An outdoor Dutch oven is a relatively deep cooking vessel with a tight-fitting lid, usually made of cast iron. It’s made to be used around a campfire, in an open fire pit, or in a fireplace. It may have a footed or flat-bottomed design, depending on when it was created and how it will be used.
Although legends abound about how the outdoor Dutch oven got its name, most agree that it was first used in the 1700s. Settlers in the American colonies, as well as exploring mountain men and frontier cowboys, have all been documented as big fans of the outdoor Dutch oven throughout history. Some of the models were so well made that they are now part of museum collections depicting this time period.
The outdoor Dutch oven was popular for its versatility as well as its durability. Its shape made it ideal for roasting, stewing, baking, and frying a variety of foods. It could be used to boil water one day and then turn out a pan of cornbread the next.
The first outdoor Dutch ovens were quite large and had a flat bottom that sat directly on the fire’s coals. This was quickly changed to a shallower model with legs that raised the pot an inch or so above the coals. A lip was added to the perimeter of the lid to keep stray coals out of the food.
The outdoor Dutch oven model, also known as a chuck wagon, cowboy, or camping style, stands on three legs rather than the traditional two. It has a wire bail handle that allows it to be hung from a pole over a fire. Another distinguishing feature of this model is its slightly concave lid, which effectively holds hot coals on the pot’s top. This method of dual heating creates an oven effect, allowing the food to be cooked evenly from the inside out.
Most outdoor Dutch ovens used this oven effect on a regular basis. They were frequently placed over campfires, and once sufficiently heated, pies, pizzas, biscuits, cakes, and breads were transferred to smaller pans and baked inside the Dutch ovens. When one batch was finished, a new pan was used to replace it.
When cooking a variety of foods, outdoor Dutch ovens were frequently stacked on top of one another and rotated as dishes required more or less heat. Stacking up to six Dutch ovens on top of one another was common. Foods that benefit from slow, even, and long cooking, such as stews, soups, and roasts, were also cooked in outdoor Dutch ovens.