Dutch Treat

We lift the heavy cast iron lid atop the venison roast tucked in next to a well-seasoned pork loin. We're careful not to drop the hot coals burning brightly in the rim of the lid. The red wine, onions, rosemary, marjoram, and thyme drift skyward toward a haloed moon and create curiosity among deer and other critters that huddle quietly behind trees on the bank of the Blanco River in Wimberley, just southwest of Austin. It's a frosty Friday after Thanksgiving evening and the warmth of the fire and food remind us that this was a way of life for many pioneers in the days, when America was settled.

It's no secret that we live fast-paced lives and overlook many of the joys and skills that, 100 years ago, were second nature. From the birth of the United States, Dutch ovens have been an integral and versatile part of Americana. Explorers of the great American frontier used these ovens.  This method of cooking was also prominent among those who took part in the western cattle drives.  Cattlemen rounded up longhorns by the millions in Texas, branded their hides, and drove them north across the Indian Nations into Kansas along the Chisholm trail to the railheads to be shipped back east. Somewhere along the way, without intending to do more than work for a hard day's pay and board, they launched the legend of the American cowboy. In the decades following the Civil War, more than six million cattle were herded out of Texas in one of the greatest migrations of animals ever known. These cattle drives laid the foundation for Texas' wildly successful cattle industry and helped elevate the state out of post-Civil War despair and poverty.

Cattleman Charles Goodnight knew that a few simple comforts were important for his crew to drive cattle. They required daily meals, bedrolls, extra gear and supplies. A humble Cowboy could work harder on a full stomach and a good night sleep. Some drives lasted up to five months. Goodnight took a surplus Army Wagon made by Studebaker and added a large pantry box to the wagon rear with a hinged door that laid flat to create a work table. The cook then had everything he needed at arm's length to prepare food. Shelves and drawers were added to the inside of the pantry to carry supplies and cooking gear. The larger pots, cast iron skillets and utensils would be carried in a box mounted below the pantry called the boot. The Army wagon was merely a light supply wagon of that period with Goodnight's added design creating the "Chuck Wagon." The name "Chuck" derived from 17th Century England as meat merchants who referred to their lower priced goods as "Chuck".  By the 1800s, the term "chuck" was generally used to communicate good hearty food. Goodnight's simple creativity revolutionized the cattle industry.

This "leather-glove cuisine" in the coal-black cast iron ovens now appears outdated, unfriendly, and forbidding. Or, as a close friend remarked during our recent Wimberley, Texas 'Cowboy Thanksgiving,' "this really seems like an ordeal!" But, because of its versatility and durability, the early colonists and settlers loved cast-iron cookware. It can be used for boiling, baking, stews, frying, and roasting. And armed with a few simple secrets, you can produce an unforgettable experience in nature, transforming raw materials into an aromatic, mouth-watering meal.  It is part science, but primarily a creative sensory endeavor. The look of anticipation on faces around the fire, when the coal-laden lid is lifted on a Dutch oven filled with savory meats stewing in wine, herbed vegetables, or a bubbling-hot fruit dessert, is transcendent and worth the heft of packing the gear.

A Few Secrets to Successful Outdoor Cooking:

1) Prep as much of the food as you can before leaving home.

2) Place all of the ingredients that you can mix ahead in zip-lock plastic bags with instructions written on the outside in permanent marker.

3) Pack a few pieces of dry kindling in your camp box to insure a good start to the fire and don't forget some dry, long matches for starting it up. (Charcoal may also be used, though not as romantic.)

4) Look often under the lid of the Dutch oven to determine if food retains enough liquid to continue cooking without drying out.

5) Pack a meat thermometer and check it when you think a reasonable amount of time has passed in cooking tougher cuts of meat.

6) If dessert will be cooked after the main courses, plan to add more firewood before eating so there will be enough coals left to cook the 'best part' of the campfire experience.

For the right wine, try one of Karla's suggestions.

 

Recipes:

Red Wine Marinade (for 4-8 lbs. of meat and game)

2 cups red wine

½ cup olive oil

1-2 yellow onions, sliced

4 cloves crushed garlic

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

½ teaspoon powdered ginger

3 bay leaves

1/3 cup fresh thyme 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary

4-5  leaves fresh sage

1/3 cup fresh marjoram, or 1 teaspoon dried (bundle all herbs together with butcher's white string)

2 Tablespoons low-salt soy sauce

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3-4 carrots, chopped

Marinate meat with all of the above ingredients in zipped plastic bag for 1-2 days prior to campout.  When ready to cook outdoors, brown the meat in Dutch oven with a few Tablespoons of olive oil. Pour marinade over meat and cover oven with lid. Stack coals on top of lid.

Cherry (or Berry) Cobbler for 8-12 people

Shortcake Dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 Tablespoons turbinado or brown sugar

2 Tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

¾ cup all-vegetable shortening

2 cups milk

Mix all dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening with two knives or pastry blender until it looks like coarse meal.  Add milk stirring slowly until milk is mixed in, taking care not to mix very long.  Drop by large spoons of mix over cooked fruit.

Cherry or Berry Mix:

4 cans sour cherries or berries packed in water (strain cherries, reserving packing water)

2/3 cups brown or turbinado sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Mix sugar and cornstarch together.  Place in saucepan and gradually add reserved cherry juice. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Stir in cherries and add butter and cinnamon. Place in foil-lined Dutch oven and cover with uncooked shortcake dough. Bake in oven until dough is brown and cherries are bubbly. Serve hot with whipped cream, heavy cream, or ice cream. (Variation: frozen berries work well; add water or unsweetened apple or pear juice as a substitute for cherry juice.)

Co-Authored by: Steve Chambers, AIA. For more discussion about Hill Country Architecture, the Blanco River Cabins, and Ranching, go to: http://chambersarchitects.com/blog.html