Foil & Flames: Campfire Eats

Foil a fundamental tool for campfire cuisine

Cooking over a campfire does not mean sacrificing variety or flavor – in fact, the smoky essence of a wood-fueled flame greatly can enhance dishes you typically enjoy at home.

With the right tools, there really isn’t a meal you can’t transfer to a campfire. Cast-iron pans, Dutch ovens and mountain pie makers can cover the gourmet gamut of options – but perhaps the most fundamental tool in the campfire cook’s arsenal is a roll of aluminum foil.

Foil pack meals are extremely easy to personalize. The old Scouting standby involves ground beef, sliced or cubed potatoes, onions, carrots and ketchup or barbecue sauce.

On a fresh sheet of foil, simply scatter the ingredients evenly in the center of the rectangle. Ground beef should be kept flatter, with other ingredients scattered on top. Sliced peppers, mushrooms and other toppings are welcome as preferred.

The key comes in sealing the packet. I use a second sheet of foil over top of the first (with ingredients hidden inside). Then, slowly fold the edges evenly toward the middle, ultimately creating an air-tight cooking chamber that can be placed directly over a hot bed of campfire coals.

Depending on how well prepared your campfire is – and how close you have the packet to the heat source – you should flip the packet often to avoid burning. Slowly, as the meal cooks through, you’ll notice the foil pack puff up internally. This is a good time to carefully remove it from the flame, cut a slice through the center of the packet, and check the contents to make sure the meat is cooked through and potatoes are tender. If not, simply fry the meal in the foil packet until it is done to satisfaction.

The foil packs offer a mini oven-like atmosphere … in fact, most items you typically cook in a microwave can be prepared over a campfire in a well-sealed foil pack. As you experiment with these dishes, share your stories to zaktansky@gmail.com.