How to Use Your Dutch Oven to Bake Pie

I wanted to share a little from the class I co-taught today at Preparing Wisely . I was all about the Beginner's Pie Crust and gave some basics on how to actually make the pie. Troy Adair, amazing emergency preparedness guy of glory was there to teach some basics on how to turn a regular outdoor dutch oven into a baker for pie. I was most interested in learning myself how to know that the oven was the proper temperature for baking. Since, y'all know I'm a bit of a baking geek...right? Why bake it in a Dutch oven at all? You know, I'm all about alternative cooking methods and I adore solar baking all summer and winter, but I'm also looking at the fact that my son Little Man will soon be attending BSA camps. I'm getting my game on to cook in the rough...should I ever need to assist in that area. Plus, will I ever be sad I didn't know how to cook something another way? Nay. I dare say I will always be a cub master-chef...even now as I'm not a cub master any more. I can also do a yodeling goat on the mountain impression and sing,"Be prepared! Be prepared! This lesson must be shared..."

It turns out there is a very technical way of knowing the internal temperature of a dutch oven. We used the Lodge Camp Dutch Oven 14 Inch deep dutch oven. It was just about the perfect size for a 9 inch pie. To determine the temperature of the oven, you use what is called, "the rule of 4." If the oven is 14 inches, you subtract 4. You will need 10 coals on the bottom of the dutch oven and twice that many on top of the dutch oven to get the internal temperature to 350 degrees (preheating 20 minutes). Adding 5-7 minutes to the baking time on most items. Add two coals to the bottom and 4 to the top for every additional 25 degrees you want inside your oven. So...for 400 degrees we added 4 to the bottom and 8 to the top. Does that sound technical enough? It almost hurt my brain to do that much math.

Once hot, Troy used a metal hook to take off the lid, with the coals still on top:

Single layer pie crust for a custard pie takes about 25 minutes.

Oh...this is important, we put the pie on top of a metal trivet inside the dutch oven so the bottom didn't burn. This also applies for most other pans you are baking in the dutch oven. Leave a little circulation space under the item's pan so it isn't in direct contact with the dutch oven. This is why we used the deeper dutch oven (5 inched deep instead of 3 inches deep).

A fruit pie generally takes about 45 minutes to bake (50-55) in the dutch oven.

The crust was golden delicious.

For the filling we used freeze dried peaches, raspberries and blueberries, reconstituted and lightly sweetened with agave. The general rule with thickening fruit is this:

4 cups of fruit mixed with 1/4 cup corn starch or ultra gel and 1/4 cup agave nectar. We also added 1 tsp of Chef Tess Wise woman of the east spice blend.

Now I'm ready to go camping! What about you?! Who wouldn't love pie in the mountains?

There you go. Dutch oven baking. We're starting with pie...but bread is next!

Volcano 2 Cookstoves

Multi-Faceted Outdoor and Emergency Cook Stove

Volcano II Cook Stove

The Volcano II Collapsible Cook Stove is a multi-functional stove and grill that can be fueled by three different sources.  This stove and grill can be heated using wood, charcoal, or an optional propane burner.  There are many unique designs that have led to this stove being extremely versatile, efficient and useful for outdoor and emergency use.

The grill itself has double wall construction.  This means that the inner liner is in contact more with the heat from the fuel source, but an air space between the inner wall and outer wall improves the effieciency of the stove and maintains a lower temperature on the outer wall.  The stove then has three bottom legs that provide support and stability, while maintaining air flow under the unit itself.  The outer wall has air ventilation holes that help to feed air through the bottom of the inner liner and focus the heat up.  The stove has a ventillation control that allows you to bank the coals with little air flow or stoke the coals with increased air flow.

At the bottom of the stove the coals or wood are supported by a steel grate.  This grate allows ash to spill off of the coals and allow improved coal efficiency.  A few inches above the grate a heat plate fits in.  This heat plate helps transfer heat around the stove or helps hold the coals closer to the grill.  The heat plate can also be moved up to the top of the stove to support a pot or pan.  The top has a removable grill top that can be left in place to grill meat or vegetables, or removed to provide a place for a pot, wok or dutch oven.

