Do you remember when you were in about the eighth grade and you would giggle every time you walked into your English class because you knew that cute boy or girl that you had a major crush on would be there? Well...I think I have a crush on my dutch oven. Every time I think about cooking something in it I want to giggle. I have had a permanent grin on my face because cooking with my dutch oven is just so DANG much fun! Now granted, it is not without it's own unique challenges and I realize I am only on day four. The real test will come when I hit day 186 and I am wondering why in the world I decided to do this. But for now I'll just enjoy the giddy feeling my dutch ovens give me. I think I need a shrink!On to today's recipe, Teriyaki Barbecue Chicken. This one was really easy and really yummy. My 7 year old said I could make it for dinner every day. The flavor was unique and the chicken was tender. I served it over rice (that I cooked in the kitchen). The recipe comes from the book "101 Things to do with a Dutch Oven" by Vernon Winterton.
Teriyaki Barbecue Chicken
14" dutch oven (I used a 12 and it worked fine)
1 18 oz. bottle barbecue sauce
1 18 oz bottle teriyaki sauce
6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 12 oz can lemon-lime soda
Pour the sauces into the dutch oven and add chicken. Pour soda over the top. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees using 12 coals on bottom and 16 on top. Chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 170 degrees or when pierced with a fork, the juices run clear. Makes 6-8 servings.
The Finished Product
What I Learned
One of the hardest things for me is that everything takes a long time to cook in a dutch oven. But I am starting to think that some of the problem is the cold temperatures and the wind. These Utah winters are cold, and this one has been really cold. I am learning to adjust the heat of the oven to compensate for the air temps. For this chicken I had to put a few extra coals on top and bottom to keep it cooking the way I needed it to.
The Review
This was yummy. It had a unique flavor that really caught your attention and it smelled delish! My kids loved it and I had a hard time saving some for my hubby. I pounded the chicken flat with a meat mallet so the chicken was tender and cooked faster. It took about an hour to cook, rather than the 30 minutes indicated in the recipe. I will make this one again.
In addition, there are certain kinds of dishes, like this one (many meats are like this) where the actual cooking temperature (inside the dutch oven) is not so critical. That's cool, because it allows you to experiment with the coals and learn a lot without risking the final result so much.
ReplyDeleteBreads and cakes, for example, are much more picky and tricky.
Also, like you noticed, and are probably noticing by now, the external air temperature does have an affect on the oven.
ReplyDeleteOne other thing, if you haven't discovered it by now, is to set up some sort of wind screen around your cooking area. If you can keep the cold wind from blowing on your oven, and coals then your oven will stay hotter longer.
I have started stacking some cinderblocks around my ovens. It works pretty well. My next DO purchase will be one of those camp chef tables with the windscreen. :)
ReplyDeleteA cheap alternative, that can either be permanent or just used until you get the dutch oven table, is to put a steel plate on a grill. It doesn't have to be really thick, just thick enough so that it won't bend because of the heat of the charcoal. The the lid of the grill can also be used as a windscreen. I have also seen people use old license plates with metal holding them together as a windscreen.
ReplyDeleteI have seen scouts using old cookie sheets under their DO. I have the CampChef table, it works great i just wish the sides were tall like the lodge table.
ReplyDeleteWind is a huge factor. I have been making your pumpkin chocolate chip bread at holidays for several years. On a windy day at a friends house in a ground level fire-pit I helped him build that day it took 2.5 times longer to cook.
ReplyDelete