Place a skillet on a grate directly over hot coals or gas grill heat. For a lower temperature, slide the pan to one side, away from the heat (indirect heat). Use skillets with or without a lid.
Griddles: Place a griddle on a grate directly over hot coals or gas grill heat; move it to the side to reduce cooking temperatures (indirect heat). For griddles to perform well outside, they need even heat.
Pie irons: Place a pie iron directly on hot coals or on a grate. For a lower temperature, move it to the side or hold it above coals. Flip the iron for even cooking.
Dutch ovens: Place a Dutch oven directly on hot coals or on a grate, or hang it over a fire. To rotate, lift the pot and turn it ¼ to ⅓ turn in one direction before setting it back on the heat. (Setting the legs back into vacated spaces between coals makes this easy.) Turn the lid ¼ to ⅓ turn in the opposite direction.
The number of coals you use and the way you place them will determine the cooking temperature inside a Dutch oven. Experiment with your own gear to find the methods that work best for you. The pointers on pages 33–35 will help you get started, but remember to monitor cooking and adjust the heat up or down as needed.
Pay special attention to the food when cooking over an open fire to avoid uneven cooking and burn spots.
Dutch oven pointers
Camp-style Dutch oven (three legs): To boil, fry, brown or sauté food, use the Dutch oven without a lid. Set the pot directly on a spread or cooking ring of hot coals so all the heat comes from the bottom. The legs hold the pot slightly above the coals to avoid burning. More coals equals more heat.
To bake, roast or simmer food in a Dutch oven, you need heat from both the bottom and top. Top heat promotes browning. Arrange some hot coals in a cooking ring underneath the covered pot and place more hot coals on the lid, either in rings or scattered evenly. For general cooking and most baking, place about ⅓ of the coals in the ring under the pot and about ⅔ of the coals on the lid. (Avoid placing any coals under the center of the pot or baked items may burn.) For roasting, split the coals evenly between the bottom and top. For simmering, place more coals underneath than on top.
Kitchen-style Dutch oven (flat bottom): Place this Dutch oven on a grate over hot coals (or gas grill heat) or on a gas burner.* It may also be hung over a fire on a hook or tripod by the long wire handle. To use this Dutch oven directly on hot coals, you’ll need to prop it up on rocks or bricks to lift the bottom off the heat.
*A propane burner may be used like a stovetop burner.
Coals: How Hot & How Many?
To cook at 325°F, double the diameter of the Dutch oven you’re using (measured in inches) and use that number of standard charcoal briquettes.
▪ For a 10" oven, use 20 coals (10 x 2)
▪ For a 12" oven, use 24 coals (12 x 2)
Hotter? Every time you add two more hot coals, the temperature in the Dutch oven increases by about 25°F. So to cook at 350°F in a 10" pot, use about 22 coals; to cook at 400°F, use about 26 coals.
Cooler? Every time you remove two hot coals, the temperature goes down by about 25°F. So to cook at 300°F in a 10" pot, use about 18 coals.
If you don’t want to count coals, use this quick method for any size Dutch oven: For 325°F to 350°F, make a ring of touching briquettes underneath the pot (leave space for legs). Make another ring of touching briquettes around the outer edge of the lid. To adjust the temperature up or down, add or remove coals as needed, maintaining evenly spaced rings.
| FOLLOWING THE RECIPES | ||
| If it says… | It means… | |
| 24+ hot coals | Start with 24 hot charcoal briquettes, but light extras to complete the cooking. | |
| About 24 hot coals | Use about 24 hot charcoal briquettes to complete the cooking | |
| Cook on a grate | Start with the grate 3" to 4" above heat and adjust it up or down as needed for correct cooking temperature | |
| Medium heat | Use medium setting on a gas grill, or judge by holding your palm above the fire for 4 seconds at about the position the food will cook (2 seconds = hot heat; 6 seconds = low heat) | |
This temperature conversion chart tells you about how many coals you need to reach a certain temperature in your Dutch oven. Refer to the next page to determine how the coals should be arranged depending on the way you’d like to cook your food (roasting, baking, etc.).
When you leave a campsite in the morning, always double-check that the fire has no chance of staying lit or lighting up again.
The number of coals used to heat a Dutch oven can be adjusted to obtain certain temperatures.
Placing the coals
If you are using a 12" Dutch oven with approximately 24 coals, use the following guidelines for positioning them for the cooking temperature you need:
To sauté, fry or boil: Spread all coals underneath the pot (12 to 16 coals may be enough).
To simmer or stew: Spread about 16 coals underneath the pot and 8 coals on the lid (⅔ bottom and ⅓ top). Allow the coals to burn for 1 to 1½ hours before replenishing.
To roast: Make a cooking ring with about 12 coals underneath the pot and 12 coals on the lid (½ bottom and ½ top). Replenish the coals after 30 to 45 minutes or as needed.
To bake: Make a cooking ring with about 8 coals underneath the pot and 16 coals on the lid (⅓ bottom and ⅔top). Replenish the coals after 30 to 45 minutes or as needed.
Camping Essentials
While camping, there’s nothing worse than realizing you forgot something important at home, and it’s not always easy to run out to a nearby store to pick up what you need. To avoid
Personal/shelter basics
