5 qt cast iron oval dutch oven (pre-seasoned)

i bought one of these brand new for 20 bucks, it is a paula deen brand. Was this a good buy? all i know is it weighs a ton!

so now.... what the heck do i do with it?

Couple of things not to do with it.
Do not hit your husband in the head with it unless you wish to be a widow. It is heavy.
Do not cook tomato sauce or other very acidic things in it for a long time. It may pick up the iron taste and also unseason the piece.
Do not clean in a dishwasher.

Essentially what you have is the same thing as Le Creuest enameled cookware (about 200.00) except not painted. Probably best to fry something in it the first time or two you use it to help the seasoning. If possible, do not use a dish washing liquid to clean because the seasoning is just impregnated oil. If you need to reseason, check the bottom. It will probably show instructions.

It is probably made by Lodge. Google their website for information. Great for deep frying. Also for weight lifting.

If the Dutch Oven you bought was pre-seasoned Im guessing that it was not enameled or was it? As far as what you can do with it....your imagination is all that limits you. We use our Le Creuset for so many different things,there great for long simmered soups,the heavy cat iron holds heat great for browning and searing,being enameled its great for pasta sauces, its also perfect for cassoulette.
Some of the info the other posters gave you(fry before first use,and the washing info)really only apply if you got one that is NOT enameled. If its enameled its pretty much just like a Le Creuset and can take regular hand washing just fine. There are a number of books/sites out there that specialize in recipes for dutch ovens. Im guessing it will soon be one of your favorite cooking tools.

Where'd you get it? I have a friend who needs one!

grats on the find! you'll want to cover the top handle in aluminum foil if you ever put it in the oven, if you make no-knead bread! (really good stuff btw!)

Thanks for the link! I have a few cast iron pieces that are need of some TLC, they sat in my parents garage for 20+ years and I haven't really known what to do with them! I bought some Le Creuset so I haven't had to worry about seasoning and all that. I have always wanted to make some of the yummy cinnamon rolls, pineapple upside down cake or an apple tart in cast iron so just may have to give that a try!

Annemarie... do you rinse out the pan or just wipe it down with a paper towel? I used my skillet earlier to roast a chicken and rinsed in the sink, no soap, and stuck back in the hot oven... guessing this is not the suggested method?

I also have a non-enameled dutch oven that produced rust?? the first time I cooked in it...I guess it was rust? Baked a whole chicken and there was a shiny, rust colored coating on the surfaces, floating in the juice and on the chicken... all went into the trash I don't think this is normal, but what am I doing wrong?

my wonderful momma bought me an enameled le creuset dutch oven. this time of year and through the winter espescially, i use it for pretty much everything. chili, meat sauce, deep frying, soups, i've even baked casseroles in it. my favorite application for my cast iron dutch oven is making a big ol' chuck roast. i like going to an actual butcher like kingsley's and buying one bone-in (the flavor is amazing) but in a hurry, kroger's chuck roasts are just fine. here is the method i like to follow.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008 ... pot_roast/

your pot will be perfect for the searing and browning the recipe calls for. then, when you "chuck" it (lol) in the oven to finish up, just be mindful of whether your lid is oven safe and/or up to what temperature. to be on the safe side, i just unscrew the plastic handle and plug up the little hole in the lid with some foil before putting it in the oven. one thing i like to add to the above recipe is apple cider vinegar. about a half cup. it's SOOO good

I use iron ware for a great deal of my cooking because it imparts additional iron into my diet. Never use soap on it EVER. But there may be times when it needs a good cleaning after cooking a stew or using it to bake in. Things might get crusty around the edges. Using water is OK as long as you dry it out then put it in a 200 degree oven for about 15 minutes to dry out any remaining water that the iron may have absorbed. Carefully take it out of the oven and rub it -on the cooking surface- with more oil. My dutch oven and iron skillet were my grandmother's and still look great even after lots of use. I prefer them to any of my other cooking pans.

thanks for all the replies everyone.....my cousin passed away recently and i still dont have all my bearings straight.....so i apoligize for posting something and then not coming back to it.

it is not enameled, just the regular cast iron. not made by lodge, it is a paula deen brand.

where did i buy it? i was at the ole' wal-mart and i came across one of those clearance signs that said 20 dollars, with a bunch of these under it. So i just grabbed one. When i got to the checkout it rang up at 35 dollars. I was like, ummm, they said $20 dollars where i picked it up at. So, they did some calling, then sent a young boy over there, and they said, yup, let her have it for 20.

i still haven't used it. i am afraid of messing it up. I have a cast iron skillet, that i took very good care of, the inside of it is fine. But the outer side has this crust on it. i have tried to get it off, but it is like BUILT on to the cast iron. I read up on it and it seems like this might be carbonization. I honestly didn't realize it was happening till way too late, but i would wash it carefully, and always season it after. i guess i just overlooked it, and now i dont use it.

i have looked up information on how to clean this. And it seems that you need lye. I dont really feel comfortable working with that so i have not done it. I did read about soaking in coke, but dont know if that would help with this. oh well, i have a reallllllly heavy paperweight.

i really want to fry some chicken in it. To do the extra seasoning that was mentioned, and then i want to make a pot roast in it.

oh and Jessie....... mannnnn i am soooo jealous. Lucky you!

Becky - that carbonization on the outside of your fry pan will not really effect your cooking. It may have to heat a bit longer, but I inherited my mother-in-laws cast iron and they ALL had that and they worked fine. When I had some time, I used a metal cleaning brush that my hubby had for his drill and the metal fingers took off most of it. Lodge has a cleaning "stone" that takes off rust so you can reseason it. I got mine at the factory store in TN, but I imagine it is availible somewhere or on-line. When you season your cast iron, do the outside too, it keeps that carbon from forming.

Becky - that carbonization on the outside of your fry pan will not really effect your cooking. It may have to heat a bit longer, but I inherited my mother-in-laws cast iron and they ALL had that and they worked fine. When I had some time, I used a metal cleaning brush that my hubby had for his drill and the metal fingers took off most of it. Lodge has a cleaning "stone" that takes off rust so you can reseason it. I got mine at the factory store in TN, but I imagine it is availible somewhere or on-line. When you season your cast iron, do the outside too, it keeps that carbon from forming.

the carbonization doesn't effect the cooking, but it does smoke. i will try the steel brush deal, hopefully that will help. i thought about seasoning the outside, but i was worried that it would smoke when i cooked. Good to know that you should season the outside as well.

http://www.melindalee.com/Cast-Iron.html

this has the ways you can clean and season the cast iron. i thought it was a pretty good tutorial.

i forgot to mention to clean stubborn stains on a cast iron pot or skillet, my mom would pour some salt on her pan. apparently the salt being a bit abrasive removes the hard cooked on gunk. just salt and wipe with paper towel.

Thats what they taught us in Boy Scouts, always clean them with salt(non enameled cast iron).Pour in some iodized salt and scrub with a paper towel. Most often at home we just rinse a little water(if needed) wipe down with a towel and put in a hot oven to dry off. We also use our cast iron outside when camping or just to cook something on the grill.