Serves: 5

There are all kinds of cooking jargon out in the world. There are as many words and definitions as there are culinary styles. I hope to give you a few words used in this book and a few extra for you to have greater understanding of what cooks are talking about. So here they are.

Deglaze: To scrape the brown bits off the bottom of a pot or pan left from searing or browning food, using a liquid like broth, water, wine, etc. to loosen the “goodies”.

Rou: (also roux) French: A mixture of fat like butter, margarine, bacon fat, or oil and flour are cooked together; used to thicken gravies and sauces.

Sear: To cook in a pan or pot at very high temperatures, usually meat, to seal in the natural juices of the meat. To sear something, the cook needs to preheat the pot or pan and cook each side only 2 or 3 minutes. Giving a nice medium to dark brown color to the meats surface.

Fold: As to fold in; gently incorporating ingredients by slowly placing a spoon or spatula into the main ingredient on one side of the bowl and moving the spoon across the bottom and gently lifting to the surface near the opposite side of the bowl. Turn the bowl a little each time the spoon is lifted to fold in everything evenly.

D.O.G.: abbreviation for Dutch oven gathering. Many people use this term for any reason to get a bunch of people together to cook in Dutch ovens.

Sauté:A French word for cooking in a skillet. We in America commonly call it frying. This is usually done with high heat and a sauce is added to the dish in the skillet to finish.

Dice:The act of cutting food into small pieces about 1/8” in size

Chop: The act of cutting food into small pieces which are about ¼” in size. This is usually very coarse and can be larger in size.

Mince: The act of cutting food into very small pieces, less than1/8” in size

Blanch: To partially cook meats, fruits, or vegetables in order to retain the color and texture for a dish. Blanching can be done any number of ways from blanching bacon on a grill by only cooking it for 1 minute on each side, then removing it from the heat Or, dipping fruits and vegetables in boiling water for 30 seconds, up to 2 minutes, depending on the food being prepared.

Whip or wisk: To incorporate air into an ingredient or mixture by using a wire whip. Use the same motions as to fold in something but use a much faster motion. You can sometimes use a quick back and forth motion across the bottom of the bowl to achieve a similar texture.

More Recipes from the Cast Iron "Covered Wagon" Cookin Cooking for Crowds in BIG Ovens Cookbook:
Cooking Measurements
Measurement Conversion Chart
Other Cooking Information and Jargon
Baking Temperature Chart for Camp Dutch Ovens
Beef Roast Cooking Temperatures
In A Pinch Substitutes