Ideas for Building an Oven Box?

[KDoug]

Hi there,

I've got a large cast iron Dutch oven that somebody has given me to get the rust off and re-season it. The problem is that it's too large to fit in our oven or anyone else's we know. I was thinking about making an oven box to put it in and using a propane burner to heat it. I used to use something similar in Boy Scouts made from cardboard, lined with foil and heated with charcoal. Anybody have any better ideas? The Dutch oven is almost 24" wide.

 

[Kaizen]

Looks the size of a turkey. Won’t fit removing a rack?


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[Ozwelder]

The ovens of that size were never made for anything but an open fire over the coals.
It is of the capacity made for feeding the cowboys on the range.


Ozwelder

 

[Lelandwelds]

Wow. I didn't know they made them that large. Use about two dozen charcoal briquets split between top of lid and under the legs.

Bake a cake or some rolls before you return it.

 

[gnpenning]

Dutch ovens had been seasoned over fires long before we had something other than, well Dutch ovens to cook in.

Does it have a wire handle to hang from??

 

[KDoug]

Looks the size of a turkey. Won’t fit removing a rack?


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No, the oven wasn't deep enough, I actually broke the bulb in the oven trying to make it fit. Tried making a kickstand for the Dutch oven so it would be at an angle. It fit but was very unstable, so I decided not to do that.

 

[KDoug]

Dutch ovens had been seasoned over fires long before we had something other than, well Dutch ovens to cook in.

Does it have a wire handle to hang from??

Yes it does

 

[deberly12]

As already stated you can season over a fire...there are other methods as well.

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[RVDan]

How do you normally heat it to cook with it?

 

[cvairwerks]

We used to just set them in the coals and bank around and on top of the lid as necessary.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

usidedown in a big Weber kettle?

 

[NUTTSGT]

How big is your gas grill ?

 

[KDoug]

How big is your gas grill ?

Not big enough.

 

[KDoug]

How do you normally heat it to cook with it?

Well, it's not my pot, so I'm not sure how they normally hear it up. It came from a local cowboy church. The lady from the church asked me to do it after she saw how good a job I did re-seasoning her cast iron pots and pans that got flooded during Hurricane Harvey.

 

[jeffmattero76]

Do you have a fireplace? A guy I know used to take older cast iron frying pans and put them in his wood burning fireplace. They came out like new.

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[KDoug]

Do you have a fireplace? A guy I know used to take older cast iron frying pans and put them in his wood burning fireplace. They came out like new.

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No, all I have is a small wood burning stove, but that is an interesting thought.

 

[bczygan]

Firepit.

 

[Squankum]

Do you have a fireplace? A guy I know used to take older cast iron frying pans and put them in his wood burning fireplace. They came out like new.

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Ditto. I have even cooked with one in my wood-burning fireplace. Which I assume was how it was done in previous centuries, too. Instead of a wrought iron crane-arm to dangle it, I just placed three bricks on the floor of the fireplace for the oven to sit upon, and arranged coals around/on top.

 

[Chris4x4Gill2]

open fire using pecan wood. Pecan burns hotter than other types.

 

[Radix2]

rub your oil on it, heat with a propane torch.

It will season more when they start cooking in it. Its not that critical...all you are trying to do is give it a little help to prevent rusting until it is back in service.

If it is only for display, varnish it.

 

[PugetDude]

Any of your friends/neighbors have a 36" (commercial-style) range? Plenty of room in one of those, turn it upside down if necessary so it sits flat. Might consider using the self-cleaning cycle.

Or a good hot campfire with coals on top and bottom, like it was intended to be used. Good excuse to spend an evening at a local park if you can't burn at home.

 

[Squankum]

By the way, how do you season? I've used lard in the past, good ol' lard, which I find in Wal-Mart, maybe in the Mexican food section, I forget. (Little tub says "Manteca" on one side, "Lard" on the other.)

My eyes go Bullwinkle when I look at all of the gringo "shortenings" and wonder what is is they're supposed to be or really are.

 

[gnpenning]

Go back a few years when that and open flame was all someone had to cook with. Lard or animal fat was pretty much all they had. The pans were heated over coals or a flame.

There's a ton of information on the web for seasoning pans. Some will say don't use something that can go rancid, which depends on how often you use it and how well you season it. I've read everything from lard to walnut oil and many things in between. I've used lard from hogs I had butchered to walnut oil.

I'm no expert but have had very good luck with shortening, even over coals from a fire while camping on a friend's skillet.

Some will suggest heating to 350/400 and shutting off the oven. Recoat and do this several times. When I've finished cooking and After wiping out depending on the pot I may Recoat and put it back in the oven while it's still hot from cooking.

Lots of opinions on cleaning. Just like seasoning, take your pick.

