Ask the Camp Chef

Jerry Daschofsky

Jerry Daschofsky

The fishing camp cook
Forum Supporter
Forum Legend
20110305094539.jpg

This will be a constant running thread for any questions you have about camp cooking. Are you curious about recipe conversion, camp set up, cooking for crowds, problems with your cooking equipment, you name it. I may not have all the answers, but I may be able to point you in the right direction for answers. Or pass the question onto some of my cohorts.
 
What kind of cooking oil do you use the most and are there things you definitely don't use it for?
 
Jerry Daschofsky said:
View attachment 55488

This will be a constant running thread for any questions you have about camp cooking. Are you curious about recipe conversion, camp set up, cooking for crowds, problems with your cooking equipment, you name it. I may not have all the answers, but I may be able to point you in the right direction for answers. Or pass the question onto some of my cohorts.
Click to expand...
Is that a Koffler chuck box?
 
Zak said:
What kind of cooking oil do you use the most and are there things you definitely don't use it for?
Click to expand...
I primarily use 100% canola oil. Both bottle and spray. I use it for everything except for certain dishes that go better with other oils (sunflower, olive, etc). Canola also helps reseason cast iron nicely too.

Personally speaking the oil you use is personal preference. I've had requests for specific oils to use and not use.
 
My jalapeno poppers have always been mediocre at best. Next time I'm throwing a party, what are a few times you can give me on making them above average?
 
Evan B said:
My jalapeno poppers have always been mediocre at best. Next time I'm throwing a party, what are a few times you can give me on making them above average?
Click to expand...
Have me cook them. 😆

How do you prepare them? That can give me an idea what to change. Do you cut them lengthwise or chop top, core, and stuff?
 
Jerry Daschofsky said:
Have me cook them. 😆

How do you prepare them? That can give me an idea what to change. Do you cut them lengthwise or chop top, core, and stuff?
Click to expand...
It's been a while honestly. Long enough that anything I do going forward will be starting fresh. I have a couple plants going in this year for giant jalapenos in the garden that should be ready in time for football season and I want to make the best of them.

I always cut length-wise and scrape the placenta out. I think more than anything, I can't get a good feel for pre-cooking the pepper before adding the filling, or just doing all the cooking with the filling in it.

Also, any filling tips are always welcome. Hard to go wrong with a bunch of fatty cheeses, so this part is fine on my part. Just mostly the texture of the pepper itself.
 
Evan B said:
It's been a while honestly. Long enough that anything I do going forward will be starting fresh. I have a couple plants going in this year for giant jalapenos in the garden that should be ready in time for football season and I want to make the best of them.

I always cut length-wise and scrape the placenta out. I think more than anything, I can't get a good feel for pre-cooking the pepper before adding the filling, or just doing all the cooking with the filling in it.

Also, any filling tips are always welcome. Hard to go wrong with a bunch of fatty cheeses, so this part is fine on my part. Just mostly the texture of the pepper itself.
Click to expand...
Ok. I've always had best luck, then bought the tools, to stuff them rather then cut lengthwise. I have the jalapeno coring tool, which looks almost like a potato peeler, which cleans it out of the seeds and membrane. I use the jalapeno popper racks to hold them vertically.

I'll give you the details on how I make them usually, and they would be the ones you tried.
0704141443.jpg
1231121225.jpg

This is my basic set up. I never precook the peppers. I also don't poke a hole in the bottom. That's been suggested a few times. Mine has come out better without the oil dripping out.

All i use is the raw jalapeno, cream cheese (regular not whipped), block cheese (whatever you prefer, I use Tillamook pepper jack or cheddar), and thick cut bacon. I cut the bacon just long enough to cover to top with enough over hang to pin it with a toothpick. I use a piping bag (or you can use a plastic bag with edge cut off or spoon in with a butterknife) to fill 1/2 way with cream cheese. I cut the cheese into long enough pieces to fill peppers about halfway and squared around enough to just fit into the opening. Once the cheese is in then I backfill the pepper enough to fill it the rest of was with cream cheese. Put bacon over the top, pin, then cook. I like the low and slow at around 225 until the bacon starts to get crusty. Pull from oven/smoker and let it rest.

