So to go right along with the other equipment threads, fire, knifes, bear guns/sprays, chairs, coolers, and any others I may have missed, how about a thread on camp cooking?

My better half and I do everything from backpack meals to dutch ovens when airplane camping depending on our mission.

The intention of this thread is to cover the gambit, they all have their place, but we most enjoy camp cooked meals and good company. For years we've enjoyed dutch oven cooking on river trips and on the kids scouting adventures. With advent of aluminum DO's, it is more practical to enjoy them on flying outings than it was when all we had to lug around were the old cast iron beasts.



This will be old-hat for experienced DO cooks, but for those who haven't tried it, read on. For many DO's appear intimidating at first, but they are really pretty simple to use and clean, especially the aluminum ones. Cast iron requires more care and since were unlikely to take those along in the plane, I won't go into it here, but there are many resources on line for more info.

The 10 inch size is plenty for two people and amazingly light, a 12-inch works well for 4 people. Heat is easily controlled by counting the number of briquettes which are placed on top and under the oven. For a 12-inch oven, take the 12 and subtract 3 for the bottom (9), and take 12 and add 3 to the top (15). So we usually just count out about 30 briquettes and light those. The above numbers will produce a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Briquettes can be added or subtracted to change the heat or prolong the cooking time. Be sure to use quality briquettes such as Kingsford brand. Cheaper ones just don't cut it.

A couple of recipes are thrown in for good mix:

DO Pizza

2 packages of Pillsbury crescent rolls (the ones in the tube)
1 jar of pizza sauce
1-1/2 lb ground beef, or sausage, or pepperoni, or a mix of all
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown beef and drain, Line DO with 1 pkg of of crescent rolls, Spread pizza sauce on the dough. Add ground beef or sausage or pepperoni, etc., the cheeses and cover with the 2nd pkg of roll dough to make a crust. Bake at 350 for 30 min.

Chocolate Cherry Cake:
1 box of dry cake mix
1 12 ox can of coke
1 16 oz can of cherries

Add cake mix, pour in coke and mix thoroughly, pour drained cherries on top. Follow baking time on box, usually 20 to 30 min.

To make clean up really easy, liners for all DO sizes can be used. They are made out of either foil or parchment paper. We prefer parchment paper liners but either work well. When cooking rotate the oven on the coals every 10 minutes or so to more evenly distribute the heat, the lid should be rotate the opposite direction at the same time. If all goes well, clean up is as easy as removing the liner and wiping the oven with a paper towel. Practicing at home before the first try camping is a good idea. Using a good fire pan to contain the coals as shown in the picture above is always a good idea, too. Enjoy.

BR

I went on a horseback/rafting trip once with a guide and 12 people. He ran us hard all day and had the some of the best meals I have ever had out of the dutch ovens!! Used briquettes as you did and made great meals!!! My buddy makes a great dutch oven desert with gram cracker crust and pie filling. Line the Dutch oven with foil and there is no mess to clean up.
DENNY

I've made my share of meals on automobile engines, and warmed food on snowmachine engines. Has anybody ever gotten gourmet on an aircraft engine?

Just curious:
You state. "with the advent of aluminum Dutch Ovens"
curious what you consider the approximate date of the "advent"

I happen to have a Guardian Service brand that dates back to the late 1930s or early 40s. No Classic DO lid, but they still call it a Dutch Oven, Gonna keep looking for a "flat lid" where one can put coals on the top without them falling off,
Thanks for the subject

Wannabe cooking again - even if it is in the back patio.

What I was referring to are the AL camp ovens that I first recall seeing about 10 years ago manufactured by GSI and others. We prefer the hard anodized versions BTW. The camp ovens typically have legs and rimmed lids to make them easier to use with briquettes. Kitchen DO's on the other hand are made with flat bottoms and smoothed lids and designed for use in electric or gas kitchen ovens just like normal cookware. I've seen older versions of the kitchen versions in AL, but hadn't come across any camp versions in AL until much more recently. Either version can be used in place of the other and we use our camp ovens in the kitchen at home to test new recipes, etc. kitchen ovens can be converted to camp ovens by crushing 3 beer/pop cans to use as legs and by placing a loop of chain on the lid to act as a rim for holding briquettes.

I hope this thread gets lots of replies. I struggle with camp cooking. I don't care much about food so when I'm camping alone this is about as fancy as I get.

whee wrote:I hope this thread gets lots of replies. I struggle with camp cooking. I don't care much about food so when I'm camping alone this is about as fancy as I get.

Is that rattlesnake you're cooking up there Whee? I've never met anyone else that uses a "fire starter" for a cooking device. Works eh?

After 30 years cooking in the fire department it is second nature. I love watching the food channel. Drive in diners and dives.

