4 Types of Cooking On A Campfire - Boil it, Bake it, Fry It, Grill It Over the fire. - Dan Wowak

YOU DON’T HAVE TO EAT FREEZE DRIED FOOD AT CAMP! Here Are Four TYPES OF COOKING OVER A CAMPFIRE:

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When it comes to cooking at camp or in the backcountry there is a much better way than simply adding hot water to a bag of freeze dried food. Imagine cooking anything, yes anything over a campfire. From hot wings to spaghetti to even a blueberry pie, it’s all possible. All that it takes is a few simple tips and tricks with the campfire and you can turn camp food into delicious gourmet backcountry cuisine.

Boil It, Grill It, Fry It and Even Bake It

It’s all possible outdoors
When it comes to camp cooking boiling, frying, grilling, and baking are all viable options. All that it requires is a little know how relating to campfire regulation and you will be set!

HOW TO BOIL OVER A CAMPFIRE
From soups and stews to pasta. Boiling is a great way to cook over a fire. It allows the camper to cook an entire meal in one pot with little to no calorie loss. I mean who isn’t drinking that broth!!

Keep the campfire high. Lots of wood and high flames means lots of heat and when we want to boil food that’s important
Once your food is to cooking temperature allow the flames to die down slightly. This will provide a simmer and allow you to slow cook the meal.

HOW TO FRY OVER A CAMPFIRE
With a little oil and a pot/pan wonderful and delicious meals can be fried up. Imagine eating mozzarella sticks on top of a beautiful overlook in the Rocky Mountains!

Start out with a low flame. High campfire flames can quickly ignite your oil.
As the flames grow low and embers appear in your campfire you should be right to fry.
Test your food by touching it to the oil. Immediately, there should be signs of the oil sizzling and frying the food.
Maintain your fire by feeding small sticks into it. If the oil seems to be getting to cool add a few large sticks for a quick supercharge.

HOW TO GRILL ON A CAMPFIRE
Steaks, fish, even corn on the cob can all be grilled over the campfire. Grilling offers an easy, and quick, way to prepare your meal. Before you start to grill get a large fire started. Keep the fire large for a generous amount of time as this will build a bed of hot embers.

Also Read: Chickpea Salad Recipe from Pow and Chow Book
Grilling is a fast processes and shouldn’t take long. It is important to keep a well regulated heat during this time. Embers, not flames, provide the most even heat when cooking.

Flames will char/burn the outside of your food and leave the inside raw.
Choose the wood you cook on wisely. It is important that you do not cook on wood that contains a lot of sap, such as Pine or Hemlock. This type of wood leaves behind a lot of unfavorable tastes.

HOW TO BAKE ON A CAMPFIRE
Pies, Stromboli, or just warming up some buns can all be accomplished by baking.

For this technique we can set out UCO Flatpack on its side and capture radiant heat.

Baking is a slow process and shouldn’t involve flames.
When baking over a campfire be sure to rotate the items often and flip them if possible. So instead of making a traditional pie made a folded turnover.
The same as grilling try to choose woods that don’t have a lot of sap content. Although the food isn’t being cooked over the flames/coals we don’t want to get too much of that black smoke all over our food.
Spice up camp life using these tips and tricks. You and your friends will not be disappointed. Making meal time at camp a memorable one!

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[cheswick]

You left out roasting...like in an aluminum foil packet you make and put into or on the embers.

[dotty]

Thank you for this video! Super useful! I'm a city girl and am trying to learn the basics of camping and cooking over a fire.

[thecampingcommunityclub]

Campfire cooking is absolutely the best

[henrybattaglia]

You can always do a foil pack as well. This is an under-rated method, but very simple. Did it as a cub scout, and still doing it as an adult. Fun, easy, and brings back good memories.

[steveo]

You can tell this guys educated the way he speaks, keeping in simple, clear and concise without over complicating things making it easy to understand. I came here to learn how to cook a can of soup over a fire without being it explained to me like trying to solve an Algebra problem and this guy delivered. I just subscribed to the channel.

[oxfd]

I just had a flashback to BSA Camp Hinds in Raymond Maine, earing my cooking merit badge and listening to the camp counselor on using each of these cooking methods. Fantastic refresher.

[campingcookingtips]

Food cooked over an open fire is amazing

[patcummins]

Interesting Dan that you didn’t touch on the Dutch Oven style of cooking. A little difficult if your hiking!
Here in Australia the Dutch oven or camp oven as it is mostly known is probably the most popular method of campfire cooking.
You can boil food, fry food, and bake with it.
The downside is it’s bloody heavy being cast iron!
I enjoy your posts and being “an old fart” I can never stop learning!
Thank you.

[NatNotTheBug]

I am so excited to learn campfire skills, but besides that I just want to say that you are such a talented teacher! You explain everything so succinctly and clearly!

[sueciviero]

Thank you for these tips. Once heard, it all makes so much sense. We aren't born with all the skills you have learned. I appreciate your teaching ability.

[anthonybarker]

I use a keyhole fire especially in cold weather. I have a constant source of coals to drag into my cooking area. No dying down required. Also the big fire will keep me warm

[nathanvalentine]

I'm in the mood now for some grilled groundhog!

[OFCbigduke]

Foil wraps are great as well. Steam/roast

[Flashahol]

Very few people explain this, thank you!

[hannahe.]

THANK YOU! I’m cooking on a campfire for the first time in a few days and most videos I watched were either way too complex or people literally sticking a pan straight into the flames, which didn’t seem right. This was perfect. Wish me luck!

[sandsock]

Fried\baked some calzones a couple days ago, with my picky eating nephew. That just loves to camp

[villagevillage]

This video is crammed full of knowledge and clearly a lot of experience baking blueberry muffins out in the woods…!! Dude I can’t even bake at home let alone in the middle of bf nowhere 🤣🤣 well done!

[paul]

Interesting video, cooking outside is a skill and it gets better with practice.

[dereinzigwahreRichi]

Now this is what COOKING in the outdoors really means (imho), preparing food from real ingredients, not just boiling water and pouring it into some bag with dried stuff!
Dan, thanks for the great video and for pointing out that you dont need any complicated stuff for this and it's actually easy.

A good addition for anyone attempting to cook in the outdoors is a pair of heatproof gloves. Leather will do, some kind of Nomex or Kevlar (Aramides) is a bit better and easier to move in.

[danielfoster]

Been doing it all my life. Practice Practice.