Favorite Camp Fire Meal

[Okiepan]

Just as the title says.

[Yul Lose]

Dutch oven pot roast with Dutch oven rolls and Dutch oven cobbler.

[G W Wade]

So much great food comes out of that black pot.  Can not pick one      GW

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

If it’s cold and I’m hungry, whatever’s in front of me. 
 

Best ever?  Marinated venison steaks, roast potatoes, sautéd broccoli, and some corn squeezings on the side. 

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

One pot meals for this cowboy.

Chili Con Carne (Mild for this old boy's tummy)

Stew

Shore lunch of fresh caught pan fired trout.

[Henry T Harrison]

My wife once cooked a full course turkey dinner in a Dutch oven on the shore of a very remote Canadian lake. Desert was ice cream sundaes. The women was a marvelous camp cook 

[Cypress Sun]

 

Beer, it's not just for breakfast anymore.

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

Dutch Oven Home Made sweet chili, D.O. made cornbread with honey butter, an adult beverage. Followed up with a course of campfire stories.

Ike

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

Badland Bob's Apple Cobbler.  Closely followed by my own beef stew.  

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Fresh caught trout fried in a cast iron skillet in butter and seasoned  flour, a side of refried mashed potatoes or hash browns, coffee, "doctored" V8 juice (add Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, a smear of garlic, and some horse radish ) or apple-orange juice, and campfire toast with orange marmalade or damson plum jam

 

Ain't nothing better to start a day.  Have some TUMS handy for later.  Sometimes butter will cause problems.

[Mud Marine,SASS#54686 Life]

This belly robber chooses:

 

First Place: Roast turkey in my 20" do, with gravy, dressing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and Corn O' Brien.

 

Second place is braised short ribs or dinosauer bones with gravy, baked potatoes and ratatouille. That takes a 20", a 16" and a few smaller DOs.

 

Biscuits, of course. 

 

Triple chocolate cake, apple cobbler or anything with huckleberries for dessert. 

[Dantankerous]

A good friend of mine is a wonderful camp cook and some of my favorites that he has made over the year include Venison prepared several different ways, elk steaks, fresh walleye and trout.  Breakfasts are pretty standard with bacon-and-eggs and coffee but somehow taste much better at 9000' above sea level than back home.

 

We usually drink our dessert so sadly no Dutch oven cobblers.

[Pat Riot]

My best camping Dutch Oven meals have been roasted chicken with potatoes, onions and mixed vegetables. Pot roast with onions and potatoes. Various stews. Always with biscuits. My camp chili is damn good too. Not bragging. Fact. 

[Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129]

Pan Fried ,,, Fresh Caught Walleye , Spuds Fried with Bacon Chunks and Onion,,,,Banock  ....Followed by Cobbler ( Peach or Apple )...

And Catching More Fish .....

 

Jabez Cowboy

[DocWard]

My camping fare is typically quite simple compared to many here. Food fuels my other activities, and I don't spend a lot of time cooking. I'm pretty happy with a good can of beef stew and pre-made corn bread for dinner, and scrambled eggs and bacon (and plenty of coffee for breakfast.

 

Having said that, on one camping trip, my uncle managed to make one of the best prime ribs I've ever had.

[Rye Miles #13621]

Bacon and eggs!!! Don't forget the coffee!!

 

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428]

[Perro Del Diablo]

Brisket cooked under ground for about 12 hour.

[Pat Riot]

1 hour ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

Bacon and eggs!!! Don't forget the coffee!!

 

Okay...That is definitely a great camp fire meal. First thing in the morning, get that coffee brewing in a percolator. Hmm good! Then get that breakfast going nearby the campfire. That is a great way to start the day. 

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

Chicken fried venison or elk tenderloin, fried taters with onions, fresh green salad and  corn bread. Washed down with a nip or 2 of good single malt.

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

Chicken fried deer chops, fried taters, pork n beans, and bisquits.

[Tequila Shooter]

14 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Okay...That is definitely a great camp fire meal. First thing in the morning, get that coffee brewing in a percolator. Hmm good! Then get that breakfast going nearby the campfire. That is a great way to start the day. 

 

get that coffee brewing in a percolator???

 

 

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

Forty wins so far~!  

 

Okay.  I do enjoy cooking out-of-doors.  Have a stack of three Dutch ovens next to my front door, and a LOT of other cast iron skillets and pots.  Used 'em to good use for many years.

 

That said, sometimes I've been known to step out of line on occasion.  I've been accused of turning out perfectly acceptable crepes (both savory and dessert types) on a Coleman stove, and mouth-watering quiche in Dutch ovens.  And hell yeah real men eat quiche!  And we can make 'em, even under "adverse conditions!"  

