Cooking in Cast Iron Camp Ovens / Dutch Ovens

[Saltbush Bill]

Does anyone else here like cooking in what us Aussies call Camp Ovens and whats called a Dutch Oven in America.
Ive been cooking in and collecting Antique Ovens now for some years.
Here are a few photos of some things I cooked a few weeks ago for a small family gathering.
Roasted lamb shanks with baked potatoes, a couple of nice salads and some sour cream to put on the spuds finished the meal off. In all it was an excellent day.

[fizzix]

The Dutch Oven is a favorite when we go camping. Nothing fancy for us, just spaghetti or chili.

[Saltbush Bill]

You can cook anything in one that can be cooked in a proper home oven Fizz, cakes ,bread and pies just to name a few. Just takes a little practice and some heat control....just like stillin really.

[contrahead]

I have several, of what I ASSumed the Aussies liked to call “Duchies”. One of about 4 quart capacity goes with me whenever I go “tailgate camping”. It gets used predominately for just beer bread and/or cobbler. Below are a couple of images made a long time ago, for a publication. Aside from that I cook in a 10 inch cast iron skillet, every day of the year. It is just a superior utensil with a superior cooking surface for the stove top.

[thecroweater]

Grew up on camp oven cooking, Dad was a bit a wizz with it. In my little Joe the wrangler time that's all we had on the cattle station, that , a grate and BBQ plate, skillet and a few faffles and as cook was sorta a roster either who was in charge of moving the bung cart or plant horses you soon learnt to use em well or get bitched at . I've had the pleasure of eating SBB's camp tucker on several occasions and can testify he is pretty darn expert at it

[Twisted Brick]

I love my cast iron. They cook beautifully and perform great in the brick oven...

[Saltbush Bill]

Nice work Twisted, one of these days I want to build an oven like that one.

[Twisted Brick]

If you have questions, just holler. I made a new mate from Werribee on the Forno Bravo oven-building forum and over many months walked him through his most beautiful build. Shared with me his authentic kleftiko recipe, he did.

Honestly, a wood-fired oven can change things. Life slows down a bit when you commit to this style of cooking, and it brings family, friends and neighbors into the picture. And everybody has a good time. Well worth the initial build time, but like in still-building, it's half the fun.

[cob]

up until 1973 I borrowed a dutch from a friend and he was gracious about it, but I finally bought my very own

brand spanking new #8 dutch which I still have along with another just like it, and a #10, 2 #12's, and a

flat bottom 13. there is always a 12" lodge skillet on the glass top stove. and yes I broke the glass top,

but not the skillet.

Saltbush Bill; that dutch with the shanks in it looks to be a #22. It must take at least 2 grandkids to

lift the lid off that thing. and yes you can make anything and more in a dutch than a conventional oven.

[Reverend Newer]

Dutch ovens are amazing, I became a bean cooking pro with one.

Ya'll keep using yer Teflon, I'll stick with cast iron thanky much

[Saltbush Bill]

that dutch with the shanks in it looks to be a #22.

Cob the big Oven in the photo is a 24 incher, about as big as they were ever made as far as I know. Its not an old Oven , a fella I know has started casting them in recent times and he gave me one. The pattern for it was taken from an very old oven. He also makes 20s and 22s.
Here in Au they traditionally size them by inches , but Ive noticed that in America its usually Quarts.

It must take at least 2 grandkids to lift the lid off that thing.

2 of them cant lift it yet , they are still to small ...its a heavy lid.

Ya'll keep using yer Teflon, I'll stick with cast iron thanky much

+1

[Saltbush Bill]

This is a photo of the day I cooked 425 potatoes, Doubt I'll ever do that again.

And a few more Ovens

[cob]

Mine are sized by inches. that first #8 spent a lot of time on the back of a horse.

you got a big enough mule to pack all of those?

[Reverend Newer]

I'm only seeing 420 potatoes there... great photo!

