We like to do things when we succeed at them. Outdoor cooking is no different. Start simple, get hooked, and soon you will be doing amazing things on a camp stove, barbecue and/or campfire. And don’t forget box ovens. There is not much you do in your kitchen you cannot to outdoors. Check out the recipes tagged KOA for yummy things to make.
Miscellaneous hints.
The lower air pressure at high altitudes changes the ways in which foods bake and boil. Cooking times double for each 5,000 foot rise in elevation. If a food takes 15 minutes to cook at sea level, it will cook in 30 minutes at 5,000 feet. It can make a HUGE difference in your success! Know your altitude and correct the cooking times accordingly if you want that spaghetti to ever get al dente.
Progression in cooking
- Nosebag (sack lunch/dinner)
- One-pot meal
- Charcoal
- Foil Cookery
- Frying
- Stick or wire cookery
- Beanhole
- Reflector oven
Foil Cookery is great! The most important ingredient is patience to allow the fire to burn to coals … at least 45 minutes for wood or 30 minutes for charcoal. You can’t hurry it! You can estimate the necessary cooking time quite accurately by counting seconds as “one and one”, and “two and two”, etc. Hold your hand palm downward where food will be placed and start counting. Stop counting when the heat becomes too warm to hold your hand there any longer.
Slow (250° -325°) count to 6 or 8
Medium (325° – 400°) count to 4 or 5
Hot (400° – 500°) count to 2 or 3
Very hot (over 500°)count only l
Liquid soap on the outside and bottom of a pan will make it much easier to clean.
Temperature Control with a Dutch Oven (NOTE: A Dutch Oven for camping has feet – not a flat bottom)
Possibly, the biggest secret in Dutch oven cooking is controlling temperature. If there are too many briquettes on the bottom, the food will risk burning. And if there are not enough briquettes on the top, the food will probably be on the raw side or cooking times will be very long. Temperature control is almost as much feel as it is anything else. There are some basic guidelines for controlling the heat, but with all of the environmental factors it is an estimate at best.
Almost everything can be cooked in a 325°F to 350°F oven. It is also probably the easiest temperature to attain. There is one fairly easy way to find out the cooking temperature of the Dutch oven, how long you can hold
your hand about 2” above the coals? It is not perfect, but it is way to get close to the oven temperature.
• 7 seconds – 250°F to 300°F
• 5 seconds – 300°F to 350°F
• 2-3 seconds – 350°F to 400°F
Using charcoal briquettes are the easiest way to achieve consistent cooking times and temperatures. Place the briquettes equally around the rim of the lid and in a circle on the bottom. Try to avoid placing briquettes directly under the center of the oven, especially the smaller ovens. Coals should be approximately one inch apart in a circle under the
oven. Never place coals directly under the center of the oven, if you do, you will create a hot spot and burn
whatever you are cooking.
How Many Briquettes Are Required For Cooking:
The accepted rule of thumb for a 325°F to 350°F oven is take the oven diameter, double it, that will be the number of briquettes that are needed. Always be patient and resist the desire to add too much heat. The most common cause of burned or dried out food is too many briquettes. Also remember that it is easier to add briquettes (heat) than it is to remove it. Briquettes will typically last anywhere from 45 to 75 minutes based
on weather.
The type of cooking that you are doing will impact the placement of the briquettes:
Roasting: The heat source should come from the top and bottom equally (about 1:1 top to bottom).
Baking: Usually done with more heat from the top than from the bottom (about 3:1, top to bottom).
Frying, Boiling: All of the heat should come from the bottom.
Stewing, Simmering: Almost all heat will be from the bottom (about 4:1, bottom to top).
When you need a longer cooking time, you will need to add additional hot briquettes to the oven. Cast iron does distribute the heat fairly well, but you can still get hot spots. The best way to avoid hot spots is to rotate the oven about one quarter turn and the lid about one-third to one-quarter turn in the opposite direction every 15 to 20 minutes.
The lid can also be placed on the fire or stove upside down and used as a skillet or griddle. Use a trivet or three equal sized stones or bricks to support the lid while cooking.
Another tip for cooking foods that have high sugar content (fruit desserts) or even when you are learning is to line the oven with heavy duty aluminum foil. But if you watch your heat, lining the oven is not needed.
