Aluminum
Dutch Oven
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL
Different
foods and dishes require different cooking temperatures. The following guide is
for an aluminum dutch oven. Increase the number of briquettes by about
one-fourth for a cast-iron oven.
Actual temperatures will vary due to charcoal quality and weather.
| Desired
|
Ten-Inch Oven | Twelve-Inch Oven |
| 250-300
– Low 300-350 - Medium 350-400 - Hot 400-450 - Very Hot |
8
on top/6 under 10 on top/7 under 12 on top/8 under 14 on top/9 under |
10
on top/8 under 10 on top/7 under 14 on top/10 under 16 on top |
When
coals are 'hot', they are barely covered with white ash and you can hold your
hand near them for only 2 or 3 seconds. You can hold your hand near 'medium'
coals for about 5 seconds. Low coals are covered with ash. You should be able to
hold your hand near them for about 7 seconds.
Some
dutch oven cooks use the "three up, three down rule." For 325 degrees
in a 12-inch diameter iron oven you need 12 briquettes + 3 = 15 briquettes for
the top and 12 briquettes - 3 = 9 briquettes for the bottom. To get 350° F, add
one more coal on both the top and bottom. Each two additional coals will give
you about 20° F more heat.
The
objective is to get the oven hot enough to cook the food before it dries out,
yet not so hot you can't control the cooking process. In most cases, if the food
is sputtering and popping a lot, the heat is too high. Using the tongs, remove
about one fourth of the briquettes at a time from the top and underneath until
the cooking slows to a steady simmer.