I love the pot in the original post. Even better it still has the handle. Don't know if or how old it is. You could sure cook a pot of stew or beans for a crowd.

What is the brand of the pot??

 

[rsanter]

Put it on the BBQ or turn all for of the burners on and heat it up.
The heat will propagate through all the metal

 

[wasfuzz]

Will it fit if you take the racks out and cobble some supports so it clears the burner? I have done large ones in a fire also. Do you use the Lodge oil or do you use Crisco? Once had a Pro Dutch oven Chef till me about getting sick on rancid veg oil he used to season a pan.

 

[AZ Pete]

where is the lid?


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[LifeLongWNYer]

I hope that I am not getting myself into trouble by suggesting another forum, but I frequently visit a forum called BBQ Brethren Forums, and find it just as informative about BBQing, grilling and outdoor cooking, as this forum is about garages, etc. You might post your question there and see what those guys have to say. Like posting questions on this forum, you'll get a variety of opinions.



.

 

[KDoug]

By the way, how do you season? I've used lard in the past, good ol' lard, which I find in Wal-Mart, maybe in the Mexican food section, I forget. (Little tub says "Manteca" on one side, "Lard" on the other.)

My eyes go Bullwinkle when I look at all of the gringo "shortenings" and wonder what is is they're supposed to be or really are.

I've just used vegetable oil in the past. The reason I like seasoning in an oven is because the pans I did a few months ago came out great. Not quite sure how to control the temperature on an open flame other than using a propane burner.

 

[KDoug]

Go back a few years when that and open flame was all someone had to cook with. Lard or animal fat was pretty much all they had. The pans were heated over coals or a flame.

There's a ton of information on the web for seasoning pans. Some will say don't use something that can go rancid, which depends on how often you use it and how well you season it. I've read everything from lard to walnut oil and many things in between. I've used lard from hogs I had butchered to walnut oil.

I'm no expert but have had very good luck with shortening, even over coals from a fire while camping on a friend's skillet.

Some will suggest heating to 350/400 and shutting off the oven. Recoat and do this several times. When I've finished cooking and After wiping out depending on the pot I may Recoat and put it back in the oven while it's still hot from cooking.

Lots of opinions on cleaning. Just like seasoning, take your pick.

I love the pot in the original post. Even better it still has the handle. Don't know if or how old it is. You could sure cook a pot of stew or beans for a crowd.

What is the brand of the pot??

Like I said in my previous post, I normally use vegetable oil and heat at 375 degrees. The Dutch oven isn't old at all. It's a Cabela's brand that was probably made in Asia or Mexico.

 

[KDoug]

where is the lid?


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I hope that I am not getting myself into trouble by suggesting another forum, but I frequently visit a forum called BBQ Brethren Forums, and find it just as informative about BBQing, grilling and outdoor cooking, as this forum is about garages, etc. You might post your question there and see what those guys have to say. Like posting questions on this forum, you'll get a variety of opinions.



.

The lid is in my shop. Thanks for the lead on the BBQ thread. I've got some YouTube videos that I haven't watched yet that'll probably be helpful on seasoning large pots.

 

[gnpenning]

Use brickets then. You can control your temperatures better. They have charts to tell you how many for your temperature. You can use a heat gun if you have one to monitor. Even if you are off a bit it should be fine. You may want to use a hole or some heat bricks to add some heat to those high sides if the.temperature difference is to large from the bottom. Putting the lid on should help even temperatures. You are not baking a temperature specific food. Don't over think it. You have done it before with success.

Crisco can leave a beautiful finish. Just make sure it's all baked on and dry to the touch.

Check out some of the other sites. Let us know what you end up doing.

 

[KDoug]

Use brickets then. You can control your temperatures better. They have charts to tell you how many for your temperature. You can use a heat gun if you have one to monitor. Even if you are off a bit it should be fine. You may want to use a hole or some heat bricks to add some heat to those high sides if the.temperature difference is to large from the bottom. Putting the lid on should help even temperatures. You are not baking a temperature specific food. Don't over think it. You have done it before with success.

Crisco can leave a beautiful finish. Just make sure it's all baked on and dry to the touch.

Check out some of the other sites. Let us know what you end up doing.

Thanks. I found this guy's method on YouTube. I like the simplicity and it would be a lot more cost effective than making an oven.

 

[Squankum]

There's a ton of information on the web for seasoning pans. Some will say don't use something that can go rancid, which depends on how often you use it and how well you season it.

Yep. I had one go rancid - the Dutch oven went unused for a long time and the lid was on it, which I think helped things along.

When it comes to frying pans, I've learned to not care. Make a boo boo overheating it today? Add oil, butter, whatever, future cooking can add back to it.