The Art of Dutch Oven Cooking: Going Back To Our Roots:

Roots is both a figurative and literal term used within this article to mean our history and simpler foods like root crops. Historically we have come a great distance from when the settlers stepped off those ship and stood on what would become The United States of America. What they brought with them was the basic necessities to survive and the skills that were learned from the cultures they left behind. Cooking was done over open fires using clay pots and Iron pots. There were no microwaves, no stoves, no ovens and no preservatives and food was simple. For preservation, food that kept was grown, smoked or dried. Thus we come to our roots... literally... carrots, potato, beet, turnip, parsnip, etc. These crops worked well because they can be stored by not harvesting them or in a dry dark place such as a cellar. Hence the term: Root Cellar.

Cooking: Houses had open fire pits for outdoor cooking and small clay fireplaces for indoor cooking. Food was prepared by setting an iron pot or a clay pot directly into a bed of red coals. Cooks... mostly women... learned to judge heat and temperature by the color of coals and moved their pots around a lot to keep cooking temperatures even. This included baking breads. Today, we have all the modern conveniences offered by technology and still we choose to consume pre-made foods.

As the American expansion movement continued, fueled by the California Gold Rush and settling of the plains in what are today Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, etc. The emergence of cowboys became not only an iconic symbol of freedom today, but also of an exaggerated life of simplicity and hard work. Moving a herd of cattle from Texas to California was no small feat. Many people today would balk at even driving in a car from Texas To California, try it on horseback without the aid of air conditioners and fast food joints. To take the analogy even farther, try moving a family across the wide prairie in a covered wagon and then over the Rocky Mountains.

Cooking: The Native Americans taught the settlers about dried foods such as corn. The American Cowboys utilized that knowledge to feed themselves along the month or longer trek of moving cattle. They hunted and lived off of the land for the most part. In the early days Buffalo were plentiful but as they moved further west, the desserts and the geographic landscapes make hunting more difficult. Cowboy cooks and their famous chuck wagons fed the cowboys by using open fires and dried food. Cooking had to be fast because the days work was long and that meant constant movement. When camp was made a fire was built and the food got underway. Biscuits, corn bread, and stews were a primary diet of these men and women. The occasional game could be utilized such as venison, elk, etc. One of the nicer things about using dried foods such as corn or beans is that they can be soaked while the wagons moved west. Below is a link to a cowboy stew recipe:

Cowboy Stew Recipe:

Cowboys could very much be considered nomads. Though nomadic cooking predates even cowboys. If we turn to cultures such as those found in Mongolia where Nomadic life continues, then we get a glimpse of how other cultures utilized open fires and no-permanent cooking structures.

The Nomads of Mongolia have a diet that is rich in meat and milk. They roam, so gardening is not always possible. As might be expected; foods revolve around the herd animals that are kept by Mongolian tribes. This includes dried meats that are either cut into strips or ground into powders called Borts. Surviving through the cold and long harsh Mongolian winters requires a lot of forethought. Ingredients such as Bort help to ease the struggle to survive in harsher environments.

Cooking: Consider for a moment the monumental aspects of moving all the time. We, who are sedentary in our living, amass all kinds of stuff... like Paula Dean Cookware.... but to a Nomadic household, everything must have a purpose and preferably be used for multiple purposes. Because the winter temperatures can drop to -40 F, food must produce energy for those who consume it. Fatty meat is a critical part of Mongols diet. Meat that is mostly dried and combined with grains such as barley. Cooking is done directly in a fire pit using Pots: Fires can be fueled by wood or more often, animal dung. Milk is important too. It is boiled and separated into curd, clotted milk, and whey. Soups and stews are common and special occasions where whole animals are roasted. Noodles made from flour of dried and ground barley are very common. The idea behind Nomadic cooking is preservation of food. Food is not specifically scares as the resources available to nomads is not unending and care is given to what is taken from their herds. Sustainability is a way life that many of us could benefit from.

Khorkhog- Is meat (mutton) cooked in a closed container such as a dutch oven with vegetables. Heat is provided by hot stones. Link is HERE if you would like to try this recipe.

Dutch ovens are mutli-use containers used for cooking everything from soups and stews to desserts such as cakes and pastries. The versatility of a Dutch Oven is truly amazing. They have been somewhat replaced in the modern household by what we call a crock pot or a slow cooker. I have a dutch oven that was used by my grandmother. This is a pot I used about once every two weeks for cooking vegetable stews and sometimes small meat dishes. It easily goes from stove top to oven which adds a great deal to the versatility of it.

In the wild west, meal time was a rare part of the day where socialization took place. Cowboys were rarely together in the day and their work days were from sun-up to sun-down. Shortly after meals, they slept for the morning came early.

Flat breads were a staple of early and ancient cultures and in many places around the world flat bread is still utilized as a main source at meals. The art of cooking breads over an open fire goes back to before the invention of metals. Sometime dough was laid directly into a fire or on hot ash. Sometimes breads were cooking on flat stones. A flat piece of metal over an open fire works well to cook flat bread. Today, flat bread can be made on the stove top by using a cast iron skillet. HERE is a great recipe for making flat bread.

Perhaps the most familiar Asian cooking vessel in our Western culture is the Wok. Cast iron, and beat metal cooking pots date back thousands of years in Asia. The above picture of an ancient Chinese cooking pot bring intrigue along with massive respect for understanding how cultures develop. In counties like China, Vietnam, and Korea the art of cooking over open fires continues because modernization of homes is either not wanted or not possible. When I say, cooking over fire is an art, I truly mean that it is an art. This is not just about cooking food, it is about utilizing fuels (wood, dung, grasses) and it is about understanding temperature without dials and nobs... Cooking over open fires is an amazing feat that is passed down from generation to generation. As is the technique for making utensils for cooking with fire. Cast Iron, Baskets that hold water, etc. These technologies amaze me. Going back to our roots is important part of understanding how we cook today, and how far we have traveled away from those traditions. Healthy cooking is important to me. I looked back to find what I missed... the way my life has changed from just several generations ago... interesting. Our modern culture is more sedentary and our food choices are simply easier.... not necessarily healthier. Looking into other cultures is also interesting because it shares the common bonds that all peoples have... food.

I hope that you have enjoyed this article. I plan on utilizing many of the methods here in my own quest to find healthier food choices and cooking techniques. Please comment below or add tips, ask questions or just say hello. If you have written a hub and would like it linked here place the URL in the comments and i will link it to this article.