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Outdoor Cooking
in
South Dakota State Parks
Outdoor
cooking goes hand-in-hand with the SD state parks. Each campsite and
camping cabin has a fire grate and picnic table, and many parks have
picnic shelters and areas. From roasting marshmallows on a stick to
cooking entire meals in a Dutch oven, outdoor cooking is an experience
that the whole family can enjoy together, whatever your skill level.
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Just Starting Out |
| If you’re new to outdoor cooking or have younger kids, a
great place to start is with some stick cooking and no-heat recipes.
Check the recipes section below for these and
other great recipes the whole family will enjoy.
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| Basic Tips |
- Measure out ingredients before-hand and put them into separate
zip-lock bags for easy transportation, access and clean-up.
- Look for cooking forks with extendable handles. They work great
– especially for kids – and make it easy to cook without getting too
close to the fire.
- Grilling is healthier than frying because much of the fat drips
off of the food while it cooks.
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| What you'll need |
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Below is a basic checklist of items you’ll want to bring
with you when you plan to do outdoor cooking.
- Cooking stove with fuel
- Charcoal or wood (wood is also available for purchase at most SD
state parks)
- Lighter/matches
- Non-stick frying pan
- Pot or sauce pan
- Cooking utensils, such as tongs and forks
- Oven mitts
- Can opener
- Thermos
- Paper plates and bowls
- Plastic silverware
- Paper towels
- Coolers with ice
- Water and soap for washing hands/antibacterial gel
- Bags for trash
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Dutch Oven
Cooking |
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With a little practice, you can make an entire gourmet meal
using just Dutch ovens. Soups, stews and hot dishes are easy
favorites, and try them with a side of fresh-baked rolls and even cake
for dessert. Check the recipes section below
for Dutch oven recipes.
Dutch Oven Tips
- When purchasing a Dutch oven, consider getting an
aluminum one instead of a cast iron oven. The aluminum ovens are
lighter weight, cook just as well and require little maintenance.
- Dutch ovens with legs and a lid with a lip around
it work best with briquettes.
- To easily start charcoal briquettes, crumple two
newspapers and put them into the bottom of a chimney starter
(available at most hardware and camping stores). Put the chimney
where you want the coals to be. Push the metal grate inside the
chimney down so that it forms a shelf inside the chimney. Pour the
desired number of briquettes into the chimney. Light a match and
hold it at the bottom of the chimney, lighting the newspaper. Let
the newspaper start the briquettes. Wait 15-20 minutes until the
briquettes are a gray color and hot. Lift the chimney away and use
the briquettes for cooking.
- Each briquette burns at approximately 20 -30
degrees, depending on the wind and outdoor temperature. Determine
how many briquettes will be needed for the baking temperature you
desire, I.E. 350 degrees equals about 12-17 briquettes. Adjust the
temperature by adjusting the number of briquettes.
- Use the Dutch oven to bake, fry, roast or simmer
foods.
- For baking, it is helpful to preheat the oven
before putting food into it.
- For baking, place more hot briquettes on the
cover of the Dutch oven than under it. Some people like to put a
fourth of the briquettes under the oven and three fourths on the top
of the cover or half and half. Others like to take the width of the
Dutch oven, for example a 10" Dutch oven, and put 3 briquettes less
than the diameter of the oven (7) underneath the oven and 3 more
than the diameter (13) on top.
- Arrange the briquettes so they are evenly spaced
both underneath the oven and on top.
- Replace burned out briquettes with hot ones.
- Give the Dutch oven a quarter turn every 10-15
minutes to help avoid burning.
- Use leather hot pad gloves for handling the oven.
Tongs and a metal lid lifter are very helpful.
- Never use soap or scrubbing to clean a Dutch
oven. If the oven has food residue, heat water in the oven and let
the food soak off. A ball made by crunching aluminum foil can help
clean the oven without scratching it. Once cast iron ovens are
clean, rub a little cooking oil around the sides, bottom and top of
the lid and oven to keep it from rusting.
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Recipes |
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Below are links to outdoor
cooking recipes. Check back often, more recipes are due to arrive!
If you have an outdoor cooking recipe you'd like to share, please
email us
or send it to S.D.
State Parks, 523 E. Capitol Avenue, Pierre, S.D. 57501.
We'll take your recipe into consideration for possible use in the
future. Please include your name, address and contact information.
Any information on healthy substitutions or alternate versions of the
recipe is also welcome.
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Copyright Ó 2006 State of
South Dakota |
