 cup parmesan cheese 

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all of that together and place in a large bag.

In a bowl beat 3 eggs and then dip the pork chops in and place in the bag with the breading mixture.  When all the pork chops are in close the top of the bag and shake until everything is evenly coated.

Put about a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of a 14 inch dutch oven and then place the pork chops in and lightly drizzle more olive oil over the top.  Cook at 375° using 22 briquettes on top and 12 on the bottom and cook for 30 minutes or until done.

Thanks for reading, and get out there and get cooking! 

Smoked Turkey

Two years ago I smoked a turkey for Thanksgiving and I don't think I will ever go back to using the oven.  It makes a perfectly tender and juicy turkey with a smoked flavor that cannot be beat.  I used my large weber kettle using offset heat with a foil roasting pan in the center with chicken broth and apple juice. We had a 21 pound turkey and used my wife's turkey rub and set the turkey on a cooking rack and then on the grill directly over the water pan in the bottom to catch the drippings which makes for an excellent gravy.  I cooked this turkey for approximately 6 hours and every 30 minutes I would baste my turkey with a mixture of half apple juice and half applesauce, I know if sounds different but it makes for a super moist turkey.  About an hour in I covered the turkey with foil to keep it from browning too quickly.  When the turkey is done take it off the heat, cover with foil and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.

Thanks for reading, and get out there and get cooking!

Dutch Oven Ham

I have wanted to cook a ham in my dutch oven for a while and today I finally did it.  I used my 14 inch dutch oven and covered the bottom with 3 large potatoes sliced and 1 large onion as a base to place my ham on.  I added about 1/2 inch of water to the bottom of the dutch oven.  I cooked it at 275° using 18 briquettes on top and 8 on the bottom.  I cooked it for 3 hours and then made a glaze, today we just used equal parts honey and brown sugar mixed together but you can use any glaze you would like.  Brush it all over the ham and bake for 10 more minutes.  Let it rest for at least 10 minutes and then serve.

Thanks for reading, and get out there and get cooking!