Using the dutch oven inside versus on the BGE

clintmiller · July 2012

I'm a new BGE owner, and I'm absolutely loving cooking on it. In the 2 weeks since I got the BGE, I've done burgers, steaks, pizza, brisket, bbq beans, and peach cobbler. The food coming off the BGE is awesome.

I'm also brand new to dutch oven cooking. It seems like there are basically 3 ways I could use a dutch oven: 1) on the BGE, 2) in the kitchen oven, or 3) directly over a pile of coals with more coals piled on the lid (like you see in those fancy youtube videos). I'm having a hard time finding information on the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

Clearly, there's a coolness factor to cooking outside with approach #1 and #3. But does the food come out tasting any different? If I cook on the BGE with the dutch oven lid open for a bit, the food probably takes on a bit of a smoky taste, which would be a nice benefit. But if the recipe calls for keeping the lid closed, is there any benefit to cooking on the BGE versus inside in the oven?

Cooking in the kitchen oven has the benefit of being able to cook something like beans in the dutch oven at the same time I'm doing a brisket outside. But, I'm not sure if the beans would cook better outside.

I've googled around quite a bit trying to find a comparison of using a DO inside versus outside, and haven't been able to find anything. What's your experience with this?

fishlessman · July 2012

most cooks in the egg are done without the cover regardless of directions, the dome acts as the cover. you do have to add liquid more frequently though

nolaegghead · July 2012

One option is to smoke, say, the onions, int the egg, then chop them up or whatever and throw them in the dutch oven. That will contribute to a nice smokey taste, and you'll free up the egg for other things.

travisstrick · July 2012

I do beans in a Dutch oven on the egg regularly. If you leave the top off, it get a great smoke flavor. Another plus of using the egg is your house doesn't smell.

RandallB · July 2012

I teach dutch oven cooking for the Boy Scout troop. The main reason for cooking with charcoal is in a camping/tailgate situation or at home when you have plenty of time and enjoy working with it. But, people don't use dutch ovens INSIDE the house enough. It isn't just for camping or outdoors. I have been very happy with all items cooked in the dutch oven in the regular oven.

For using it on the BGE, I think it depends on if you want the slight smoke taste or not on that item. My family doesn't like the smoke taste on some items. Also in the peak summertime here in the south, there is good motivation to cook on the grill and not run the inside oven to make the kitchen extra hot (working against A/C).

Also, a lot easier cleanup when the dutch oven isn't covered with ash...

Stoater · July 2012

As travis says leave the top off the dutch oven as you won't loose the moisture but will still pick up a nice smokey flavour, I have cooked a couple of curries on the egg in pans and they were awesome, grill as many of the ingredients as you can throw them in your dutch oven add your stock or your sauce and leave that lid off, add lots of smoke and off you go.

travisstrick · July 2012

RandallB said:
I teach dutch oven cooking for the Boy Scout troop. The main reason for cooking with charcoal is in a camping/tailgate situation or at home when you have plenty of time and enjoy working with it. But, people don't use dutch ovens INSIDE the house enough. It isn't just for camping or outdoors. I have been very happy with all items cooked in the dutch oven in the regular oven.

For using it on the BGE, I think it depends on if you want the slight smoke taste or not on that item. My family doesn't like the smoke taste on some items. Also in the peak summertime here in the south, there is good motivation to cook on the grill and not run the inside oven to make the kitchen extra hot (working against A/C).

Also, a lot easier cleanup when the dutch oven isn't covered with ash...

I'm an eagle scout.

Roob · July 2012

I use the dutch oven in the BGE in the summer because it keeps the kitchen cooler. It's tough enough keeping the house cool in the summer without adding extra sources of heat inside.

nolaegghead · July 2012

I think a Dutch oven without the top is called a "pot".

Stoater · July 2012

I think a Dutch oven without the top is called a "pot".

