campfire cooking?

[Sam McMichael]

Can anybody recommend a cooking CD or similar reference oriented  specifically toward cooking on a campfire?  I am particularly interested in recipes, techniques, and cooking tools adequate for a primitive camp (pre-1840 rendezvous style), not a modern camp stove or gas grill. Game and appropriately matched veggies done in camp are just better than most fine restaurant goodies.
 
I have plenty of cast iron Dutch ovens, skillets and copper pots, etc. My kitchen is fairly well equipped, but I do not have a lot of experience using them in a primitive setting.

If my deer hunting luck doesn't improve, I will be required to substitute beef in some of the recipes.

Thanks for your help.
Thanks.

[JAG]

Try Lodge cookware's website.  They have alot of info.  There are several good books about the subject, just google campfifre cooking and give it a look.

[LB_hntr]

We cook alot on a campfire. my favorite way is what i call a keyhole fire and green sticks.
the key hole fire is a round fire pit with a square section coming off the side so the fire pit looks like a key hole. then you can have the main fire in the circle and move hot coals into the square section and cook on green sticks over the square and coals.
here is a pic of a key hole i made for just my self. so its smaller in size as i was only cooking fo me. it works great. its fast and easy. and gives you total control over temp.
 http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg133/jasonsamko/IMG_20130707_210317_264_zps874714b6.jpg
 

[monterey]

Your question confused me a bit since you asked about over the fire cooking but then brought in the cast iron.  Are you looking for strictly open fire cooking ideas or ideas on how to use your iron in a camp setting or maybe both?

[Grey Taylor]

Jimini Christmas, Jason. Did you eat all three of those steaks yourself?

As for Sam's question - I've always treated my Dutch ovens just as ovens. Anything I'd cook in the oven at home will translate to cooking in a Dutch oven. Ergo, search through regular cook books for things cooked in the oven and go from there.

Guy

[long time archer]

I love potatoes coated with about quarter to a alf inch of mud--we have a clay dirt that is great, so this might not work for more sandy soils--then tossed into coals and left until the mud is baked hard. Break them open and enjoy as is or doctored up.

[reddogge]

For that type of cooking you'll need some kind of wrought iron grate with short legs about 3'Lx18"W or so. When your fire burns down to coals you put the grate over them and then you can use your frying pans, cast iron stew pots, coffee pots, pots to heat water, etc.

I've seen the post with the swing out grills too which are nice but I think the grate is sturdier and more practical.

A lot handier that just a fire set with two posts and a crossbar.

[bretto]

You-tube is your friend. Type in campfire cooking and kick back and watch. Hours and Hours of videos to watch.

bretto

[Sam McMichael]

Good info guys. Monterey, I do mean both baking in the Dutch oven as well as cooking other things over the camp fire itself. We also have clay, so I think coating the potato for baking might be a good idea. Long time archer, about how long do you need for a large baked potato done this way? For you guys that do cobblers, do you worry about the filler, or just cook them till the crust browns?

[monterey]

Sam, I'll ditto Greg on the dutch oven thing.  Really no such thing as a dutch oven recipe.  

There is a bit more involved in management though if you elect to leave the briquets at home.  I set a place in the campfire aside for making my coals and make them with short chunks of wood that go initially into the main fire area but then into the coals area once they get going.  LBhntr's keyhole system adapts nicely to this.

Then you have a good supply of coals to use with your iron.  How much depends on local wood.  I see you are in georgia so you should have no problem coming up with good hardwood.  Here in the Rockies we very little hardwood in the mountains.  Occasional scrub oak but rarely where you need it.  The pine and aspen so common here works but you need a lot more of it and have to keep your ashes cleared and add fresh coals much more frequently.

I envy you southern and eastern guys for your bow wood and firewood!    

Last couple of years I have been using a dutch oven table at home and in camp.  Not one bit rocky mountain fur trade era but sure is easier on my back!  Sans a table, a lid from a 25 gallon metal drum makes a great place to set up a dutch oven.