wescobts
18-12-2011, 10:43 PM
I went out today again to my little spot in the woods to practice cooking in my billy can. Cajun rice and beans, which can be pretty tricky, at least for me.
Well I started my fire, which was a little harder than normal, in the 30's today with a fresh coating of snow last night. Once the fire had produced some coals I put the water on, it was boiling in under 6 minutes. I poured in the mixture and had to stir while boiling for 1 minute, then simmer for 25-30 minutes.
The wind was pretty gusty, so I had flare ups and then some real heat loss, as the cold wind blew my heat far away. I got some wet round wood & made a temp wind block, I used wet wood so not to add to the fire and overcook the rice. As my coals recovered from the poor environment, I stirred the mixture and started on my hot tea.
I have carved three notches in my hook stick, which by chance happened to be perfect. The lowest notch on the hook stick, raised the pot about 6-7 inches above the coals, and the highest notch kept the pot basically resting on the coals. The rice did not burn or stick, and the rice was cooked all the way through.
I know this pretty much "old hat" for most of you, but I am having a ball out here, learning so much as I go. The Holidays are fast approaching, and time is spent for others, so maybe in the new year I will go again and try some bacon and bannock, I saw some recipes and it makes me hungry just thinking about it.
I have also purchased some books on local plants and trees, so I will start to read and study as I eat, kind of like a working lunch. :)
Well I started my fire, which was a little harder than normal, in the 30's today with a fresh coating of snow last night. Once the fire had produced some coals I put the water on, it was boiling in under 6 minutes. I poured in the mixture and had to stir while boiling for 1 minute, then simmer for 25-30 minutes.
The wind was pretty gusty, so I had flare ups and then some real heat loss, as the cold wind blew my heat far away. I got some wet round wood & made a temp wind block, I used wet wood so not to add to the fire and overcook the rice. As my coals recovered from the poor environment, I stirred the mixture and started on my hot tea.
I have carved three notches in my hook stick, which by chance happened to be perfect. The lowest notch on the hook stick, raised the pot about 6-7 inches above the coals, and the highest notch kept the pot basically resting on the coals. The rice did not burn or stick, and the rice was cooked all the way through.
I know this pretty much "old hat" for most of you, but I am having a ball out here, learning so much as I go. The Holidays are fast approaching, and time is spent for others, so maybe in the new year I will go again and try some bacon and bannock, I saw some recipes and it makes me hungry just thinking about it.
I have also purchased some books on local plants and trees, so I will start to read and study as I eat, kind of like a working lunch. :)