As you can see, the Volcano II Cook Stove works well with dutch ovens.  A 10" dutch oven will fit fully inside of the Volcano II Cook Stove.  When using the 12" dutch oven, insert the heat plate and the dutch oven will protrude slightly from the stove.  Dutch ovens ranging from 14" to 16" will sit on top of the stove.  You still use coals on the top of the dutch oven, but you now have a dutch oven stand for your dutch oven.  You can even light your briquettes in the stove and then remove the necessary coals and place them on the lid.

Volcano II Cook Stove with Propane Burner

The Volcano can also be fueled by an optional propane burner.  This burner provides you with another option for cooking everyday or in the outdoors.  The limitation with the burner is that it is not very wide, and so the heat is focused in a small area.  This limits the food you cook to a small area on the grill itself.  It does however provide a very hot cooking surface for pots, pans and woks.

The stove collapses down to about 5 inches high and comes with a carry case.  Volcano now makes a Volcano lid for the stove.  This Kevlar lid makes the stove even more efficient and improves cooking time.  The lid packs down nicely and fits in the pouch inside of the bag for easy store.

 

The video review above helps you get a good look at the Volcano II Cook Stove and provides information on how to use the Volcano as a stove or grill.  Hope you enjoy.

Lodge Enamel Coated Cast Iron

Lodge Enamel Cast Iron

Lodge now features a line of cast-iron cookware that is coated with a porcelain enamel covering that is both wonderful to cook with and aesthetically pleasing to behold.  Lodge has been making quality cast iron products for years and their enamel cast iron is not exception.  This cookware provides a great cooking surface that cleans up easily and does not need to be wiped with oil after each use.  Two of the more popular sizes are the  6 Quart Lodge Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven and the 3 Quart Lodge Enamel Cast Iron Casserole Dish.

Lodge 6 Quart Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven

The 6 Quart Lodge Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven is great for use as an indoor dutch oven.  It can also be used as a pot on the stove top.

Lodge 3 Quart Enamel Cast Iron Covered Casserole Dish

The 3 Quart Lodge Enamel Cast Iron Casserole Dish is perfect for smaller sized casseroles and oven dishes.  It can also be used as a skillet on the stove top.

What is great about the enamel cast iron is that it can go right from the oven to the table.  It is a georgeous dish.  You can then go right from the table to the refrigerator because of the porcelain enamel coating.

Pineapple BBQ Chicken in a Dutch Oven

Cook in the Dutch Oven or Sun Oven for Fantastic Results

I was going to make a pineapple upside down cake for this post, but I am glad my wife suggested making pineapple barbecue chicken.  Our family loves barbecue chicken salad, so this was a great summer meal.  The best part was that I was able to cook it outside in the dutch oven.  If I had started ealy enough I would have opted for the Sun Oven, although it may have been difficult because of the cloud cover we have had.  You can also take your crock pot out to the back porch and cook it outside.  It is enjoyable to find ways to keep the heat out of the kitchen!

After you have cooked this recipe, serve over brown rice or shred the chicken and add to a wonderful leafy salad.  This recipe is very simple, yet delicious:

2 Cups Reconstituted Freeze Dried Pineapple (I cooked 2 Cups of Freeze Dried Pineapple with 2 Cups of Water over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally)

6-8 Pieces of Chicken Breasts and/or Thighs

4 Cups of Barbecue Sauce

For Dutch Oven:  Use a 12" camp dutch oven.  Rub the dutch oven with butter or oil to help the barbecue sauce from sticking so much during cooking.  Mix the pineapple and barbecue sauce together and then pour into the dutch oven.  Add the chicken.  Light 12 Charcoal Brickettes and allow the brickettes to burn for about 10 minutes before placing the dutch oven over the coals.  Cook for 2 hours with the lid off.  If you leave the lid on you will only cook it for 1 1/2 hours but the sauce will be more liquidy.

Sun Oven:  Combine the barbecue sauce and pineapple in your pot and then add the chicken.  Cook for 3 hours.  If possible, re-adjust  the sun oven to keep up with the sun every hour to maintain a consistent temperature in the oven.  If not, you may need to cook for up to 4 hours.

Crock Pot:  Rub the bottom of the crockpot with butter or oil and then add the chicken.  Mix the barbecue sauce and pineapples and then pour over the chicken.  Cook for 3-4 hours on high, or cook 6-8 hours on low.