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Camp Cooking

Started by anne of oaktower, May 22, 2008, 10:47:56 PM

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jcbanner

Quote from: hesslei on January 24, 2009, 02:58:52 AM
Campfire cooking requires a clean-burning, hot fire. This is only achieved with dry, seasoned wood. Stripping trees of green wood is fruitless  your fire will be smoky, will burn poorly and create unnecessary pollution. If dry wood is not available, it will need to be packed in. Many public campgrounds supply firewood.

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hesslei...

Cooking

Depending on what your cooking, green wood might be what you'll want.  If your cooking meat, slightly green hickory gives the best smoke for flavoring the meat.

anne of oaktower

Wow!  Thanks so much for all the advice...keep it coming.  ;D  As soon as Spring *finally* arrives, I'll be working on some of the things you all have suggested.
aka: Oak-hearted Annie / Anne of Oak Barrel / Barefoot Annie

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

anne of oaktower

Quote from: Richard de Graeme on January 18, 2009, 07:25:47 AMAbout clean up, we use a NON-antibacterial soap, such as Dr. Bronners (plus you can wash and brush your teeth with it). We don't want to kill those beneficial bugs crawling around in the soil do we?

I couldn't agree more!  Antibacterial soap is one of my biggest pet-peeves, and hand sanitizer is a close second.  There is nothing wrong with a good, old-fashioned bar of ivory soap and some hot water, or, as you suggested, Dr. Bronners.  (Although I've never tried using it for brushing my teeth.)
aka: Oak-hearted Annie / Anne of Oak Barrel / Barefoot Annie

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

dragongirl

Quote from: anne of oaktower on February 15, 2009, 10:18:29 AM
I couldn't agree more!  Antibacterial soap is one of my biggest pet-peeves, and hand sanitizer is a close second.  There is nothing wrong with a good, old-fashioned bar of ivory soap and some hot water, or, as you suggested, Dr. Bronners.  (Although I've never tried using it for brushing my teeth.)
You are both so right!!!  First of all the "antibacterial soap" is useless.  For the antibacterial agent to be effective you must use more than is found in an average bar of soap and the hot water would have to be hot enough to scald your skin.  Also, hand sanitizer is only effective when used directly after washing your hands, using the sanitizer without washing your hands does nothing.  I was taught that in my food handlers course about 12 years ago when I was a restaurant manager.  Your better off washing your dishes with the 3 sink meathod.  One sink for soaking stuck on food an clear sink for scrubbing and rinsing and the third sink filled with boiling water to soak the clean dishes for at least 45 seconds to sanitize/sterilize the dishes.  If you have access to a closed slop sink or drain you can add a cap full of bleach but if you are ground dumping, the boiling water should work fine and reduce the chance of a "plague" outbreak.

Lady Hermina Dolores De Pagan
Captain of the Tres Flores
Sailing with Ye Pyrate Brotherhood

Richard de Graeme

Wow! Where do you camp carrying all those sinks around?
"For it is the doom of man that they forget."
NE OUBLIE!
Purveyor of dubious wisdom
Player of spoons
Herbalist

midnightferret

So, for once I'm posting in the proper forum, because this isn't a recipe, this is about a cooking method. Go me.

So, I've finally got a decent pizza recipe. MMMMMMMM. pizza. This pizza has crack in it. People eat it until they are uncomfortable. It is reaaaaaaaallly good.

So I was reading about making pizza on a grill and on a fire. In every case, you've gotta have heat from above.

I don't have a dutch oven (I know, the horror! I'm trying to get one, ok!) and I'm not sure about foil. Some people use foil and put coals on top.

I have seen a giant cast iron skillet with a lid that is appropriate for putting coals on top of. Am I just going to have to break down and buy this? I do own a folding camp oven that works well for biscuits, and I thought about just using that, but it is small, and I couldn't really feed more that 4 ppl.  I am also interested in a fire pit method.

What do you guys think? Anyone made successful camp pizza? I plan to make dough at home, refrigerate, and bring down to "room temp" before cooking. Then I will precook the rolled out crust a bit, top, and finish cooking. Thoughts?

Richard de Graeme

Sounds feasible...go for it! Most of the camping I do is canoe camping...so weight is a concern.
"For it is the doom of man that they forget."
NE OUBLIE!
Purveyor of dubious wisdom
Player of spoons
Herbalist

Dinobabe

You definitely need a dutch oven.  Buy pizza dough in the can (easy).  Line the inside of the oven with foil for easy removal.  Press in dough, top with toppings, cover, coals on top and under, viola!
Not sure of the time, check after 20 minutes.
Natasha McCallister
Bristol Faire 1988-2005
The Wizard's Chamber/Sir Don Palmist
59.2% FaireFolk Corrupt
midsouthrenfaire.com

*Teach*

#23
I've done the pizza in the dutch oven, it works fine but you also want to elevate the pizza from the bottom of the pot. Use foil and roll out some snake shaped pieces about a half inch thick. If you don't the bottom of the dough will burn every time before the rest is ready.
Also, it helps to go ahead and preheat the dutch oven too. Just put it in the hot coals about the same time as you get the dough out to warm and that will be plenty (helps to keep the dough from over-rising before the oven is warm.)
As far as the skillet with the lid.. yes it will work, but you have to watch your toppings more carefully because you are almost putting it under a broiler.
(Btw... if ever you want to borrow a dutch oven... come get one of mine... I'm an ex-scoutmaster and still have the stuff lol)


