Hey. So I got a big Dutch oven for Christmas and was wondering if you guys had any fav foods you make with it...

Hey. So I got a big Dutch oven for Christmas and was wondering if you guys had any fav foods you make with it. Just tried coq au vin last night and it turned out great.

Nice. Enameled?
Roasted chicken and veggies is always great.

I gave your mom a big dutch oven last night

Boeuf bourginon. Absolute favorite

coq au in and braised shortribs are pretty much the only two things. other wise you can use it to kill an intruder

Am dying to try this classic. I also heard osso bucco (veal shank) is great. Stoked to try oxtail and cow tongue too maybe

I think it's enameled. It's Henkel

Clearly there's more considering the replies so far. Also I'm Canadian. Don't have to worry about intruders or my gov forming a police state for that matter. Hoard your guns amerifat

Nice! I got a non enameled one as a gift.

Bread is piss easy and turns out perfect.

What kind of bread? Is it good just as a side or for sandwiches and shit?

>osso bucco
Absolute top tier.

Baked beans and twice-baked mashed potatoes

kek

Any tips on how to do it well?

Baked chicken over root veggies.

Season with pepper, herbs, and salt. Pour in a bit of chicken stock and a bit of butter to the bottom of the pot. And veggies, put chicken on top. Cover and cook. For the last few minutes take the lid off to crisp up chicken skin.

How long to cook?

The best part is using it first on the stove/burner to sear and collect a fond. Then using liquid and putting the same dish into the oven with a lid and some liquid to cook slowly. All that brown caked on bit stays in the food

Its bin a while since I made it but i would go with some quality meat, dont overcook it. Also its pretty fool proof.

Do rich slow cooked French sauces keep well? I've considered using it making a homemade bordelaise, espagnole, or demo glacé and freezing it

An hour or so. Part the chicken out, out the white meat on the outside dark meat on the inside and it should be fine.

A-are you me, OP? I got the cocotte in you pic for Christmas and also tried coq au vin which turned out great.

not that guy but no knead bread is wonderful from a dutch oven

I make all my soups, chilis, stews, curries, tomato based pasta sauces and braises with mine. I roast whole chickens in it as well. If I were ever to deep fry a bunch of stuff for guests, I'd use it for that.

>I make all my soups, chilis, stews, curries, tomato based pasta sauces and braises with mine

Last year I got a staub pan for cristmas. I cooked almost all of my diches in it. I think it was in the cabinet maybe 30 days. But the coating is already off. U fucking hate that. Anyone knows what i did wrong?

Same, I got an enameled Lodge for Christmas and made carnitas in it.

They are fantastic and made dinner for like a week. I just heated up my cast iron skillet, toasted a couple tortillas on it, then fried up the carnitas to heat them up and crisp the edges before making tacos.

Was it an enameled coating or do they do a Teflon nonstick?

GUMBO NIGGA

Dutch ovens are perfect for making roux because they have far better heat distribution than other pots and pans. I just made a gumbo with a dry roux (usually do wet roux, but I like to experiment) the other night and it turned out great.

What do you consider the difference between a dry and wet roux? Is there less/no fat in a dry one or does a wet one have some added liquid?

Harsh but fair

How's an enameled one compare to an uncoated cast iron dutch oven?

Enameled:
pros:
>unbelievably easy to clean, shit just wipes off
>Still can brown nicely
>Very pretty for presentation, make great serving dishes or thing to bring to parties
>Can cook acidic things in it for long times, so braising in acid liquids like wine or simmering acidic soups like tomato
cons:
>Enamel coating can be chipped with metal utensils (though not easily) or cracked if dropped, once that starts going your enamel is fucked AFAIK sadly
>Can't use over open flame or grill, no campfire cooking

Plain iron:
pros:
>More durable
>If you fuck up the seasoning you can just reseason the pot
>Can use on open flames
>Lids usually able to hold coals for campfire cooking (Get one with a good handle for these reasons)
Cons:
>Not as pretty
>Have to clean like any other cast iron, meaning with heat and oil to keep the seasoning good, which is tough with a 20lb pot
>Can't braise in acidic liquids or simmer acidic soups, as they will react with the iron.

Get what you think you'll need it most for. Doing more serving, indoor cooking, braising and soups? Get enameled.

Want something that you can do outdoor cooking in which you can bang around will last literally forever? Get raw iron.

Have money and space? Get both.

Its Enameld cast iron

what about a swiss/german beef or veal stew called Voressen? It has great ingredients and is better than any french stew there is.

just got one too, gonna christen it with some french onion soup, just need to find some nice ramakens

Let us know how it goes

>Bread
>Curries
>Meat stews
>Whole chickens
>Anything stewed with beans, lentils and chickpeas

Also open for ideas, I love this thing.

Mine is cast iron outside, enamel inside. Can be used over fire then I guess?

>Mine is cast iron outside, enamel inside. Can be used over fire then I guess?

I'd do some research but in that case you're probably OK. The best thing for the campfire ones though is to have a sunken lid for holding coals.

I'd be wary of using enamel over a fire, uneven heating could cause the enamel to crack.

bolognese
braised pork shoulder