Ah but a Dutch pot none the less.

mokadir · July 2012

I've done some braised short ribs in the bge in a Dutch oven. Seared, then decreased temps to about 375, put in the DO for a while lid off, then covered for the next few hours. Excellent.

fishlessman · July 2012

I think a Dutch oven without the top is called a "pot".

but if there is bubbling liquid in that pot the egg fills up with steam and acts like a big dutch oven, and watch out for steam burns opening the egg, worse than any flashback ive experienced

nolaegghead · July 2012

I'm just messing wif ya.

Heck, if that's true, if I can get the inside of the egg to fill with steam, that would make it a great bread oven.

One trick to cooking bread is to use a steam oven - how its often done commercially. The "no-knead" bread recipe uses a watery dough in a dutch oven to create a steam oven in your consumer-level regular kitchen oven....

fishlessman · July 2012

getting steam in an egg to cook bread is easy, and you only need it in the beginning of a high temp bread cook to keep the crust from setting up too quickly

nolaegghead · July 2012

What techniques do you recommend using for steam other than spray a garden hose into the coals?

Mattlock · July 2012

What techniques do you recommend using for steam other than spray a garden hose into the coals?

I saw another member post a picture of a small stainless steel dish filled with water left on the grill to add steam.

I use my dutch oven on the egg for beans and macaroni, generally top off to add smokey flavor.

fishlessman · July 2012

i dont use a platesetter at all, my high temp bread setup is a soap stone set a few inches over a paella pan, everything set high in the dome. i let the egg sit at 550 til the paella pan is screaming hot, open egg and put bread ball on, add a cup hot water to the pan and let it flash to steam over the next few min with the dome closed. the steam keeps the skin on the dough from setting and keeps it pliable for enough time to keep the crust from cracking. if you found you needed steam for a longer period, put some heat retaining stones in the pan and add even more hot water

fishlessman · July 2012

heres a pic, you want to add hot water so the pan doesnt cool to fast and only use just enogh

Mighty_Quinn · July 2012

What techniques do you recommend using for steam other than spray a garden hose into the coals?
Might be me....this is how I do it, and get consistently great results everytime... I saw another member post a picture of a small stainless steel dish filled with water left on the grill to add steam.

I use my dutch oven on the egg for beans and macaroni, generally top off to add smokey flavor.

nolaegghead · July 2012

Nice setup. How do you set the daisy wheel when you close with the water added? Any problems with flame-outs? And you're shooting for about 450-550 for bread?

Mighty_Quinn · July 2012

I don't use the daisy wheel anytime over 300... Yep I bake sourdough at 500.

fishlessman · July 2012

mighty quinn

its all in what your shooting for, the slits help your bread not to split, if you flash the water into steam its quicker and you dont need to slit it. my setup was for making smooth bread bowls, either setup works but the results will still be different

nolaegghead · July 2012

very nice

Davekatz · July 2012

I do a lot of Dutch oven cooking in the BGE. Almost always set it up on an inverted (legs up) plate setter with a cost iron between the pan and the plate setter.

Lid on - for braising and for getting foods up to temp before I cook with the the lid off.

Lid off - anything where I want a bit of smoke and to reduce the liquid.

So for carnitas I cook them lid on for the first hour to get the liquid up to temp and render the fat. The rest of the cook is lid off to give it some smoke and cook off the water to crisp the meat. Chili is lid off for the entire cook. Beef short ribs get smoked for a couple hours outside the pan, then braised lid on until tender.

With the lid on I don't notice any difference cooking on the Egg versus the oven, except I get to be outside. Lid off you get some smoke and more browning and reducing of the liquid than you would in the oven. Might be from the airflow up through the top vent.

nolaegghead · July 2012

Davekatz - that makes perfect sense. If you want a smoky flavor and/or reduce the moisture, take off the top. It's easy to re-hydrate by adding water. Lower temp braising, leave the top on.

chuff · July 2012

@Davekatz - care to elaborate on your recipe for carnitas?

Aviator · July 2012

Using the dutch oven inside versus on the BGE

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