[edit]Oh... just to add to what Sonata mentioned on the foil dinners.
My favorite feature of those is that you can set them up at home and have them ready to throw on the fire when your at camp.
If you look on the Boy Scout website, there is an entire section on foil dinners and Dutch oven cooking with things that are borderline gourmet level cooking.
In the past my son and I have made... a full ham in foil (including the glaze and some pineapples), multitudes of different roasts, every kind of cobbler you can name lol, various breakfast casseroles, bread (that was hard... I don't reccomend it lol), soups of all types... you name it, it can be done either in foil or a dutch oven... and if you get it all together at home and just keep it in a baggie in the cooler.
Here are a couple of sites I used for starters, but once you learn that anything you normally do can be done on fire (with a bit of modification) then you start just using your own favorite recipes.
http://www.scoutorama.com/recipe/index.cfm
http://www.boyscouttrail.com/boy-scouts/boy-scout-recipes.asp [/edit]



*Even made rum cake in mine once upon a time... that was yummy... and no, the scouts didn't get to taste it lol*
*Got more Rum?* "Here, Try This!"
http://forums.wearephoenixrisen.com

midnightferret

Great tips!

But no pizza dough in a can. I don't even make canned biscuits at camp: much tastier and not much more trouble to do it by hand w/ pre-mixed and measured ingredients. I can make pizza dough ahead and bring with me -- I usually have some in the fridge or freezer anyway. It's like meatballs: when I make it, I make way more than I need for one dinner, so I have extra next time. That's how lazy I am! :P

After Scarby is over, I'm gonna try some pizza on my baby propane grill to see what happens. Its inside is about the size of my large pizza pan.

Dinobabe

Quote from: midnightferret on May 14, 2009, 12:32:43 AM
Great tips!

But no pizza dough in a can. I don't even make canned biscuits at camp: much tastier and not much more trouble to do it by hand w/ pre-mixed and measured ingredients. I can make pizza dough ahead and bring with me -- I usually have some in the fridge or freezer anyway. It's like meatballs: when I make it, I make way more than I need for one dinner, so I have extra next time. That's how lazy I am! :P

After Scarby is over, I'm gonna try some pizza on my baby propane grill to see what happens. Its inside is about the size of my large pizza pan.

I prefer real dough and biscuits (best flavor in the world in a dutch oven!), too, but sometimes it's helpful for beginners. ;)  Canned is what my Boy Scout Troop uses, cause otherwise we would have 20 flour covered Scouts!!! ;D
In a pinch the premade dry packets that you just add water work well, too (and no refridgeration needed).

I can't remember if this was mentioned but I like to make hobo soup.  Take your favorite veggies (canned are OK, prefer fresh) and a block of salted pork (plus water or stock), cook until pork pulls apart and veggies are soft.  Wonderful!!! :o  You can also use what ever leftover meat you may have (turkey, beef, chicken, combo, etc.).
Natasha McCallister
Bristol Faire 1988-2005
The Wizard's Chamber/Sir Don Palmist
59.2% FaireFolk Corrupt
midsouthrenfaire.com

Laird Fraser of Lovatt

I'm surprised that no one has brought up the "rolling oven" that gets everyone of us to Faire.  My buddy was talking about having to get a camp stove for TRF, so we could cook up some chow, but was complaining about that being one more thing to buy and pack.  I asked him why get a camp stove... his Yukon has a V8 and it gets plenty hot.  He looked at me like i was nuts.  I was making homemade baked ziti, that night, with Tuscan Chicken & sweet Italian sausage.  I told him that it may take a bit longer but i could cook it ALL on his truck's manifold... again i get this look -  ??? .  I had him take his truck around the block a few times, while i was double wrapping everything in heavy foil.  I put the ziti tray in, followed buy a few foil packets and dropped the hood.  It was time to suck down a few beers... more like a 6 pack a piece.  After about 2 1/2 hours i went and checked it... almost done.  To add insult to injury, I wrapped up some garlic bread, told him to fire up the truck for a minute or two and added it.

30 minutes later, TA DA!  Dinner!  He was all worried about carcinogens but like i told him "if you are spewing oil & gas into you engine compartment, you really shouldn't be driving this thing."  My family couldn't tell the difference.

I love proving a point.  MANIFOLD COOKING.  It's not something most people think about but it IS doable.   
Cha togar m' fhearg gun dìoladh
Alba gu brath
Laird of Dunans Castle
Warrior Poet/Loki God

Laird Fraser of Lovatt

BTW, i've done pork roast, country spare ribs, pot roast & veggies, beans... all kinds of stuff can be cooked on a manifold.




                                                                            ;D
Cha togar m' fhearg gun dìoladh
Alba gu brath
Laird of Dunans Castle
Warrior Poet/Loki God

Dinobabe

My father-in-law was a truck driver.  He lived off of big block cooking!
Natasha McCallister
Bristol Faire 1988-2005
The Wizard's Chamber/Sir Don Palmist
59.2% FaireFolk Corrupt
midsouthrenfaire.com

Laird Fraser of Lovatt

Quote from: Dinobabe on June 23, 2009, 04:30:14 PM
My father-in-law was a truck driver.  He lived off of big block cooking!

LOL... i learned it from a truck driver when i was in the military!  He told me that if it can be cooked, it can be cooked on a manifold.  :D
Cha togar m' fhearg gun dìoladh
Alba gu brath
Laird of Dunans Castle
Warrior Poet/Loki God