Dutch Oven -- Nine Mile Stew
Submitted by snapshot22
A hearty campfire stew layered in a Dutch oven: seared beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, peppers, zucchini, sausage, and melted cheddar. No liquid added, the veggies do all the work.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minThis is the stew you make when you’re out in the backcountry, the cast iron is seasoned, the coals are hot, and everyone’s hungry enough to eat a bear.
Seared beef goes in first with stew seasoning and onions, then vegetables get layered strategically from bottom to top based on cooking time: potatoes on the bottom, zucchini near the top.
Sausage patties go on last, and when everything’s tender, a pound of cheddar gets laid across the top to melt into a bubbling, golden blanket.
The best part? You add zero liquid. The vegetables and meat release all the moisture you need.
Kitchen Tips
- Layer by cooking time. Potatoes and carrots need the most heat, so they go closest to the bottom. Quick-cooking veggies like zucchini go on top.
- Don’t add water or broth. Trust the process. The vegetables release plenty of juice as they cook, and the result is a concentrated, intensely flavored stew.
- This recipe is flexible. Add mushrooms, corn, or swap in Italian sausage. The original cook encourages you to make it your own.
- Adjust coals as you go. More heat on bottom for searing, then shift coals to the lid for even, gentle cooking.
Ingredients
Directions
Put enough oil in the oven to cover the bottom.
Sear the meat.
Add the stew seasoning. Stir in onions.
Cook for 20 to 30 minutes (12 coals on bottom and 6 on top) Layer from bottom to top: potatoes, carrots, celery, green peppers, zucchini.
Cook until vegetables are done (still crispy) (7-8 coals on top).
Add the sausage on top.
Cook approx. 15 minutes.
Add the cheese.
Serve when cheese is melted.
This is not a precise recipe, I would encourage you to add and delete items and amounts as your taste’s dictate.
Be sure the vegetables, these or the ones you may add, are stacked so the ones needing the most cooking time are on the lower levels.
Don’t be tempted to add any liquid as there will be plenty from the vegetables and meat.
The original recipe called for only ¼ lb of stew meat, but I found that to be inadequate.
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