camp oven cooking tips

Camp ovens for Australian cooks

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What is a camp oven or dutch oven?

Perhaps the biggest message about Camp Ovens is, “Don’t be afraid of camp ovens”.

In essence, the camp oven (or Dutch oven to some) is a heavy cast iron cooking pot with an equally dished heavy lid to allow coals to be placed on top.

They differ in some regards to Bedourie Ovens in that the latter are made of lighter mild steel to reduce weight and the likelihood of them cracking if dropped (Wikipedia).

Not only are camp ovens able to be used as ovens (no prizes for guessing that one), they can also be used to fry, sear, stew, simmer and bake etc. It all depends on how you use it and how your confidence grows.

Then again, there are some foods that don’t suit the camp oven nor its associated camp fires. For instance, you wouldn’t try to do a soufflé in a camp oven – if you do please let me know.

Finding the Camp Oven Balance

But, just as you wouldn’t put a sausage casserole on the highest temperature on the stove at home, you don’t go whacking the camp oven in the middle of the fire and leave it there for half-an-hour and wonder why it’s burnt. Then again, when camping, you’re gonna burn something every now and then (hello… chefs call it ‘caramelising’).

It’s finding that balance between a meal being a complete failure (tasting like frass) and burnt to a cinder – noting that anything that’s undercooked can always be cooked a little more (it just takes time or one more drink).

It is for this reason that much camp oven cooking is often done off to the side of the main fire place or even at a separate fire. In this way, coals from the main fire can be used to feed the cooking fire and finer tuning is possible.

Australian camp oven cooking (Dayv’s camp oven tips)

You can cook to the side of a fire – just keep turning the pot so that it doesn’t get too hot on one side.

You can cook in the fire – just keep the fire down in size and keep it quick.

Separate cooking fire and wind break for the camp oven.

Also, when it comes to finding the right balance, its important that you keep an eye on your composure at all times. No one likes to see a chef looking panicked or under stress. By exuding that air of confidence you’ll be able to pull off any meal.

Remember too that just like in the movie “Alien”, in darkness, no one can see the food.

Cooking Temperatures

The temperatures in the camp oven are controlled by the heat applied in, on and around the oven itself.

If you want to fry, sear or boil something or keep it simmering, coals or heat beads (briquettes) under the oven is what you want.

If you want to use it as an oven to cook a roast, stew, roast veggies, apple crumble (refer: https://campandtravel.com.au/camp-food-bribie-island-apple-crumble/) or cake etc then you’ll want some (not much) heat underneath and more heat on top – just like your oven at home.

Hot coals placed on the lid will heat up the inside of the camp oven.

To have heat on top (that in turn circulates inside the oven), you simply put hot coals or heat beads on top. Naturally the number / amount of coals will dictate the temperature.

Starting Out as a Camp Oven Cook

Until, you get an idea of the amount of coals, the type of timber and what temperatures will give what results, I suggest you keep it simple.

Even if this means just boiling water in your camp oven as this will give you an idea of where to place it and how quickly it’ll boil etc. Those around you will think you’re about to do the washing up – but, you’re really learning heaps and possibly getting out of washing up.

Then, you can move up to warming up stuff you’ve brought from home. Just whack it in the camp oven and warm it up – not to fast and not too hot.

Then try putting the lid on and see what that does.

Then you could look at putting coals on the lid and keep an eye on it from there.

Perhaps now you’re ready for damper… just mix 2 cups self-raising flour and a cup of water and put in the hot oven until it sounds hollow when you knock it or if a knife comes out clean. To get that ‘Camp Hero’ status, try plain flour and replacing some of the water with some beer, lemonade or bi-carb of soda to make it rise. If you add port and sultanas (like I do) it won’t matter if its burnt.

As you learn to judge all this by eye, there are several tables out there that try and over complicate things by telling you how many briquettes to put on and under different size camp ovens for different temperatures. This is all well and good, but you don’t always carry briquettes and they do burn down and need replacing as the cooking times extend. Besides, briquettes don’t have the same ‘Camp Hero’ status (look and smell) as good ol’ lumps of wood.

You may find my simple Briquette calculator of some use though as you’re learning – or as a fall-back if you’re trying something new.

Over the ANZAC Day weekend I whipped up a batch of ANZAC biscuits in the camp oven using this calculator setting up the camp oven for 160 deg Celsius. Refer: https://campandtravel.com.au/the-campers-anzac-biscuit/

ANZAC Biscuits in the Camp Oven

Perhaps the most useful thing to use with a camp oven when whipping up a meal is an infra-red temperature gauge. You can get these from places like Bunnings for a price much less than a new winch. You can also use it to check for heat spots in wheel bearing etc.

Using the Infra-red Temperature Gauge to check the cooking temperature. Using a 12 inch Camp Oven with 13 coals on the lid and 10 underneath to give me about 160 deg Celsius.

Anyway, have fun (as always) and keep safe around the fire.

Camp oven cooking tips

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