A traditional Dutch oven is one of the most versatile cooking tools you can own. It can be used to bake, braise, roast, sear, fry, and stew meats, vegetables, and other ingredients. You can even use a Dutch oven to bake sourdough bread and other bread varieties. The enameled cast iron walls retain heat quite well, which makes it easy to both slow cook food and keep it warm until you serve it.
And part of leaning into it, for me anyway, involves covering up the backyard grill and getting reacquainted with my stovetop. On Monday afternoon, I decided the only dinner that could possibly match the vibe of the day was bolognese. I am a longtime fan of Ina Garten's "Weeknight Bolognese" recipe, but I admittedly find it more appropriate for weekends because I like to let it simmer for far longer than she recommends.