AY Honors/Dutch Oven Cooking/Answer Key
Dutch Oven Cooking
Introduced in 2006
North American Division
DISCLAIMER: The requirements listed for this honor are those proposed to the NAD. The NAD has accepted the honor, but have not yet released the official requirements. It is not known whether the official requirements differ from the proposed requirements, but once that information is available, this page will be updated.
1. Earn the Cooking honor.
The answers for the Cooking honor can be found in the Household Arts section of this wikibook.
2. Give a brief history of Dutch ovens and their role in American history.
The first Europeans coming to the Americas brought dutch ovens with them, including Columbus, who had one listed on his manifest, and the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock.
Dutch ovens were so highly prized in early American history, that Martha Washington has been said to have listed her dutch ovens in her will.
Lewis and Clark brought a dutch oven with them on their overland expedition to the Pacific Ocean. The mountain men that followed them into the west used them for cooking and for trade with the Native Americans.
Dutch ovens were also carried on the "chuck wagons" brought along on the cattle drives in the late 1800's.
The dutch oven shown here was owned by Mrs. Ott, of Petersburg, Illinois. It was featured in an article about Abraham Lincoln in McClure's Magazine in 1896. "These Dutch ovens were in many cases the only cooking utensils used by the early settlers. The meat, vegetable, or bread was put into the pot, which was then placed in a bed of coals, and coals heaped on the lid."
3. Know the difference between a bread oven, a stew/meat oven, pot/stove top oven and a camp oven.
- bread ovens are four inches deep.
- Stew/meat ovens are five to seven inches deep.
- Pot/stove-top ovens have no legs and are used on top of a stove.
- Camp ovens have long legs so that coals may be heaped beneath them. They also have flanged lids so that coals may be heaped on top of them. Camp ovens are used outdoors in campfires, and sometimes indoors in a fireplace.
4. In what way are ovens sized?
Dutch ovens are sized by diameter, depth, or capacity:
| Diameter | Depth | Capacity |
| 8” | 2 quarts. | |
|---|---|---|
| 10” | 4 quarts. | |
| 12” | 6 quarts. | |
| 12” | 8 quarts. | |
| 14” | 8 quarts. | |
| 14” | 10 quarts. | |
| 16” | 12 quarts. |
5. Know and demonstrate fire and Dutch oven handling safety and the proper use of equipment.
Make sure you are dressed properly when handling Dutch ovens. A heavy apron, leather gloves, and shoes are essential. You should also have a fire extinguisher handy. Keep the area free from tripping hazards, and use lid lifters and lid stands. You will also need a shovel for moving the hot coals around. Check with local fire officials and get any required permits before building a campfire.
6. What types of fuels are used to cook with an oven?
- Wood
- Charcoal
- Natural gas
- Propane
- Electricity
7. What are the advantages of charcoal over wood as fuel?
Charcoal briquettes are uniform in size, and are made from a single species of wood. Because of this, they burn more evenly, and thus, they produces heat more evenly. Wood on the other hand, comes in non-uniform sizes, and the type usually used as firewood is often of more than one species. As a result, it does not heat as evenly as charcoal does.
8. How do you control temperature?
The easiest way to control the temperature of a dutch oven is by using the right number of charcoal briquettes for the desired temperature. In general, you should put one third of the total briquettes beneath the dutch oven, and the remaining two-thirds on the lid. The number of briquettes required to achieve a temperature of 325°F (160°C) is twice the pot's diameter as measured in inches (or 8/10 times its diameter as measured in centimeters). So if you have a 12" (30 cm) pot, you will need 24 briquettes. Eight of them will go beneath the pot (one third of 24 is 8), and 16 go on the lid (two-thirds of 24 is 16). For higher temperatures, add three more briquettes - one to the bottom, two to the lid. Every time three briquettes are added, the temperature will increase by 25° to 30° F (14° to 16° C).
9. What do ashes do to the efficiency of the coals?
Ash decreases the efficiency of the coals because it acts as an insulator. It should be removed often when cooking.
10. If using wood, what types are best for cooking?
In general, hardwoods such as oak, hickory, ash, and mesquite are better than softwoods such as pine. Be careful when using mesquite though, as it burns very hot. Hardwoods also produce less smoke than softwoods, and softwoods are more likely to leave a creosote residue on the oven.
11. Demonstrate how to properly season a new Dutch oven.
New dutch ovens are often coated with wax, and this must be removed as the first step in seasoning it. To do this, wash the dutch oven (and the lid!) using hot soapy water inside and out, and rinse it thoroughly, also in hot water. Dry the oven with a towel. Then wipe the entire oven down with cooking oil or shortening (use a high quality cooking oil such as olive oil or vegetable oil). Be sure the coat all surfaces of the oven, inside and out, including the lid and the legs. The place the lid and the dutch oven upside-down in a regular oven heated to 350°F (175°C) and leave it there for one hour. Use a well-ventilated oven, as this will produce fumes. After one hour, turn off the heat and let the oven cool. When it cools, it is ready to use.
12. Demonstrate how to properly clean a Dutch oven after each use.
To clean the dutch oven, simply wipe it down with a clean paper towel. If food is stuck to the oven, bring one or two cups of water to a boil in the oven and scrape the food off with a rubber spatula. Do not use soap, metal scouring pads, or metal utensils on a dutch oven or you will have to re-season it!
