Cooking Surfaces

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Cooking Surfaces on July 13, 2011 at 1:43 PM

Ever since I got my first cooking table (a Camp Chef), I use it just about every chance I get. I was really glad to have it with me when I was cooking for scouts at Lake Powell because my ovens would have just sunk right down into the sandy soil.

However...

It's not always practical to take my tables with me wherever I go.

What do you do when you find a less-than-durable surface to cook on? How do you keep your dutch oven level? How do you keep the legs of your pot from sinking into the surface, causing the coals to be smothered?

Reply #1 on July 14, 2011 at 5:42 PM

I too prefer to use a cooking table, but you are correct that it is not always practical. I have a couple of metal feed pans (metal oil change pans work good too if you can find them) that I bought at a farm supply store that fit up to a 12" great. They don't take up much room as they fit right in the bottom of my DO storage bag and they are light weight also. Keeps them from sinking and it is relatively easy to level them out.

Reply #2 on August 26, 2011 at 2:25 PM

Before my table, I would just put a couple of layers of aluminum foil down, held in place by a couple of bricks. Of course, it requires that your surface underneath be rather flat anyway.

There are two rules of Dutch Oven Cooking:
1) If you cook too much food, share.
2) Cook too much food.

Reply #3 on October 28, 2011 at 8:23 PM

Something that is on my wish list (speaking of cooking surfaces) is one of those Volcano stoves. I know that Eggman has one, and he cooked some brats with charcoal out of the back of his truck one day. They are awesome.

There are two rules of Dutch Oven Cooking:
1) If you cook too much food, share.
2) Cook too much food.

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