Dutch Oven Burn Party

Because I was out setting fires, I totally blew last Friday's Teardrop Photo.

In the high desert, this time of the year is burn season. This means our county gives us seven days to gather up and burn downed tree branches, yard waste, leaves and pine needles and dead sagebrush. It tends to really pile up over the winter, and burn season is a time of celebration and major yard cleanup in order to keep a defensible space against wildfires.

 Of course, this type of hard work doesn't get done without the incentive of having a party. Since burning can be hard and dangerous work, you need help. Each year, we get together with our neighbors to burn collective waste, and celebrate afterwards with a coal fired Dutch oven breakfast.

 

Teardrop trailers and Dutch ovens go hand in hand, so it's nice to be able to break out the Dutch ovens from winter storage and season them up before taking them on the road. We usually make a Mountain Man breakfast, which comes from Outdoor Cast Iron Cooking's channel and

cornbread or cornbread pudding with bacon and sausages. Of course, we always have hot coffee and Mimosas with orange juice and champagne.

 

Why Go to a Teardrop Trailer Gathering?

I purchased my first teardrop trailer, a Little Guy Rascal, about a year before going to any teardrop rally or gathering. During my first gathering (the Dam Gathering in Northern California) I met the nicest people you will find anywhere and came to the conclusion that teardroppers are nice because they sleep and eat very well at their various gatherings.

So, if you have a teardrop trailer, or are thinking of buying or building a teardrop trailer, should you go to a gathering? Here are the five reasons why I think it's one of the best things you can go for your teardropping life:

1. Teardrop gatherings are one of the best places to get ideas for your own trailer. It's great to be able to peruse the Web and pull up ideas, but seeing everything in action is the best way to decide what you might want to build or buy. Gatherings are also a great place to see what types of camping gear people bring in their teardrops.

2. FOOD! Nearly every teardrop gathering has one or two potlucks and many of those potlucks are Dutch oven potlucks. I gain at least three pounds at every gathering.

3. You feel like a star. Teardrop gatherings attract a lot of other non-teardroppers. Fellow campground dwellers walk around, peruse the trailers and gush over the cuteness. Soak it up.

4. You find out about new places to go camping. My husband and I were thrilled to learn that Unionville, Nevada is one of the prettiest places in the state. We found this out because of the Twain n' Tears Gathering, organized by TNTTT member nevadatear.

5. The people. Even though you go to gatherings to look at teardrops, you can't help but pick up a couple of friends along the way.


Photo of the IRG by Roy Crisman/Flickr

Five Favorite Dutch Oven Recipes

Teardrop camping and Dutch oven cooking go together like peanut butter and jelly. I had never cooked with a Dutch oven before getting a teardrop and seeing the pros at the various gatherings tackle the heavy cast iron pots. The cooking method was clinched for me while on a trip to Zion National Park. A nice couple with a vintage canned ham trailer were in the process of making a divine beef stew over the fire and as I watched them top the stew with homemade biscuits, I was hooked.

I'm still a Dutch oven novice and have not done any cooking using briquettes. When we go camping with our other teardrop friends, we only use coals from the fire to keep from having to bring all the briquette cooking accoutrements. We make the process easier and safer by placing both the coals and the Dutch oven in a galvanized steel pan. Other Dutch oven necessities are aluminum foil, a shovel for digging out coals, a pair of welding gloves to lift up hot, heavy pots and of course, a lid lifter.

While we do some experimenting with Dutch oven cooking, we do tend to gravitate toward the same couple of recipes. These are my five personal favorites:


Dutch Oven Quiche

This is a super simple dish for both breakfast and dinner. You will need a Dutch oven large enough to fit your pie crust, but you can just leave it in its original tin. You can also make the quiche in aluminum foil right in the oven (see photo above). I got this recipe from the Texas Park & Wildlife video on Dutch oven cooking.

Dutch Oven Pizza

This is my all-time favorite teardrop dinner. I got the recipe from fellow teardroppers, Dean and Joannie's YouTube channel, Outdoor Cast Iron Cooking. They have a ton of great recipes and videos on how to make some really tasty cast iron dishes. We use their pizza recipe over and over again. The parchment paper and corn meal are essential.

Dutch Oven Lasagna

This is another Dean and Joannie recipe that takes a little longer to make, but is so tasty and filling, especially when you are camping in the cold. It creates a lot of liquid, so I tend to use less cheese and drain out the meat.

Mountain Man

Another recipe by Outdoor Cast Iron Cook is Dean's Mountain Man breakfast, which I've had with him on the California coast and it was the perfect breakfast for a chilly, foggy morning. We've done several variations of this recipe with different meats and veggies.

Dutch Oven Chuck Wagon Casserole

Can you tell I lean toward classic Western cowboy dishes? The Chuck Wagon Casserole with corn, chilis and cornbread is the quintessential Dutch oven dish and is quick to make. I got the recipe from Dutch Oven Dude. In fact, any kind of casserole does well in a Dutch oven. Experiment.


We've learned a few things while teardropping and Dutch oven cooking: this type of cooking takes longer than you think it will, especially when it's cold out, so be sure to have some appetizers while waiting. Also, when you start smelling your dish, it's ready. Remove it from the coals and check it to make sure it doesn't get burned.

There's a learning curve that comes with Dutch oven cooking, and it takes some practice with different recipes to get the hang of it.