I have a confession to make: I've been cooking and posting these recipes for several years, and in all this time I've never owned or used a Dutch oven for any of them. I know some of the recipes on this site can be prepared in one, but I've never had one to try them in.
Until now.
For Christmas this year, I received a Lodge enameled Dutch oven. It's a big one too - 7.5 quarts - which makes it almost larger than most of my cooking pots and even my slow cooker (6 quart). So, I expect I'll be able to handle more demanding (and larger) dishes I could expect to make from now on. I'm delighted to have it.
To break it in I decided to try an absolute classic - Beef Stew. I can hear it now... "What? You've posted three other beef stews on here already (they can be found here, here, and here). Why another one?" That's a really good question, and the answer is really simple: because I haven't made one in a Dutch oven before, and I wanted to see if all the hype about using one is true.
I have to say that hype is all true. This stew turned out better than the others I've made before. The Dutch oven's even cooking (thanks to its heavy construction and being able to put it in the oven rather than keeping it on the stovetop) and its ability to seal tightly allowed the flavors to blend and cook so thoroughly that the result was far and away different from the other recipes I'd tried previously. It really does remind me of the stews my mom used to make. She's also never had a true Dutch oven to my knowledge, but she did have a very heavy cooking pot with thick walls and a heavy tight-fitting lid that I'm sure was the key to how her stews had the same rich taste as I had in this recipe.
To say the Dutch oven's debut was a success is beyond a doubt. If you have one, and you're looking for a classic comfort food this winter, why not pull it out and give this a try?
Adapted from Marathons and Motivation
My first dish ever prepared in a Dutch oven. The recipe may look familiar, but cooking it in a Dutch oven instead of a slow cooker or stovetop takes it to a whole new level.
Adapted from Marathons and Motivation
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place olive oil in the Dutch oven and heat on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
Place stew meat in a large bowl. Combine flour, salt, and pepper, then sprinkle on the meat and toss to coat evenly. Add the meat to the heated oil and cook until browned on all sides. Add the beef broth and cook for 2-3 minutes, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
Add the onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Remove the Dutch oven from the stovetop, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours.
Remove from the oven, add the potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms and stir to combine. Cover and place back into the oven to cook an additional 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
Remove from the oven, and remove the bay leaves. Garnish with parsley if desired while serving.
Servings 12
Serving Size approx 3 cups
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.