 

Now, as a Boy Scout Cooking Merit Badge Counselor, I can of course appreciate the simpler fare.  Fuel for the Outdoors!  But I also like to demonstrate that we're not limited to traditional fare... one of my favorite projects has been to prepare a favorite Thai dish - "Spicy Chicken With Mint Leaves," using either a wok or large skillet.    I recall once doing this for a class of 30+ adults at Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills (IOLS) session.  They watched with fascination laced with a lot of comments like "Eww... No Way!"  "Huh!  I don't think so..."  "You put WHAT in it?  That's too weird!"  To a person, they all asked for the recipe.  

 

By the way ~ one of my favorite outdoor cooking tools is the giant wok my son made for me from a 27" plow disc.  I call it the "Wok of Ages."  

 

But for my all-time favorite... it'd have to be the trout, as described above by Forty Rod.  

 

 

                                                     

 

[Henry T Harrison]

1 hour ago, Tequila Chase said:

 

get that coffee brewing in a percolator???

 

 

This guy is the real deal everything that you want to know about cast iron and campfire cooking is on his YouTube channel. His cookbook makes great reading not just for the recipes but for his stories about ranch life and cowboy poetry. 
Give him a look 

[Michigan Slim]

ooooh, this is a toughy. Venison backstrap over oak and Applewood, mashed taters with garlic, fresh asparagus. All from the yard at the cabin. 

Orrrr…. the walleyes I fried with my son's Scout troop in the Boundary Waters. 

Orrrr…. the fresh Brookies we caught and ate right there. Again at my cabin in the woods.

[Pat Riot]

1 hour ago, Tequila Chase said:

 

get that coffee brewing in a percolator???

 

 

Yes, percolator! I enjoy fiber-free coffee. 

[Ozark Okie]

In a previous life, one of my most memorable meals at the end of a hard day afield was a  grilled  ven'zin  tenderloin, a grilled/baked sweet potato and  grilled asparagus.....along with a glass of Tanqueray.....one while cooking and another while eating.   This memory from the Catskills.

Also enjoy roasts in my cast iron dutch oven on a regular basis.   Ozark Okie   

[Subdeacon Joe]

Breakfast:
1.) Start the fire, hang the kettle for coffee.  Go catch some trout.  Get back to camp 15 minutes later.  Rake some coals out, put the pan on and get some bacon going.  Put grounds into french press, add boiling water.  Turn bacon.  Clean trout. (wash hands) Push down strainer in press, pour your coffee, adulterate to your taste.  Pull bacon out of pan, dredge trout in seasoned cornmeal, fry in grease.  Serve with warm flour tortillas.
2.) If no trout available:
Start fire, hang kettle for coffee.  Run potatoes through julienne blade of your cheap mandolin, add salt and toss.  Rake some coals out, put pan on, get some bacon going.  Put grounds into french press, add boiling water.  Turn bacon. Crack half a dozen eggs into bowl, add a little salt and pepper, whisk.  Pull bacon out of pan, add potatoes.  Add some pepper.  Push down strainer in press, pour your coffee, adulterate to your taste.  Turn potatoes.  At this point you have the choice of cooking the potatoes through, removing them, and then cooking the eggs, or adding the eggs and making a kind of egg and potato frittata.  Heat some flour tortillas, add egg, potato, and bacon (if you haven't eaten it all yet), add salsa/hot sauce to taste, roll up and enjoy.

Supper:

1.) Get your fire in order, hang kettle for coffee.  Scrub potatoes, lightly oil, generously salt, wrap in foil, toss into fire.  Put some ears of corn into bucket of cold water to soak.  Take a chuck roast and pat it dry, season well with salt and pepper (actually, you should have done this and bagged it before you left for camp, but still add more just before cooking).  Set grill over coals, toss meat on grill.  Pull corn from water, shake off excess, toss onto fire towards the side.  Put grounds in french press, add boiling water.  Check potatoes, move around as needed.  Turn corn (you will need to do this several time).  Push down strainer in press, pour your coffee and adulterate to taste.  Flip meat.  Continue until everything is cooked.

2.) (Before setting out for your camping trip make a batch of:
 

Morrocan Three-Bean Stew

(From Weight Watchers “Dining for Two” Cookbook)

Modified to serve 4

 

2 tsp. oil (canola or corn work fine, or on weekends use olive)

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced (I tend to use more)

1/2 lb. frozen bell pepper strips

1 - 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 - 15 oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1 - 8 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzos) rinsed & drained

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups frozen French Green Beans

4 Tbs. Raisins

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cayenne

(Obviously, adjust seasoning to your taste; I tend to add a bit of paprika to the mix too).

 

Heat the oil in nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden. Add the bell peppers and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans, chickpeas, and salt. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.)