I can tell you from personal experience Mike knows how to work a DO. At Caveman some years ago Mike and Rose made us a Cajun dinner. The hardest part was keeping the fire stove going. The wind was really blowing.



Cheers...Rob

wannabe wrote: Gonna keep looking for a "flat lid" where one can put coals on the top without them falling off...

You might check out your local Swap Meet or Flea Market; in the past, I have found a few cast iron utensils that looked rough, but they cleaned up and took re-seasoning very well.I also recall seeing a couple of flat lids as well.

Great Topic!

Alan

Brilliant thread idea Blackrock.

Whee, I bet you find as you get older you put more value in outdoor meals. Many years ago I was totally happy with a box of triscuits, a block of cheese and some pepperoni. Now I spend time researching the lightest way to carry good wine and can't imagine a fire grilled rib eye steak without caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms and bacon-wrapped potatoes baked in the coals of a good campfire.

My favourite implement is a portable grate that we bring for cooking. We hammer a rod and 1" square tube into the ground by the fire pit, remove the rod and insert the leg that is welded to one corner of the grate. The whole unit spins easily over the fire or back out over ground for stirring and seasoning without losing the hair on your knuckles. Height isn't really adjustable, but our fire pits are always big enough to push embers away if it gets too hot.

I'll see if I can dig up a picture. Ours is heavy but I think the same thing can be accomplished with lighter materials and it would be easy to pack.

I'm not much of a field cook, though I am in absolute awe of people who are. It's an art.

I keep it super simple...adding hot water is my version of field cooking. Spices help a lot, so I made a good spice kit:

Hammer wrote:I'm not much of a field cook, though I am in absolute awe of people who are. It's an art.

I keep it super simple...adding hot water is my version of field cooking. Spices help a lot, so I made a good spice kit:

Haha, love the spice kit! Glenfiddich is one of my favorites. Come on by camp anytime, will trade food for spice!

A copy of the official 180/185 Club cookbook was one of the benefits when I got a one-year membership shortly after buying mine. Lots of recipes, but unfortunately mostly suited for the kitchen or maybe a backyard BBQ than gourmet camping.

OregonMaule wrote:After 30 years cooking in the fire department it is second nature. I love watching the food channel. Drive in diners and dives.

I can tell you from personal experience Mike knows how to work a DO. At Caveman some years ago Mike and Rose made us a Cajun dinner. The hardest part was keeping the fire stove going. The wind was really blowing.

Cheers...Rob

Thanks Rob, but all the credit goes to Rose as she is much better at it than me, I'm just the knuckle dragger carting supplies, and lighting things on fire. "Yes dear, right away dear, would you like some help with that honey"; she has me well trained...

That was a great trip, I miss not going there.

hotrod180 wrote:A copy of the official 180/185 Club cookbook was one of the benefits when I got a one-year membership shortly after buying mine. Lots of recipes, but unfortunately mostly suited for the kitchen or maybe a backyard BBQ than gourmet camping.

Many of those may still work fine for DO meals. Preparing all the ingredients at home before a trip is a huge time saver at camp. Meals can be pulled out of the cooler and all the components put in the oven in a few minutes, place coals, wait 30 to 60 minutes, and dinner is served!

A lot of our cooking was learned from from our rafting friends, especially prepackaging/preparing and cooler savvy. We try to keep food preparation as simple as possible in the field. That puts more emphasis on cooler management, but that is a small price to pay for the convenience.

Hopefully Oso Loco will chime in here, he used to prepare DO meals professionally and has some fantastic recipes.

I have used Dutch Ovens in the past, with varying results.. Food never really gets over 98.6, the girlfriend tends to roll her eyes, and it can be hard to keep the lint off the grub. Other than that, it sure can be a hoot!

(Thanks for the thread... Im excited for camping season!)

bigrenna wrote:I have used Dutch Ovens in the past, with varying results.. Food never really gets over 98.6, the girlfriend tends to roll her eyes, and it can be hard to keep the lint off the grub. Other than that, it sure can be a hoot!

(Thanks for the thread... Im excited for camping season!)

With a little practice you can come off as a gourmet and impress the heck out of her! But yes, they do take some getting used to. If by 98.6 you mean the temperature, then more coals are the solution. In windy or cold conditions, an adjustment to up the number is needed to make up for the extra heat loss. Also, some people wait until the coals are mostly gray, but I find they work better if placed a little sooner, when the edges are becoming gray.

Or try a recipe in one at home and just put it in the oven, then try it again later with briquettes to get those dialed in.

Not sure to tell you about he lint though, that's a new one on me!

Figured it was only a matter of time before someone posted something about the other "dutch oven."

bigrenna wrote:#-o

That is a special woman for sure Greg, but I know we are all curious, how long has she been abusing you like that?