[birds chirping]
- NARRATOR: On a crisp February morning
at Cleburne State Park, south of Fort worth,
a group arrives to get set for their monthly meet out.
While they have an almost religious devotion
to their gathering, this is not a church group.
And while they share some specialized knowledge,
it's no secret society either.
In fact, sharing their secrets is part of why they gather.
These folks are members of the Lone Star Dutch Oven Society.
- That's probably good right there.
- The Chisholm Trail Chapter to be precise.
And they are preparing for a DOG.
-RICK: When we get together, it's called a DOG,
a Dutch oven gathering.
- NARRATOR: That just means they're about to fix lunch.
- We cook and we eat and we talk about cooking and eatin'.
[laughing]
[clanking]
- WOMAN: Should be really good when it comes out.
- NARRATOR: The Dutch oven is a cast iron cook pot,
but not just any.
It holds a special status in Texas.
Shared with the bluebonnet, the mockingbird
and the pecan tree, among other icons.
The legislature even named it the
Official Cooking Implement of the State of Texas.
In case you didn't know we had one of those.
-LAVOY: They burn really well.
- NARRATOR: Lavoy Oates, is about to make
the Official State Food in his.
- We're gonna be cooking chili.
My wife can't eat real spicy chili,
but she's not here today,
so I'm gonna spice it up a little bit.
Yeah.
- WOMAN: When the cat's away.
- That's it, I'll mix all that up.
Then add little cayenne pepper in this one here anyway.
But we don't add beans to it.
- No, because you're in Texas.
- No beans, that's right.
So it's called chili with beans.
Chili don't have beans, but this is chili with beans.
- That'll be good, just a Texas thing you know.
- Right.
- Some people kind of get upset, being in Texas,
you don't add beans to your chili.
- Every third Saturday, we just get together and cook.
And just something that we do just for fun.
[upbeat music]
- NARRATOR: Step aside diets,
and make way for the casseroles.
- We're cooking chicken Alfredo casserole.
Chicken cordon bleu casserole.
- It's just a beanie weenie casserole.
- Chicken enchilada casserole,
Mexican rice, and a Bundt cake.
- NARRATOR: Oh yeah, and the desserts.
- Bread pudding.
- DENNIS: Also, a crumb cake.
- Anything that you can cook on your stove at home,
we can cook in a Dutch oven with one exception.
- And that is ice cream.
And Rick Alexander proved that out here one day.
- You can't cook ice cream on your stove at home,
but I can make it in a Dutch oven.
- He made ice cream in a Dutch oven.
He sure did.
[laughing]
[upbeat music]
- There's always a lot of variety.
There's a lot of different dishes.
- And then I'll add my secret spices to it.
And it's really not secret.
It's just garlic salt, onion flakes,
oregano.
- You reckon I could try that when you're done?
-Yes sir. -All right.
- The skills that they're teaching are skills
that have been used for literally hundreds of years.
This is the same sort of cooking that someone may have done
on the Chisholm Trail, which runs right through here.
[somber music]
-DENNIS: It's kind of associated with the cook on the,
on the cattle drives.
And the chuck wagon.
The ovens came west with the pioneers.
- MICHAEL: When pioneers and travelers would travel across
the United States, it was a quick and easy way
to use the coals from your fire
to make an oven out of a pot.
And it's been modified and tweaked
and perfected since then,
but it's still the same basic techniques.
Those techniques still work very very well today.
- This type of cooking is a little more precise
in that you're using briquettes.
They put out a certain amount of heat.
You can use a certain number of briquettes
to get real precise with your heating.
They call these camp Dutch ovens.
So, if it has the ring in the legs,
it's called a camp Dutch oven.
And they put the ring on there
so it'll hold the charcoal.
- They've been coming here for years,
teaching Dutch oven techniques and sharing their experience
and sharing their food with visitors here at the park.
- The number of coals in that ring,
it's pretty close to the diameter of the pot plus four.
It's not really complicated, it's just,
there's just a few tricks and things that you learn to do
that makes all the difference in the world,
as to whether or not you burn something,
whether you get it completely done.
We'll let that simmer there for a little while.
- It takes about 15 to 20 briquettes to cook your entire
dinner.
Add one to the top. And one to the bottom for 25 degrees.
These people are absolutely amazing.
- DENNIS: That looks really good.
- NARRATOR: Just after noon,
cooking is complete and pots are lined up buffet-style.
Some curious visitors, perhaps drawn by delicious aromas,
are welcomed to join.
- DENNIS: We're eating lunch, you want some lunch?
You're welcome.
It's all cooked in a Dutch oven.
- WOMAN: Yeah?
- DENNIS: Go right ahead.
And you're welcome to eat with us.
- MICHAEL: They always invite people
to try what they have cooked,
to call them, email them and learn the trade.
They've been asked to do this demonstration monthly
somewhere else,
and they choose to keep coming back here to their park,
Cleburne State Park.
And we're just thankful to have them.
- NARRATOR: Recipes and laughs are shared.
And a few new folks are introduced
to an old way of cooking.
- DENNIS: The food is really good.
We have a lot of fun, you know, cooking outdoors.
I think the number one thing is just the people.
Food, fun and fellowship-- that's what it's all about.
- NARRATOR: Needless to say,
no one leaves with an empty stomach.
- I like to say,
if you come to one of our events and you go home hungry,
you're not doing it right.
[laughing]