2012-05-10 OAUSA Net - Cooking Alternatives

[toms]

This week the net will focus on alternative techniques for cooking tasty meals in the outdoors. We would like to discuss everything from, using noting but a wood fire, adding water to a freeze dried mix, to pressure cookers, Dutch ovens, solar ovens, Manifold cooking (if someone wants to jump in on this topic), stove top - frying, ovens, and boiling water (Larry's favorite recipe).

If we have time I would like to see what the net, feels what a great cooks duties are besides actually being able to cook the required dishes.

See additional posts to this thread below for good stuff to look at during the net.

[toms]

Dutch Oven Cooking & Baking Tempreature Chart
Dutch Oven Size to feed xx people

[Crismateski]

I have got a book called "Manifold Destiny" it is all about automotive cooking. Pretty good

http://www.amazon.com/Manifold-Destiny- ... 796&sr=1-1

[toms]

Pork Chops N’ Potatoes with Sauce

12” Dutch oven 27 coals
Grill
Mixing bowl x2

10 Pork Chop (2 chops per person)
5 Potatoes - ¼ inch slices (1 per person +1)
2 large yellow onion
2 Can cream of mushroom soup
1 ½ Cup sour cream ( just use full 16 oz tub)
Salt & Pepper
Garlic 1 tbls
Thyme 1 tbls

Serve with Apple Sauce
Salad w/ Italian dressing

1. Brown pork chops on a grill
a. Season pork chops on grill
b. (they don't need to be cooked all the way through)
2. Scrub 5 large potatoes + 1. Slice in ¼" slices leaving the skins on.
3. Slice 2 large onion in ¼" slices.
4. In a small bowl combine 2 can(s) (10¾ ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup and 3/4 cup sour cream per can of soup.
5. In a 12" Dutch oven place a
a. Layer of onions then a layer of potatoes.
b. Sprinkle lightly with fresh ground pepper and salt.
c. Add another layer of onion slices and potato slices sprinkling with salt and pepper.
d. Spread half of soup mixture on potatoes.
6. Add two more layers of onion and potato slices
a. Sprinkling with salt and pepper.
b. Spread the rest of the soup mixture on top of the potatoes.
7. Add 10 browned pork chops to the top of soup mixture.
8. In 12” Dutch oven Bake with 10 charcoal briquettes under the Dutch oven and 18 charcoal briquettes on the lid of the Dutch oven for 45-60 minutes. If it is cold out, windy or higher altitude add several more coals top and bottom.

[DaveK]

I'll be adding my cooking preferences tonight in the form of pressure cookers. Interestingly, the PC is not a new invention. According to a "History of the Pressure Cooker", it was invented about 1679 (http://missvickie.com/library/history.html). The contraption, even way back then, offered some unique advantages to cooking, but proved to be very dangerous (many explosions).

Today, the modern pressure cooker offers the camper some very appealing advantages - very quick cooking time, enhanced flavors (due to the enclosed cooking environment), simplified, one pot cooking, and retention of important vitamins (also due to the enclosed cooking environment). See http://missvickie.com/library/benefits.html and http://www.pressurecookerdiaries.com/ab ... r-benefits. It also has evolved from a dangerous explosive to a very safe and popular cooking method. Today's PCs are packed with multiple safety devices, once again making it easy to enjoy these advantages.

For us, some of the best advantages of the PC are that it reduces the number of cooking items needed to prepare a meal and the ability to serve a piping hot meal (especially appreciated when it gets cold).

One of my favorite recipes - Chicken Adobo!

Chicke Adobo 1.JPG (78.19 KiB) Viewed 2574 times

Chicken Adobo 2.JPG (65.47 KiB) Viewed 2574 times

[hmfigueroa]

Cast Iron Fried Chicken

Here is one of Dave's Favorites

Take several chicken breasts and slice them (butterfly) in half so they will be thin. It may be desireble to pound them out so they will be as evenly sized as possible. This will ensure good even cooking. This will work with regular chicken pieces, but bones and irregular sizes can make it difficult to manage even cooking.

Take the chicken and dredge it in flour then egg wash then flour, buttermilk and and again in and panko bread crumbs.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Allow the coated chicken to rest a bit to ensure better adhesion of the coating.

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a heavy cast iron pan or dutch oven bring up to 350 Degrees. Be sure to regulate temperature well if it gets too hot it will burn the outside before the inside is done. if it is too cool, the chicken will be greasy. There is no need to completely submerge the chicken in order to cook it.

Place the chicken in close to you and lay it in away from you to prevent splashing Oil on yourself. Lay the chicken in the pan with room for it to move. this will keep the oil form cooling too much.

Cook until done and golden brown 4-6 minutes per side.
drain on a wire rack for a few minutes and serve.

I usually serve it with mashed golden potatos. boiled for 15 minutes, then drained, smashed with buttermilk and butter, salt (garlic), Pepper to taste.

[SP Jon M3]

After the discussions last on yesterday's net about windscreens on canister stoves.

All canister stove manufacturers strongly recommend against using a windscreen because it can cause the fuel canister to overheat and explode, resulting in serious injury and/or death. Do not ignore this warning; there is significant risk if you don't know what you are doing. A windscreen could turn an accident into a disaster if a super heated empty pot or a boilover spilled more heat on an already overheated canister. The manufacturers' position is understandable considering the liability issues. However, they have done nothing to provide consumers with a safe and effective windscreen. Canister stoves lose a lot of efficiency when exposed to even a slight wind, so some type of wind protection is needed. Jetboil has developed the most effective integrated heat exchanger and windscreen of any manufacturer thus far, allowing it to maintain its fuel efficiency and boil times in windy conditions.

And a link with people who've had some first hand accounts of the dangers with using a windscreen.

http://www.trailspace.com/forums/backco ... 78240.html