The best collection of recipes for cast iron Dutch ovens! Don't let your pot get dusty!

Mom's Special Braised Pork

Things you need

500 grams of pork belly
Ginger and scallions—add as much as you want
30 to 40 grams of rock sugar (skip this step if you're caramelizing sugar)
As you like, add star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, and cinnamon (optional).
Salt, oil, and light and dark soy sauce are all good.

For the sugar that has been caramelized:
60g of granulated sugar 
20ml of oil

Steps
Version with caramelized sugar:

1. Cut the pork belly into big, 2-inch squares. Blanch them to get rid of any dirt. Cut the ginger into slices and the scallions into pieces. Put everything away for now;

2. Now let's make some sugar caramel. Start by heating the Dutch oven over low heat. Put in the oil and sugar. Stir them together until they make a thick syrup that is a deep amber color;

3. It's time to add the pork belly. Stir-fry until the sugar has caramelized and covered each piece well;

4. Add the ginger slices, scallion sections, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, and cinnamon (if you are using it). Add a lot of light and dark soy sauce and a little bit of salt. Then add enough hot water to cover the pork belly.

Put it on medium heat and bring it to a boil. Put a lid on it, turn down the heat, and let it cook for about an hour. After that, take the lid off and turn the heat up to medium. Let the sauce cook down for 10 to 15 minutes. It's time to serve it now!

Chicken with Heavenly Scallion Oil

Things you need

One whole young chicken

For the marinade:
2 to 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce
1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
A small piece of sand ginger (or galangal)
A little bit of white pepper powder and sea salt

For the drizzle:
To your taste, add oil, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce.
20 pieces of Sichuan peppercorns
1 tablespoon of fish sauce

For the base: 
2 big bunches of scallions and enough ginger to cover the bottom of the pot

Steps
① Rub the marinade ingredients into the chicken. Be sure to cover it well. Put it in a resealable bag and put it in the fridge for at least two hours to let it soak. If you can leave it overnight, the flavor will be even better!

② Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a pot. Get a lot of sliced ginger and scallion pieces ready to use as a base;

③ Put the marinated chicken in the pot. You don't need to add water. Put the lid on it;

④ Let it cook on low heat for about 30 minutes without looking;

⑤ In another pan, heat some oil and sauté the Sichuan peppercorns until they smell good. Throw them away, then add the rest of the drizzle ingredients and cook until the mixture thickens a little.

⑥ Take the chicken out of the pot and add chopped scallions to the top. Pour the sauce you made in step 5 over the chicken. Your Heavenly Scallion Oil Chicken is ready to eat!

Claypot Rice with Preserved Meats That You Can't Resist

Things you need
Rice for three to four servings
Three links of Chinese sausage
Five shiitake mushrooms
1 egg
A handful of greens, like bok choy
Just a pinch of cilantro or chopped scallions
Four tablespoons of light soy sauce
Two tablespoons of oyster sauce
One teaspoon of sesame oil
One teaspoon of granulated sugar

Steps

① Rinse the rice well, then let it soak in water. The rice should be about one finger's width above the water. Let it sit for about 30 minutes;

② Put the shiitake mushrooms in warm water and let them soak until they are soft. Wash them, then cut them. Cut the Chinese sausage into pieces too;

③ Put some sesame oil on the bottom of the claypot. Set the oven to 200°C/400°F. Add the rice and its soaking water after it has been preheated. Put the lid on it and let it cook for about 25 minutes, or until the rice smells good and is cooked through.

④ Now, put the sliced shiitake mushrooms and Chinese sausage on top of the rice. Put the pot back in the oven for another 10 minutes after covering it again;

⑤ Now, put some blanched greens on top and crack an egg over them. Put the lid back on and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. You don't need to use the oven for this part;

⑥ In a bowl, mix together the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and granulated sugar until they are well combined.

After the greens and egg are done, add some chopped scallions or cilantro, pour over the sauce from step 6, and stir it gently. There you go!

Oden for a Warm Winter

Things You Need
5 pieces of dried shiitake mushrooms
Three sheets of dried kelp
One whole daikon radish (half for the broth base and half to eat)
You can have as many carrots, fresh shiitake mushrooms, baby bok choy, konjac, and sweet corn as you want.
A lot of water
Light soy sauce, salt, and pepper powder to taste

Steps

① First, wash the dried kelp and then cut it into pieces. You should also wash the dried shiitake mushrooms. Put everything in cold water overnight (but don't throw away the water);

② Peel the daikon radish and cut it into pieces. As needed, wash and chop the other ingredients;

③ Add the soaked ingredients from step 1 and the soaking liquid to the pot. You can add more water if you need to, but don't fill it too high.

④ Add half of the prepared daikon radish;

⑤ Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Put the lid on and let it simmer on low heat for about 40 minutes.

⑥ Add a lot of light soy sauce and salt to the broth to give it flavor. Your oden's base is now ready;

⑦ Put the rest of the prepared ingredients into the pot. Put a lid on it and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Then, turn the heat down and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

⑧ Add salt and pepper to taste;

⑨ Turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, for about 15 minutes before serving.

Yellow Croaker Steamed Without Water with Ginger and Scallions

What You Need
One whole yellow croaker fish
Scallions—however you like them Ginger—however you like them
2 tablespoons of cooking wine
1 tablespoon of soy sauce for steamed fish
Sugar granules to taste

Steps

① Give the yellow croaker fish a good rub with some salt and cooking wine. Give it about 15 minutes to sit;

② Cut the scallions into pieces and the ginger into thin slices. To make a glaze, mix the soy sauce from the steamed fish with the sugar.

③ Put some oil in the pan, then add the ginger and scallions. Finally, put the yellow croaker on top. Add another layer of ginger and scallions on top;

④ Cover it with the lid and let it cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.

⑤ Take off the extra garnishes and pour the glaze from step 2 over the fish.

⑥ Finish with a sprinkle of chopped green onions and a drizzle of hot oil over the top. It's ready to eat now!