Camp Chef Outdoor Cooking Guide: Cookbook Giveaway

With outdoor cooking season in full swing, I’m giving away a copy of the “Camp Chef Outdoor Cooking Guide.” It has over 150 recipes that use Camp Chef cooking gear — Dutch oven, pizza oven, stoves, pellet grill/smoker, smoke vault, gas grills and griddles, roasting skewers, campfire popcorn poppers, fire pits, home brewing accessories, and so on.

In order to enter the prize drawing, leave a comment in at the end of this blog post. I’ll be drawing out a winner on June 6.

I’ve visited the Camp Chef headquarters in Hyde Park, Utah, a few times while working on cooking stories. The company was founded in 1990, and in September 2016, was acquired by Vista Outdoor Inc.

About the cookbook: I really like the cookbook’s spiral binding, so the book stays flat and the pages stay open while you’re using it.

You’ll find a variety of recipes for backyard cooking, tailgating, barbecuing or camping. There are lots of rubs, marinades, and sauces for smoking and grilling, such as All American Rub, Apple Spice Marinade, Mustard Paint Mop Sauce, and Sweet and Spicy Dry Rub. Other BBQ recipes include Ginger Teriyaki Smoked Salmon, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Sangria Brisket, and Rosemary Herb Chicken.

About a third of the book features Dutch oven recipes — from easy classics like Apple Crisp, Cherry Soda Cobbler and Dutch Oven Potatoes, to more complex dishes like Seafood Paella, Halibut Au Gratin, Chicken Divan, and Parmesan Herb Rolls. I recognized Salmon in Black and White, and Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake; two recipes that won the International Dutch Oven Society’s World Champion Cook-Off for Janet Froh and Ruth Kendrick. There are also recipes for Crown Rib Roast, Caramel Apple Pie and a turkey recipe (aptly just called Turkey) that won first place for Brian Terry and Kent Mayberry at the Utah State Fair. And Jeff Currier and Dick Hill’s award-winning Raspberry Ribbon Cheesecake, Raspberry Apricot Cornish Hens, and Dick’s Feather Light Rolls are included, too.

Most of the recipes could be used with any Dutch oven or outdoor gear. But if you don’t have an outdoor pizza oven, the pizza recipes may need a little improvising.

The book is written by Marla Rawlings, who also wrote “Beginner’s Guide to Dutch Oven Cooking.”

Again, to enter the prize drawing for this book, leave a comment in at the end of this blog post. I’ll be drawing out a winner on June 6.

Here are a couple of recipes — from super-simple to a little more complex.

Cherry Soda Cobbler

Vegetable oil to coat Dutch oven interior

2 large cans cherry pie filling

1 can lemon-lime soda

1 yellow cake mix

Whipped cream

Oil the bottom of Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Remove from heat and add pie filling, spreading evenly on bottom. Sprinkle dry cake mix on top of filling. Gently pour a can of lemon-lime soda on top of cake mix. Use a wooden spook to calm the foam. Cover and cook with 17-20 hot charcoal coals on lid of Dutch oven, and stove burner on low heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, remove from burner and cook 15-25 minutes with coals only on top. Rotate lid and check often.

Chewandchat note: If you don’t have a Camp Chef stove, use about 5-6 hot coals arranged evenly on bottom of Dutch oven, and the 17-20 hot coals on top.

Dutch Oven Pepper Steak

2 pounds cube beef steak, cut into thin strips

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons shortening

1 t4easpoon seasoning salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon minced garllic

3 tablespoons soy sauce

5 cups water

5 bouillon cubes

Cornstarch for thickening

Non-stick vegetable spray.

Spray your Dutch oven with nonstick vegetable spray. Using about 10-11 hot coals on bottom of Dutch oven, brown cube steak in melted shortening, using salt and pepper, until meat is brown. Add onion, and cook with meat for a couple of minutes.

Add 5 cups of water, bell pepper, soy sauce, bouillon cubes and garlic to meat and simmer over low heat (8-9 briquettes or coals) for 20-30 minutes. Add cornstarch to mixture and simmer until a hearty gravy forms. Continue to cook over low heat (8-9 briquettes) for 15-20 minutes. Serve over hot, cooked rice.

Chewandchat note: The recipe in the book didn’t specify how much cornstarch to use. I’m estimating that 2 tablespoons is enough to thicken the sauce. Also, I don’t like using shortening, so I would substitute olive or vegetable oil to brown the meat.