Dutch oven cooking Direct or indirect??

EmandM'sDad

I'm just starting to play with the dutch ovens that my wife gave me for Valentines day. What is the best setup? platesetter legs up? Down? Direct on raised grid? Any help would be appreciated?

Thanks,
Mike

Darnoc

Just might depend on what is going into the pot. In most cases what is cooked in a dutch oven will be indirect.Legs up my friend.

Grandpas Grub

It won't matter which way you go with that.

If you DO has the camp fire legs it most likely be easier to use the inverted plate setter. If the DO is legless then the grid is great.

Don't use the lid in cooking or you may as well use the DO in the oven.

Put the DO on top of the grid which is on top of the plate setter or put the DO on top of the grid for direct. Watch your temps when cooking. Braising meat like a Pot Roast is fantastic.

I have a good DO pot roast recipe and a good stew recipe if you get to a point where you want to try those.

GG

egret

Mike,
I do my chili with PS, legs up, and dutch oven directly on the PS. It's optional whether you want to put spacers between the dutch oven and the PS. I found I didn't need them with the chili.
There probably isn't any 'wrong' way to set it up. It would probably work fine with PS, legs down as well. If I was going to do a long cook at low temps. I would use the PS, legs up, and grid on top of PS. Experiment......

Essex County

I've done both. Last weekend, I did a Spanish recipe, a pork butt cooked in milk. I had the legs down on the platesetter. About 5 hours at 275. Awesome.
Paul

EmandM'sDad

I was thinking about starting direct to sear the meat... then switch to indirect for the braise. i didn't know if heat control would be a problem with direct.

Mike

fishlessman

either way will work, with a camp with legs i use a pizza stone, with a flat bottom ive gone direct. the important thing is to find the minimum temp for a light simmer. with the direct setup that temp will be lower than it is with an inderect setup.

EmandM'sDad

Gonna start with Apple or Peach pie baked beans. My mouth has been watering just thinking about it! :laugh:

Mike"drool dripping down my chin"

Okeejohn

...and the recipe is......

Okeejohn

Ummm..please do share

John
Okeechobee, Fl

Darnoc

Are you doing Keri's Hog Apple Baked beans? IIf so unless you are in the woods just do the bacon inside the house then cook in the dutch oven with no lid for 325 for one hour.Waldorf is getting closer.Just got my Thermapen today.Nedd any temperature checks down your way?See Ya.

Chef in the Making

Make sure you follow Grandpas Grub's advice about not using the cover. Speaking from experience the cover is a lot stronger then the Dome's temperature probe. I ruined one by leaving the cover on

tjv

If you are looking to do a long low simmer, you might try an indirect piece on your spider, a bge stone would work. Then the grid on the fire ring and the dutch oven on the grid. This set-up provides a gap between the stone and bottom of the dutch oven, forces some of the heat out beyond the stone,up and around the sides of the dutch oven and puts the top of the dutch oven in a handy location, near the felt line. I assume the dutch oven is one without feet.

Tom

tjv

you still doing (like) the inverted spider with the DO? T

Eggtucky

Looks like you gotta buncha responses and I havent read them all..I almost always do indirect using the DO, but for sure you can cook direct with it..I set the platesetter legs down then use the egg 'feet' to sit the DO on...

Grandpas Grub

I should have mentioned that, that is the only way I use the DO now unless I want indirect. If I go indirect I use the inverted spider for the 'drip pan' and the adjustable rigg on 1st or 2nd level.

There is only one problem with the adjustable rig/spider. I don't have one for my small.

I want to get a woo2 but not sure how high I want the grid - adjustable rig lets me choose...

Kent

Grandpas Grub

Good choice and great method. No problem with heat control in the egg.

I'll get the recipes up shortly.

GG

Grandpas Grub

Two DO recipes up above - enjoy, they are both great.

GG

EmandM'sDad

All,
Thanks for your help. Got all the stuff for the baked beans for tomorrow. Beef stew on Saturday.

Mike

tjv

You mean make a 5.5 inch tall adjustable rig for the small and use the mini's grid as the second grid....not that I'm speaking from experience or anything.....!

Celtic Wolf

If I am using my Camp Dutch ovens Then I put the DO directly on the platesetter without the grate. Platesetter is feet up.

My regular dutch ovens go on the grate sitting on the plate setter feet up.

If I am using my Small Egg then the dutch oven sits on the spider from Chubby's Gratemates.

I find these work best for me.

JLOCKHART29

Platesetter legs up, 3 "smoke rocks" on setter and DO ontop of rocks.

Essex County

Ok, I'm doing this from memory but it's pretty easy.

Pork Cooked in Milk

4 lbs. pork butt
4 c milk
1 T veg oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
5 cloves garlic, whole
1 t dried marjoram
1 t dried thyme
Salt
12 peppercorns
1/4 c fresh parsley

Brown the pork butt in the oil. Use a heavy pan or dutch oven. Remove pork and saute the onion, carrot and garlic. Add the marjoram, thyme, salt and peppercorns about one minute before the veggies are done. When soft, put veggies and meat in dutch oven. Add milk. It doesn't have to cover the pork. Cook at 275-300 for 4-5 hours on the egg. I used a chunk of maple. Adjust seasonings as needed. The milk will curdle but also gets a nutty flavor. The pork should be fork tender. It may even be pullable. Remove pork from the pan and reduce the sauce by at least half. You could strain it or put it through a food processor to smooth it out. I leave it chunky. Pour sauce over the meat, garnish with parsley and serve.

The original recipe used pork loin. That's fine too and it slices nicely for presentation but I think the butt is more interesting.

Paul