Cooking on a campsite means cooking on a open fire, something that is only apparently complicated. Indeed, in a campsite you can also cook excellent dishes, as long as you keep in mind some points and know how to use the right tools.
What you need to keep in mind when you want to cook over an open fire is:
- Make sure to light the fire in a safe place, away from flammable materials (trees, leaves and dry wood, tall grass, tents, cabins and sleeping bags etc.).
- Use the right equipment to cook the right food.
- Never use plastic in a camp fire. Plastic melts, not by chance cast iron is the main material of this type of tools.
Here are the various kitchen tools with which requirements to cook on an open fire:
- Dutch Oven: It is a pot specially created to be used on an open fire and with which you can do practically anything: boil the water to disinfect it or for a tea; make us a stew; cooking a soup; make a soup; cooking pasta and whatever can be done in a pot.
- Tripod: It can be placed directly on the open fire and hook any kitchen equipment, even a dutch oven or a grill. Usually they are equipped with a chain with which you can raise or lower the food so as to alternate the cooking speed. It is an essential tool for every camper, as, with a simple pot or a grill, you will have a structure to cook numerous different dishes.
- Cast Iron Pan: The cast iron pan can be used to cook on an open fire as if you were cooking in any kitchen. Being directly on an open fire, watch out for overheating. Always use a kitchen glove or a damp cloth to use it. The ideal dishes to cook with the cast iron skillet are Hamburgers, sausages, bacon, pancakes and everything that can be done in a classic skillet.
- Swivel grill: It is a grill specifically designed to be used on an open fire: it sticks into the ground with a deep rod and the grill is placed directly on the fire. It works like a normal grill or embers, the advantage is that it works like a real barbecue, also exploiting the smoke of the wood (which you can also choose specifically) to give further flavor to your kitchen. Unlike the cast iron skillet, you can cook much larger pieces of meat or the same size, but in larger quantities. The only flaw is that the fat drips and burns, causing a lot of burning smoke. It is an ideal tool for meat, therefore for hamburgers, steaks, sausages, chicken, ribs etc., but it can also be used for toasting bread, for example.