Cooking Over the Campfire
Building the campfire
Preparation:
~Choose a site that is at least 10 feet from bushes or other flammable materials.
~Gather large rocks (about 6 to 8 inches high) and form a horseshoe shape with the back of the campfire facing the wind
~Place a large rock that extends higher than your others at the back to direct smoke in that direction.
~Leave the front of your campfire open.
Start Your Fire
~Crumple paper and set on the bottom of the firepit.
~Crisscross dry tinder on top of the paper (dry twigs and leaves work well)
~Light the paper and tinder.
Add Dry Wood
~Once the kindling is burning freely it is time to add fuel to your fire.
~Use hardwood branches or logs.
~Add wood to your fire until you see a bed of red glowing coals.
~When a good bed of coals has formed, let your fire die down.
Distribute the Coals
~As the campfire dies down, you will be left with a nice bed of white coals.
~Using a stick or iron poker, spread the coals evenly in the firepit.
~Lay an iron grate across the tops of the rocks so it covers the pit (an old oven grate works well)
Cooking
~Cooking over your campfire is really no different than any other grill. You can prepare individual meals wrapped in aluminum foil and set them right on the grill or you can use your cast iron cookware to cook up a tasty dinner for the whole family.
Why not try a few of these tasty recipes to find out which you prefer.
Breakfast Time
1 pound sausage
1 small onion
6 large eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cornbread or biscuit mix
For a delicious breakfast , brown one pound of sausage in the bottom of your cast iron dutch oven. Remove the sausage and fry one small chopped onion until translucent. Add the sausage and sprinkle with cheese. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the top of the sausage mixture. Cover tightly with a cast iron cover and let it cook while you enjoy your coffee in the serenity of nature. (cook for 1 hour)
Lunch Time
Place sliced potatoes (�¼ inch thick) on 12 inch piece of aluminum foil. Top with sliced onions, carrots, a pat of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Wrap securely and place on the grill. In a separate piece of foil wrap hamburger patties seasoned with steak seasoning. In about 15 minutes, you will have a complete meal that is delicious and easy to clean up.
Dinner Time
This meal will require a large bed of coals. Chop potatoes, carrots, onions and celery and add to the dutch oven. Add one pound of cubed beef (or any other meat you choose). Add water to just cover the veggies and beef. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set the dutch oven on a bed of coals. Place 10 -14 coals on the top of the cover and cook for 5 to 6 hours.
Serve with pan biscuits. To make pan biscuits, simply layer a can of frozen biscuits in a cast iron pan with a good coating of butter. Fry biscuits 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Although they will not rise a high as those cooked in the oven, these are sure to be a big hit with your family. They are great served with breakfast too.
Snacks
For a delicious snack, make smores of course. Stoke up the fire and cut a long slender branch from nearby trees to use for roasting your marshmallows. Simply roast a marshmallow over the fire, until it is soft and gooey. Place on a graham cracker with a piece of chocolate bar and top with another graham cracker. What could be better than smores cooked over the campfire? For an extra special treat, wrap a banana drizzled with chocolate in aluminum foil and place on the grill for about 10 minutes. The result is a warm soft banana covered in chocolate.
What family wouldn’t enjoy some time away from all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, nestled in a quiet little campsite and enjoying nature? With a little planning, you can make the whole experience something to remember for years to come. Happy camping!
