{"id":1957,"date":"2011-03-09T13:38:24","date_gmt":"2011-03-09T20:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.outdoorcookingmagic.com\/?p=1957"},"modified":"2014-06-30T04:02:12","modified_gmt":"2014-06-30T11:02:12","slug":"where-cook-dutch-oven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outdoorcookingmagic.com\/where-cook-dutch-oven\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Started with Dutch Oven Cooking – Where to Cook With a Dutch Oven"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DutchIn this part of the Getting Started with Dutch Oven Cooking<\/a> series, we are going to talk about where to cook with a dutch oven.\u00a0 The answer to that question might seem obvious, until you start to think about it. After all, in order to cook with a dutch oven, you need some place where you can put 15-20 coals and put a dutch oven on top of those coals.\u00a0 You'll also want to be able to put some coals on top.\u00a0 That's how you cook with a dutch oven.<\/p>\n

So, do you have someplace where you can have 15-20 coals going, without causing damage to the ground or to whatever you put them on?\u00a0 If you are lucky enough to have a fire-pit in your backyard, then you are set.\u00a0 You could wait until you go camping and use a fire-pit there.<\/p>\n

But what if you want to cook right in your own backyard?\u00a0 Here are a number of suggestions for you to consider.\u00a0 Which solution you use, will depend on what you have available to you and how much you want to spend.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Charcoal Grill<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>If you have a charcoal grill that would hold a dutch oven, that might work for you.\u00a0 I've done that.\u00a0 I took out the grates, started the charcoal, and set the dutch oven down inside the grill.\u00a0 If you do try this method, make sure the grill isn't top heavy or unstable.\u00a0 You don't want a huge problem on your hands if that grill were to tip over.<\/p>\n

Dutch Oven Table<\/h3>\n

\"Dutch<\/a>Another solution is to use a dutch oven table<\/a>.\u00a0 This is a metal table that is built for holding dutch ovens and the coals that are used to heat them.\u00a0 They are a great solution, and work really well.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 At a recent dutch oven cook-off<\/a> that I attended everyone was using a dutch oven table.\u00a0 The only downside of the table is that there is a cost.\u00a0 And if you are just getting started, you might not want to shell out $60-$80 more to get a dutch oven table.\u00a0 But if you don't mind doing that, a dutch oven table is a great solution.\u00a0 Click here <\/a>to get more information about dutch oven tables.<\/p>\n

Volcano Grill<\/h3>\n

\"Dutch<\/a>Another possible solution is the Volcano Grill<\/a>. This unique, versatile cooking device can be used with charcoal, propane, or wood. It has a patented heat chamber that concentrates the heat.\u00a0 12-15 coals will last for 1 1\/2 to 2 hours.\u00a0 That's perfect for a dutch oven.<\/p>\n

The outside of the Volcano Grill is cool to the touch, so will work well in your backyard.\u00a0 The legs keep it up off the ground, so that will help protect whatever you have it set on as well.<\/p>\n

Another advantage of the Volcano Grill is that not only can you use it to cook with a dutch oven, you can also grill with it, and cook in a variety of other ways.\u00a0 Check out the Volcano Grill<\/a> with use with your dutch oven.<\/p>\n

Other Solutions<\/h3>\n

So if you don't want to get a dutch oven table or a Volcano grill, what's a cheaper solution?<\/p>\n

I tried using a old roasting pan bottom, set up on some bricks on my lawn.\u00a0 They worked great, except for one big problem: the heat from the coals was too hot for the grass underneath, even with the pan on the bricks.\u00a0 The grass turned brown and died.\u00a0 Definitely not what you want.\u00a0 I suspect it would have been ok on top of concrete, so if you have a concrete area this could work for you.\u00a0 Putting the pan up higher would likely also have worked, such as putting it on cinder blocks.<\/p>\n

I was interested in what others did, so I polled the subscribers to my newsletter <\/a>and got lots of great ideas. Just make sure that you keep the coals far away enough from grass so that the grass is not burnt and that you keep the coals away from flammable material.\u00a0 Here are some of the suggestions that I got:<\/p>\n