Thread: Camp fire cook plates and grills

Originally Posted by hotbarrels

For cooking anything except eggs, use a 'braai basket'. It makes turning the meat over super easy and there is no risk of losing anything into the fire off the edge of the grill.
The portable camp braai is pricy, but an excellent piece of kit as it comes with the support frame as well. Adjust the frame accordingly, and you can slide a cast iron plate or a 'black steel' frying pan in place of the basket.

Braai basket - https://www.foodoverfire.co.nz/products/camp-braai

I recommend black iron frying pans if you don't want the weight of cast iron - https://www.savebarn.co.nz/catering-...let-30cm-20985
They do aluminum if you prefer - https://www.savebarn.co.nz/frying-pa...ial-30cm-15259

The advantage of the above pans is that they typically have longer handles due to commercial kitchens being gas powered, so they are good over open fire (handles don't heat up like cast iron and nothing to get burnt off by the fire).

I use baskets like this at home on the open bbq, the black iron pans we use every day on the gas hob unless with are looking to simmer cook, at which point we will throw the cast iron pan on.

Attachment 218895

Bacon wrapped wild duck breast, venison eye fillet, chicken nibbles.

Those Braai baskets are the ducks nuts I bought several back home from Mozambique a couple of decades ago, as I hadn't seen anything like them here.
Used to drink at a pub called 'La Professores' in Maputo, and their speciality was flame roasted chicken. You'd go over to the kitchen counter, and there would be 20 odd butterflied chickens sitting in the braai baskets waiting their turn propped up alongside the coals trench for their 25 min roasting experience. They would have spent their day marinating in coconut cream, garlic and chillies

One of the most clever idea I E ever seen for open fire cooking was in private hit.steel wagon wheel mounted horizontal above fire.put Billy etc on wire hook at hearth front.rotate wheel and it goes deep back into fireplace above flames.when boiling.turn wheel n it comes back out.great for controlling heat too.

Originally Posted by Nathan F

@Stag you have me thinking now. I might have to make something. My fireplace is pretty large. I might make something like the old ones you'd see in an ex nzfs hut. What material to use ? Mmmmmm off to the drawing board ....

@Nathan F will need a good setup for May. Pressure is on

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

One of the most clever idea I E ever seen for open fire cooking was in private hit.steel wagon wheel mounted horizontal above fire.put Billy etc on wire hook at hearth front.rotate wheel and it goes deep back into fireplace above flames.when boiling.turn wheel n it comes back out.great for controlling heat too.

Sounds like a good permanent setup, might be a bit heavy to drag around!

Originally Posted by Stag

@Nathan F will need a good setup for May. Pressure is on

Shall we just put a bbq on a trailer behind a bike ? Lol

I'm about to do a small, simple outside cooking area surrounded by rocks; like a cowboy western open fire. I've just grabbed some racks and plates from the ovens biffed out at the dump. Free Hopefully they'll work ok for sitting frying pans on etc supported by the rocks. But I am a cheapskate....

When we camped as a family the hot plate was a 10mm bit of plate about 500 square with 4 nuts welded on (on in each corner) and legs were long bolts

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

I'm about to do a small, simple outside cooking area surrounded by rocks; like a cowboy western open fire. I've just grabbed some racks and plates from the ovens biffed out at the dump. Free Hopefully they'll work ok for sitting frying pans on etc supported by the rocks. But I am a cheapskate....

DO NOT use the posthole rammer with pipe handle that has been used handle down for tight post holes,across fire to support billy...it will heat up and the air inside handle expand then suddenly shoot the mud plug out with enough force to blow hole in ground right beside the heading dog!!!!!
nearly 40 years ago but I still remember it like it happened yesterday.

Dont use stainless plate either. Its shit. Everything sticks to it like mad even if you oil the bloody thing.

Not porous enough.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

DO NOT use the posthole rammer with pipe handle that has been used handle down for tight post holes,across fire to support billy...it will heat up and the air inside handle expand then suddenly shoot the mud plug out with enough force to blow hole in ground right beside the heading dog!!!!!
nearly 40 years ago but I still remember it like it happened yesterday.

I wondered how youd lost your hair ,but was just too polite to ask ..your friend arse up!!

Has anyone tried one of these?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClCa4...d=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Originally Posted by paremata

Has anyone tried one of these?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClCa4...d=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

That’s clever

Originally Posted by tac a1

Dont use stainless plate either. Its shit. Everything sticks to it like mad even if you oil the bloody thing.

Not porous enough.

Most stainless grades are poor conductors of heat, which is another downside. Never cook a steak in a stainless frying pan.

Thermal Conductivity:
Copper - 380 W/m K
Aluminum - 150 to 240 depending on alloy content
Cast Iron - 52
Carbon steel - 54 (@0.5% carbon, ad drops off the higher the carbon and/or alloying content)
Stainless 304 - 14.4

The very high thermal conductivity of aluminum is also a contributor to why things burn easily in an aluminum pot/pan, but helps if you only have a low energy heat source.