More very useful info before I get into another recipe.
You might be asking "OK, so how do I use charcoal with my Dutch oven???"
Some recipes call for using charcoal only under the oven, many call for charcoal both on the lid and under the oven.
Here's a temperature guide:
size of oven oven temp
350 F 375 F 400 F 425 F
10" Total briquettes 16 17 18 19
top/bottom 11/5 11/7 12/6 13/6
12" Total Briquettes 21 23 25 27
top/bottom 14/7 16/7 17/8 18/9
14" Total Briquettes 32 34 36 38
top/bottom 21/11 22/12 24/12 25/13
16" Total Briquettes 39 41 43 45
top/bottom 26/13 27/14 28/15 29/16
Now please keep in mind that you'll need an oven thermometer to make sure the temp INSIDE the oven is kept constant, that will mean replacing charcoal as needed.
The recipes I've tried so far are not "BAKING" recipes, they are COOKING recipes... and yes, there is a difference! Ernie, my mentor is a baker, NOT a "cooker" He bakes breads and the like in his Dutch ovens. I am the "cooker". I haven't tried baking yet, but will!
When I made my first two recipes, I didn't feel it was super important to keep the inner temp constant, I just made sure the beans were simmering. And actually for this second recipe I'm going to post I didn't need to add more coals at all.
Some Dutch oven users will tell you that a good point to start on the charcoal use is to think of it this way. "plus 4, minus 4". That is the size of your oven, 12" for example... so 12 PLUS 4 for the top, and 12 MINUS 4 for the bottom. if it's a 14" oven, 14+4 for the top and 14-4 for the bottom. that would most likely be to retain a 350 F temp inside the oven. But as you can see, this formula differs from the chart above, which is from Camp Chef.
I feel any chart can be used, with a little "tweaking" here and there. If you get your coals set up and take the internal temp and find it to be too hot, take coals away and if it's not hot enough, put another couple on to get to the desired temp. You get the idea.
Next is my Baked Bean recipe!
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