camp cooking basics?

[Bow View Haymaker]

I am thinking of putting together som of the basics for camp cooking and period camping. 
Where do I start?  I have a big fire ring, a big and small coffee pots and a couple of white enamal cooking pots.
That's about it.  I have my eyes out for some cast iron that won't break the bank.  What else should I e looking for?

[Texas Lawdog]

Paul, All you need to do is check with Del. He can tell you everything that you need. He is the Man, when it comes to camp cooking!

[Bow View Haymaker]

That's why I put this here.  I am hoping to pick his brain a bit.  And share the info with others at the same time. 
I like the dutch oven 101 threads, but a I don't have a dutch oven yet.

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[Mogorilla]

Like Del's thrift store finds, I would hit the thrift stores for cast iron.   Put them in your oven, if it has self cleaning, and clean the oven.  They will come out like new, ready to be seasoned.   Over the years, I have lost some cast iron to the thrift stores, not realizing why the charity box my wife packed was sooooo heavy.  Now she realizes the error of her ways, and we are rebuilding a few pieces here and there.   

[Bow View Haymaker]

I found some affordable cast skillets, so Iv'e got those now.  a dutch oven is next.
I want to put together a camp box to carry and story everything in.  Sort of a mini- chuck wagon box. 
What kind of utensles should i be on the look out for?  What should I avoid as not historicaly correct.
I hope to make it to Rock creek trail days and maybe try some campin'and cookin' there.

[Texas Lawdog]

Paul,  We'll be lookin' for ya there.

[Eloy Santa Cruz]

Bow, like you I am just getting started myself in dutch oven camp cooking. In the beginning it all seemed very confusing. I did not know where to start or what I needed. I did not want to go through the added expense of purchasing things that I did not need right away. I began looking at recipes and picked out a few that I really wanted to try and determined what I would need according to the recipe. Right now I have decided on a 12" dutch oven and a 12" deep oven along with a 12" skillet. I will also need a lid lifter along with a few other accutrements. I plan to experiment cooking in the back yard before attempting to cook in the field.

[Delmonico]

Eloy, go up to the child board The Party and see if there is anything that helps.  We got Paul a DO and he did some watching last July.

[Stu Kettle]

I plan to experiment cooking in the back yard before attempting to cook in the field.

Quit planning & start cooking.  You can cook anything in those ovens you've got that you can cook in the house, it doesn't take a special "dutch oven recipe"

[Eloy Santa Cruz]

Del, found it. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

[Delmonico]

Del, found it. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Oh and Stu is right also, the hardest part of dutch oven cooking is getting the nerve to do it.

Start with a pot roast in that 12 deep.  Get it hot and sear it the slow cook it and report back.

[Eloy Santa Cruz]

Del- youre a mind reader! A good roast is exactly what I wanted to start with. I'll report on it. Thanks for the help.

[Forty Rod]

First you'll need a match.   

Looks like you're off to a good start already.

[Delmonico]

I copied and pasted this I did a long time ago:

Pot Roast

When I am asked what to cook first in a dutch oven, my answer is "Pot Roast"  It is easy, and one can learn a lot from this simple item.  Any size oven can be used, I like a 12 inch deep and recommend it as a first oven.  A 5 pound roast fits well in the bottom and leaves plenty of room for vegetables.  These pictures are of sirloin steaks and you will notice that I used a 12 inch shallow, I was the only one who was going to be eating it so I went that route.  I had a refrigerator handy so I could store the leftovers to reheat the next day.

I like the meat to cover most of the bottom, this allows me to add the vegetables early on and when they sit on top of meat and out of the liquid, they don't get mushy.  I often do this one while I don't have a lot of time to babysit the ovens, because with practice this one can go 2-3 hours with out being tended, if there is no danger of fire.

I take the oven and put in a small amount of lard, just enough to kind of cover the oven bottom.  I then put this right on the fire and heat it to smoking hot.  Be careful if you put the lid on it, till you get experience one could get it to hot and have a flash fire when you open the lid.

When the oven is hot and slightly smoking, I remove it from the fire to save the hair on my arms and just sear the meat away from the fire.  A good sear with a lot of browning will really help the flavor of the meat.  I salt and pepper the meat to taste at this time.

I also add enough water at this time to almost cover the meat.




One then adds the vegetables to the oven or once can cook the meat awhile and then add them later.  I like mine well done, soft,  but not mushy so I add them at the same time and just keep them on top of the meat.  Onions are used all the time, garlic sometimes if I have it.  The garlic is often dropped to the side in the liquid and the onions are sliced and put on the meat.  This one used just carrots and potatoes, but often I use parsnips and turnips also and sometimes cabbage.  I also season the vegetables some before cooking.

 After the vegetables are added we're ready to cook or one can sear the meat, add liquid and set it on some coals to cook while one gets the vegetables ready.



Go over to your fire and get some coals out and spread them out on the ground, I like to start with an in to an inch and a half of them slightly larger than the oven.  You then place the oven on top of these coals.  The amount is not that critical, one will want to watch carefully the first to times anyway, this will get you the feel of it with your different kinds of wood. 



When the oven is sitting on the coals, go back to the fire and get a good shovelful of them again and place them on the lid.  After 15-20 minutes check it, things should be going well, but not at a full boiling, just a good simmer.  When it starts cooling off one can add some more coals, but one won't need as many, just keep is cooking, adding liquid as needed.  A slower cooking temp after getting hot in the first place will make the meat far more tender, also the acid in the onions will help. 



The amount of time to cook will vary with the heat and the thickness of the meat and veggies.  This took about 3 hours to cook, but a thicker post roast will be better if you give it 4-6 hours.  Just before it is ready to serve, maybe 15-20 minutes, I like to brush off all the coals and ash off the top because they tend to insulate a bit.  I Then get a lot of very hot coals and put them on top, this tends to brown the vegetables and put a slight crust on them.



And yes it was wonderful.

[litl rooster]

First you'll need a match.   

Looks like you're off to a good start already.

you think like I do...


I was thinking basic camp cooking would be kill of the day on a stick

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

When I was in scouts, one of the standard exercises for my Troop at summer camp was as follows.

each scout was allowed a belt knife and/or hatchet

The leaders issued each scout
- 2 matches
- a paper bag of bannock mix
- a hunk of raw meat
The location was a beach with plenty of driftwood

Bon Appetit,boys!