<P> In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, a chugun is a cast - iron pot used in a modern oven or in a traditional Russian oven, hearth, or a campfire . A chugun is used in a variety of cooking methods including high temperature cooking, low - temperature cooking, thermal cooking, slow cooking, smothering, roasting, baking, braising, and stewing . </P> <P> The shape of a chugun is similar to a traditional crock with a narrow top and bottom and wider in the middle . When used inside a traditional oven, a long handled holding tool is used with a roller that serves as a lever to lift a heavy chugun in and out of the oven . Since there are no handles, it's inconvenient to use a chugun on a stovetop . </P> <P> Often several chuguns of different sizes are used in the oven at the same time to prepare the entire meal . Dishes usually cooked in a chugun are roast meat with vegetables called "zharkoye," holubtsi, potato babka, stuffed peppers, and baked milk . </P> <P> Dutch ovens are well suited for long, slow cooking, such as in making roasts, stews, and casseroles . Virtually any recipe that can be cooked in a conventional oven can be cooked in a Dutch oven . </P>

Where does the saying dutch oven come from