The Delightful Dutch Oven
by Ryan Walker

Close your eyes and imagine you see a man hunched over an open flame. He has on waist clothing, but nothing else. You don’t see any footwear, other than primitive sandals. The man appears to be cooking the flesh of an unidentifiable animal. What bygone era has this individual emerged from, and what clan or tribe does he belong to? Actually, the man is from the Walker clan, and the time period was last summer. Campfire cooking may seem like an antiquated, unnecessary practice. However, those who take part in cooking while camping can attest to the feeling of nostalgia that rises up after preparing a great outdoor meal. I have discovered two items that increase the sense of satisfaction connected to cooking in nature: a Dutch oven and wild game.

The Dutch oven is a cast iron cooking tool that has evolved over the last two centuries, but the basic premise has stayed the same. Essentially, it is a heavy kettle (that comes in various sizes) with a tight fitting lid that keeps the steam locked inside. It’s most commonly used for moist cooking dishes such as roasts, soups and stews. I have found through trial and error that just about anything can be cooked in a Dutch oven. It is extremely effective and gratifying to cook wild game on an open fire.

Some of our country’s earliest historical celebrities also found the Dutch oven to be an effective utensil. Around the 1700s, Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania used it in their everyday lives. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were commonly prepared by the settlers with the aid of their “ovens.” Later in history, Lewis and Clark decided to haul them on their foray to the Pacific Ocean. Large numbers of men were fed in a short amount of time on their expedition. The pioneers and cowboys of Old West lore outfitted their chuck wagons with Dutch ovens. Is it any wonder why so many people feel as though they are re-enacting history when they use those heavy kettles?

Even though almost all aspects of using a Dutch oven are positive, there are a few negatives. First and foremost, they are heavy and bulky. It isn’t something you can throw into a backpack and hike with all day. Second, the heat source must be monitored to ensure it isn’t too hot or too cold. A heat source that is too hot will scorch the contents of the pot. A heat source that is too cold won’t cook the food to an acceptable degree of doneness. A final consideration if you want to take up any cast iron cooking is seasoning the equipment. A Dutch oven (and any cast iron cookware) can’t be washed like other dishes. In fact, the oven has to be seasoned before it can be used. The initial step is to place it in a stove oven until it is warm to the touch; use caution. Next, wipe it down with a thin coating of vegetable oil, and place in the stove oven at 350 degrees for about an hour. Repeat the process three times before you use the kettle. After each use, wash with hot water, but no soap. Add a very light layer of vegetable oil, and the Dutch oven should last a lifetime. A solid piece of advice is to save and follow the directions for seasoning that accompany your oven.

Now that your Dutch oven is ready for use, the big question is what to cook? If you really want to time travel back into history, try cooking wild game. Whether you are at your family deer camp or one of Michigan’s spectacular state or county parks, wild game from your Dutch oven will impress all your friends and family. The following recipe is one of my personal favorites.

Panfish Chowder

• 6 bacon strips
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 3 medium potatoes (peeled and cubed)
• 3 cups of water
• ½ cup chopped carrot
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1 can corn
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound panfish filets, cut into 1-inch strips
• 1 ½ cups half and half

Fry the bacon in the Dutch oven until crisp, then crumble the bacon. Sauté the onions and celery in the oven with the bacon grease. Place all the ingredients, except the fish and half and half, in the oven. Cook the fish in a separate skillet and set aside. Simmer all the other ingredients in the Dutch oven for approximately 30 minutes. Add the fish and cream and simmer for ten minutes.

Fish isn’t the only game that cooks well in a Dutch oven. I have found venison roasts, stews and even steaks are scrumptious if done properly. Squirrel, rabbit, waterfowl, pheasants and grouse can provide wonderful camp fare as well. If you are adept at cooking wild game in your kitchen then you won’t have any problems preparing camp meals using nature’s bounty. In fact, if you aren’t careful, you will have the whole campground following their noses to your site to see where the heavenly smell is coming from.

As you proceed into Michigan’s great outdoors this summer and fall, don’t forget to pack your Dutch oven with your tent and sleeping bag. This piece of culinary history will provide even more enjoyment to your camping experience. If possible, bring along wild game to further enhance your campfire meals. Maybe our trails will cross this summer and we can enjoy a Dutch oven wild game meal together.