Never seen such well-cared-for cast iron cookware. Reminds me of chuck wagon days.

[Saltbush Bill]

Never seen such well-cared-for cast iron cookware

Doesn't take much to keep them looking good Rev, a quick wipe over inside and out with a bit of cooking oil and a rag after each use.

you got a big enough mule to pack all of those?

Thats a small part of the collection Cob, would need more than one mule.

[Reverend Newer]

Yep, I clean mine with Borax and polish them with lard

[Shine0n]

Good looking setup SBB, I have a few cast iron skillets from the early 1900s and a couple newer ones.

Only 2 Dutch ovens tho, both are 12"

Twisted Brick, nice oven man! I've done many many outdoor kitchens and ovens and have never took the time for my own.
One day

[Copperhead road]

What did you do with all them potatoes Salty, that’s a whole lotta mashed spuds lol
Arrr probably the big RSL veterans feed maybe on Anzac Day

[Copperhead road]

Good looking feed twisted brick
Bet you got more wine than the meat did.....

[Saltbush Bill]

Good looking setup SBB, I have a few cast iron skillets from the early 1900s and a couple newer ones.
Only 2 Dutch ovens tho, both are 12 inch

The old stuff is nice ShineOn....its all I collect.
12 inch is a good average size for most things ..a couple of them and you can feed a family a good meal....3 and you can do dessert too.

[Twisted Brick]

Good looking feed twisted brick
Bet you got more wine than the meat did.....

Thanks, CR. Like a lot of things, I don't remember... hiccup!

[Rod]

You may find this site useful

http://www.aussiecampovenforum.com/cgi- ... b2/YaBB.pl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[Saltbush Bill]

I do find it useful rod , Ive been a member there for probably 10 years now. Learned most of what I know about cooking in camp ovens from the blokes over there. I'll be meeting up with a heap of them this month for a get together and a cook up.

[The Baker]

Grew up on camp oven cooking, Dad was a bit a wizz with it. In my little Joe the wrangler time that's all we had on the cattle station, that , a grate and BBQ plate, skillet and a few faffles and as cook was sorta a roster either who was in charge of moving the bung cart or plant horses you soon learnt to use em well or get bitched at . I've had the pleasure of eating SBB's camp tucker on several occasions and can testify he is pretty darn expert at it

In my teens I spent time in the forest cutting wood with an axe.
We used to cook chops and sausages on a shovel.
The boss brought out the meat and some bread and sauce (ketchup) in the truck when he came for the wood I had cut.
And he used a petrol powered swing saw on wheels to cut down and cut up bigger trees then. It was quite dangerous and later he died when the handles slipped from his grip and the saw swung around and wounded him. The circular blade was maybe two foot six in diameter....
Geoff

[contrahead]

... he used a petrol powered swing saw on wheels to cut down and cut up bigger trees then. It was quite dangerous and later he died when the handles slipped from his grip and the saw swung around and wounded him. The circular blade was maybe two foot six in diameter....

I'm guessing that what your calling a swing saw – looked something like this? My grandfather had a saw just like this but it did not get used much. I only saw him use it once and that was with the blade flipped around low, to cut small stumps off - low to the ground.

[cob]

I sold this to a commercial bbq outfit for cooking corn in because I was not getting any use out of it.

search.php?keywords=farmers+caldren

It was just to big for me.

[Chauncey]

Love cast iron. Got two big ol skillets and a Dutch oven plus various small skillets. Use them for everything.

[Saltbush Bill]

Cob what was that pots original purpose and what is the brand name on the side?

[cob]

Cob what was that pots original purpose and what is the brand name on the side?

this link should give you the entire thread. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15754

the name is cribbon and sexton (sp) original purpose?? anything you need a BPO for in the 20"s or 30's.

[Saltbush Bill]

Thanks....Interesting.....could do with one of those in my cast iron collection. Very unlikely to ever find/ see one in Australia though.