 

Add the green beans, raisins, coriander, cinnamon & cayenne, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the green beans are tender and the flavors are melded, about 10 min.

Put in gallon freezer bags and freeze.  This will cut down on the amount of ice you need.  Remove from ice chest about an hour before you want to start dinner.

Get your fire in order, hang kettle for coffee.  When coals are ready set your pot/pan, dutch oven over the coals.  Season up some chicken thighs and brown on all sides in pan.  Add the Bean Stew.  When hot, add back the chicken. Serve. Alternatives to chicken would be cubed pork butt, Italian Sausage, cubed leg of lamb, or even mushrooms.  Serve with biscuits or tortillas.

 

[Chili Pepper Kid, SASS #60463]

S'mores

[J-BAR #18287]

I am jealous.  I never had anything like the meals some of you describe.

 

I worked for the US Forest Service during the summer of 1965, packed into the Sangre De Cristos in southern Colorado.  We packed 5 or 6 miles into the mountains at sun up Monday morning, hiked out on Friday afternoon to spend the weekend in town and restock our supplies for next week.  Three guys surviving together, repairing trails during the day and cooking supper after an exhausting day of work.

 

One iron skillet on a Coleman stove, a can of tomatoes, a can of pork and beans, and a pound of hamburger, all cooked together was as good as it ever got.  Frequently it was something less appetizing.  Canned soda kept in the stream below the tent to wash it down.  I was glad to get back to college.

 

Screw camping.  I like hotels.

 

 

[Chuck Steak]

"Camp Fire" leaves open a lot for interpretation...

 

Waaaay back when I was just a young Soldier - camp fire meals came vacuum sealed in a plastic pouch.   Anyone that has ever spent time 'in the field' knows that field rations aren't meant to be delicious - only nutritious.

...even using the word 'nutritious' is stretching the truth quite a bit. 

 

 

I like to cook and like to eat - so when I knew I was going to be in the field for a few days I would always throw some "accessories" into my ruck so I could liven up the wonderfully preserved concoctions masquerading as food.   Most MRE's came with a bottle of Tabasco Sauce.  The bottle was the size of your thumb and nearly indestructible, but that bottle only held about two good squirts of hot sauce.  Anyone that has ever lived on MRE's knows that it takes at least three squirts of hot sauce to repair the mess that was packed into those meals - so everyone I knew carried a normal sized bottle of hot sauce in their ruck.  

Guys never got mad at tyou for throwing their ruck off the side of the truck because they were worried about you breaking the frame - they just didn't want broken glass and hot sauce all over their dry socks.

 

Most folks would carry some kind of 'pogey bait' and one of my staples was ramen style noodles.  It was hard to find me in the woods without a few packs of ramen noodles jammed into my rucksack.  Half a dozen packs of ramen, a bottle of hot sauce, and the ever present "spice wheel" went everywhere I did.  As I got smarter, I even started carrying instant rice in a waterproof plastic tube that was originally used to hold parachute flares.   

Armed with some spices, some dry noodles, maybe even some rice - I could make the shittiest of MRE's taste like a slightly less shitty version of itself.

 

"Meatballs and BBQ Sauce" by itself was not really "meatballs" it also wasn't exactly BBQ sauce.  It also came with a god awful dehydrated potato patty - picture a MacDonald Breakfast hash brown patty having an illegitimate offspring with a Walmart brand rice cake.

...POOF MRE potato patty.

Cook up a pack of beef ramen in a canteen cup, add the meatballs, season to taste - and if you closed your eyes REAL tight - you could pretend that it was spaghetti.  (the spaghetti in meat sauce MRE didn't come around until a few years later).  The beef slices and the ground beef also came in that same poorly named BBQ sauce - but just throw them in a canteen cup with some beef ramen and pretend REAL hard that it was spaghetti...

 

Dehydrated pork patty and the dehydrated beef patty - by themselves tasted like dried garbage - crunch them up into a pork or beef ramen packet and life got a little better as long as you had a canteen cup and a heat source.  To me, a spare canteen cup and some 'heat tabs' were almost as important as your rifle.  My "favorite" camp fire meal was almost always prepared in my spare canteen cup.  Usually it wasn't so much "camp fire" - it was more of a divot in the ground with a trioxane heat tab.  

I have been retired from the Army for a few years now, and one of the few things I miss about the Army is being able to enjoy a brief period of peace and quiet - pretending that the concoction in your canteen cup is a gourmet meal.

 

"Favorite" and "Camp Fire" are subjective terms - some of my finest meals were eaten out of a canteen cup in the company of good men. 

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

Some stuff wrapped in aluminum foil and dropped into the fire

for a while.

Sure was great, Darned if I can remember what it was.

Cub Scouts.  And we never did find a cub.

Best

CR