The Dutch Oven

The Dutch Oven is a cooking term for putting everything you are about to
eat into a cast iron pot with a lid, then setting it over heat to simmer until
it is steaming. You can throw just about anything into a Dutch Oven, but
you need to time things properly to make sure what comes out is cooked
all the way through and ready to eat.

Our family has camped fairly frequently over the years, and one of the
most fun and educational experiences has been learning the tricks of this
trade.  Mastering the Dutch Oven for us began over 12 years ago back in Nebraska,
watching friends of ours fry up steak and eggs for breakfast one brilliant Fall
morning. Until then, I’d never heard the term and had no idea you could
cook that way.

But it made sense.  You’re out in the woods.  You want to simplify how
you grill everything up.  There’s a hot fire.  How do you get food off
of it without burning things on the outside while leaving the
meat raw on the inside?

Enter the Dutch Oven.  We bought ours a number of years back,
and the big treat is bacon and eggs.  Once you get the fire going
and there’s a strong bed of red coals, throw the whole bag of bacon in,
shut the lid and put it in the fire.  It will be simmering in no time.  
Check it periodically to stir the bacon.  When done, pull the meat out, but leave
the grease in for the eggs. Might as well fully plug the arteries for the
day.



If you like scrambled eggs, mix them up
while the bacon is cooking.  If
not, just crack the eggs into the grease of the Dutch Oven. 
Cover it up again and put it back in the fire. 
Chop the eggs occasionally as they cook.  You’ll come out with some tasty
bacon-flavored egg bits, enhanced by the outdoors experience.