The Art Of Campfire Spit Cooking

While tribal dancing is optional, campfire spit cooking is a time honored tradition for those that enjoy spending time in the great outdoors. Though there are many modern ways to build a camp fire spit, the structure and ideals are the same. The sole purpose of the spit is to cook food up out of the fire by hanging pots and Dutch ovens above the flames. Some campers have even added the electric rotisserie to cook chicken and fish above the open flames of the camp fire.

The art to making a campfire spit from scratch is not as hard as you would believe. It takes some ingenuity and time, but it can be done in timely fashion. Every camper knows that a campfire spit has to be strong to hold up the cast iron pots and pans. You can incorporate a wood spit or a steel spit if you have those materials. If you do not have the modern means of building a spit, then most definitely build it out of wood.

Campfire spit cooking has evolved a lot over the past few years. Many years ago, meals cooked in this manner only required a large stick and couple of flames. Today, many different camping companies have come up with various metal contraptions that allow nearly anyone to cook great meals with very little fuss. While hot dogs are always a crowd pleaser, real camp cooks know that large hunks of meat are the only way to go.

Now, you can try your luck at hunting various woodland creatures, or you can bring a cooler packed with meat just make sure that you insulate that meat properly. If you have purchased a mechanical spit, all you really have to do is set it up and let the meat rotate naturally. Otherwise, you will have to turn that rustic stick every few hours in order to ensure that all sides of the meat are cooked. Really, there is nothing to this type of cuisine, and since you have many hours to sit and wait for your meal there is no rush either.

In fact, this is the best part of campfire spit cooking. While your meat turns around the fire, you and your camping buddies can gather around to tell stories, unwind, and enjoy the woods. Of course, you don't want to forget about those side dishes, so make sure to bring some tin foil along with you. Also, don't break a sweat if your meat winds up a bit charred and less than picture perfect.

There is no reason why any meal cooked around a fire has to be gourmet, so don't worry about presentation and plating. Instead, allow your friends to simple snatch off pieces of meat as it turns, and forget about playing the part of the gracious host after all, isn't that Mother Nature's job?

The next time you head out into the wood, skip those marshmallows and try campfire spit cooking instead. Whether you decide to eat raccoon or chicken, you can be sure that this meal will be one you never forget.