Been looking on the net for a wonderful show from years ago about Layered cast iron cooking. Couldn't find anything like what we used to do so here's my best recollection.
This is the kind of cooking we would do for the Campers at our Camp Indian Springs in California when I was young and my Grandmother was alive to be the Boss. I'll do my best to recall how it was done as best I can.
In a brick lined hole in the ground (no mortar necessary, just dig a hole.. layer in fire bricks or old red bricks stacked on top of each other), about 3 - 4 feet deep and 4 inches wider than your biggest pot; with 3 fire bricks for the feet of the covered Cast Iron Pot. use a shovel to put hot coals from a pretty large fire into the bottom with the 3 bricks poking out.
In the big (covered cauldron is another name for BIG/HUGE but Grandma Used to just called it the double Dutch Oven) put in raw chicken, carrot, garlic, celery, onion, potato, salt, pepper, summer savory, rosemary 50/50% wine and stock to cover chicken cut up chicken, which is almost to the top of this huge pot. This fed about 2 to 3 dozen hungry campers..
Once filled, have the guys put this in the hole. Put coals (not charcoal brickettes) these are hot pieces of natural well dried high density wood, whole tree limbs cut into logs work best as split wood burns doesn't make the kind of long smouldering coals you want; and you don't need any flavorful wood like pecan or Hickory plain works best.. to the sides of the cast iron pot.
Over this put a 2nd Dutch Oven, this time with any side dish you'd like: chuck wagon beans was always a favorite. Repeat covering with hot coals.
Next use a smaller 2 inch covered pot (we stacked 3 of these) with just a few little coals on bottom and sides but not hard coals, use the ashier ones here for dumplings, rice or our favorite Grandma's yeast rolls.. don't forget to liberally use fresh butter all around and on top of the rolls for taste and ease of removal.
Last on was desert. Usually a cobbler with whatever we young ones could come up with. There were Lingonberries, blackberries, gooseberries, boysenberry (boysenberry cobbler is better as a mixed berry 'cause they really disappear into the dough), and every other kind of fruit the kids could pick that morning; my favorite was an walnut, apple and fig cobbler.
Now with coals packed all down the sides, on top and between every pan depending on what is in it, put some ashes over the hot coals to completely cover them (this pretty much finishes the morning fire pit so you have a clean fresh pit for the evenings fire). Put the cement stepping stones on top and cover the whole thing with a few flat rocks. These will get hot so keep the kiddies away.
Walk away. Just go play canasta or pinocle with the family. sit at the picnic tables, tell tales, have fun with the family.. it's really really hard to burn or in any way destroy this.. give it about 5 hours, but if you give it 8 - 10, everything will still be just fine.
Make up some tea, check out the wine barrels, go hunting, have the boys pick some lemons from inside the tree for the sweetest juiciest lemons, cut them in half and have the kids smash the heck out of them in about 2 gallons of water to make the best lemonade.. use the sugar made from the sugar beets from the back garden for sweetening the tea and lemonade..
Pull it all out of the ground with a huge bailing hook or similar appliance.. brush off the ash and enjoy!
You can use the hole in the ground again and again.. Every time the family wants a get together or the tales of this wonderous memorable meal become more than the appetite can stand!
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