Any camp oven maestros here?

[JamesH]

Hi All

A mate got a Furphy Camp Oven for his birthday. I've long been a Furphy fan and steered away from other broads though have seen some little beauties in other collections. I heard a rumour that Furphy Foundary now import their camp ovens from China and use the foundary for other products. Turns the blood a bit cold but that's business nowday. Sure looked like a good piece of kit any way.

I've had some great meals out of a camp oven. They Roast meat like nothing else and then there is the bread and dampers and cakes etc.

My camping buddies and I have had less success at baking our vegies however. They tend to stew and we have even tried opening the lid but this does not work either. Does anybody have any tips for getting a good baked potato and pumpkin out of their pot?

[VladTepes]

We did a roast leg of lamb with spuds and pumpkin the first ever time we used our camp oven. Worked out bloody beautiful. We obviously cooked the meat for a while before adding the veges. Perhaps this gets rid of some of the excess juices before adding the veges so they don;t stay as moist ?

Really, I think the key is the right amount of heat, for the right time. It's not a science it's an art. As such, I doubt I'll be able to replicate the success I had 1st time around !!

[catfishman]

Heat is the trick .... always use hardwood for your fire, Ironbark or Bloodwood is good , spotted gum will do if you are stuck. Brown what ever meat you use first then cook it on a rack,Cook your Spuds for a bit (or boil them first if you are in a hurry) before you add the pumpkin and sweet potato and always cook them in the fat off the meat............ works a treat everytime

[p38arover]

You need to contact Roger Riley of the LROC.

Roger regularly does Rover's Restaurant weekends where he prepares a many-course dinner in the bush using camp ovens. Booking a seat is difficult as they are very popular. I've never got a seat at the table (yet!)

To top it off, they are black tie events. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

Send me a PM with your email address and I'll pass it it on to Roger,

Ron

[seqfisho]

Hi James,

Try this link, they have a chat board etc

http://www.aussiecampovencook.com/

I would also suggest that always use a trivet and make sure the oven is preheated.

[JamesH]

Thanks heaps for the advice and link. Alas I won't be able to try out Roger Riley's work in the near future as I am in WA.

cheers

[weeds]

Had my first crack at using a camp oven for a xmas in july at a friends cattle property this year. We had three ovens on the go lamb, pork and a rolled beef along with a heap of vegies. All worked out good, one of the best feeds we have had out there. We have been camping there for a few years and never had a camp oven, the one I was using was borrow from other friends, will buy one before next trip in november. I was alway a be nervous about using one, as i have onlt done meat an veg it was pretty straight forward, had a look in a few time, adjust the coals.

[Bushie]

Experiment, and go easy on the heat.

Cooking with a campoven doesn't need anywhere as much heat as you generally think.

Cooked a roll of beef with spuds, pumpkin, carrot, sprouts(yuk) peas & beans (for 8 ) on saturday night - tasted great.

Had a great goat curry from the campoven at the Louth races last month [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

Bushie

[noddy]

We use ours for roasts, bread and lasagne (true!) [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

Agree with all comments in relation to wood selection, most important part of the cooking.

The only advice I would give is, like all oven cooking, make sure the oven is pre-heated, we are always amazed by how much heat it takes to get going. Once heated it is just a matter of keeping it at the required temperature.

Don't laugh, but one of those little oven temperature gauges is really handy.

[Redback]

Try pea & ham soup in a camp oven using a real ham bone, in 1hr you have real pea & ham soup, the meat just falls off the bone [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

We have 3 camp ovens, 2 hillbilly spun steel ones for soups and roasts and a small cast iron one for breads and deserts like, self sauce puddings, orange pull aparts and the like, the pull aparts are to die for [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

Only way to cook.

Baz.