If I'm adding a protein inside (shrimp, crab, sausage, etc) I'll do filling a little differently. I'll grate the cheese, chop up the protein to smaller chunks (I'll precook the raw proteins first) then mix all the cheese, protein, and cream cheese together in a bowl first, then pipe into the pepper. Then add bacon and cook like I do with a normal pepper set up.

Here's what they look like when I first put them in
20111231160758.jpg
And the finished product
1117122047b.jpg
 
In your first pic I see that you have a couple of bags of charcoal briquettes. Is that primarily what you use to cook as opposed to propane or is that more to do with what you're planning to cook..? I'm just a backyard griller so I don't go to the extremes that you might with grilling for larger groups. Curious, do have few pics of the stoves that you use..? So many grills to chose from for a backyard griller, do you have any recommendations for a great universal grill..? Any special features that I should be looking for..? I tend to shy away for charcoal just for the sake of being messy for cleaning up after, preferring propane. I have a few buddies that give rave reviews on their smokers but to me they don't seem to be what would really suit my style of cooking..

Edit: Luv your jalapeno popper setup..
 
cdnred said:
In your first pic I see that you have a couple of bags of charcoal briquettes. Is that primarily what you use to cook as opposed to propane or is that more to do with what you're planning to cook..? I'm just a backyard griller so I don't go to the extremes that you might with grilling for larger groups. Curious, do have few pics of the stoves that you use..? So many grills to chose from for a backyard griller, do you have any recommendations for a great universal grill..? Any special features that I should be looking for..? I tend to shy away for charcoal just for the sake of being messy for cleaning up after, preferring propane. I have a few buddies that give rave reviews on their smokers but to me they don't seem to be what would really suit my style of cooking..

Edit: Luv your jalapeno popper setup..
Click to expand...
I pretty much use propane for everything, including my smokers, but if you see briquettes I'm usually Dutch oven cooking.

20210612_194318.jpg
Flat top grill 600 portable
0811181937.jpg
3x Explorer with griddles
FB_IMG_13357489954028330.jpg
2X Explorer

These are the three stoves I use the most. The FTG600P in first pic is now my all around grill. Portable, a lot of grill space, and propane so quick on and off.

For a good all around grill, that's propane, I would go with the Explorer 2X. From there accessories would vary depending on cooking you want to do. A single burner griddle and a single burner grill box wood cover a lot for 4-5 people. Can use both together or not at all. Use a percolator and a pot. Perc and griddle, etc. You can just buy the 2 burner griddle or a mix of everything. It really depends on what exactly you want to cook with it.

And I'll add. I do use briquettes occasionally. I have a BGE knock off that I'll cook Carne asada on. Always better over charcoal. Outside of that I'm pretty much all propane.
 
Jerry Daschofsky said:
I pretty much use propane for everything, including my smokers, but if you see briquettes I'm usually Dutch oven cooking.

View attachment 55704
Flat top grill 600 portable
View attachment 55705
3x Explorer with griddles
View attachment 55706
2X Explorer

These are the three stoves I use the most. The FTG600P in first pic is now my all around grill. Portable, a lot of grill space, and propane so quick on and off.

For a good all around grill, that's propane, I would go with the Explorer 2X. From there accessories would vary depending on cooking you want to do. A single burner griddle and a single burner grill box wood cover a lot for 4-5 people. Can use both together or not at all. Use a percolator and a pot. Perc and griddle, etc. You can just buy the 2 burner griddle or a mix of everything. It really depends on what exactly you want to cook with it.

And I'll add. I do use briquettes occasionally. I have a BGE knock off that I'll cook Carne asada on. Always better over charcoal. Outside of that I'm pretty much all propane.
Click to expand...
OMG that looks mouthwatering! I have the Camp Chef Explorer two-burner and it was a great investment for car camping! Among other things, it is the perfect height and width to fit on the end of a Forest Service campground picnic table. I'm thinking of getting the single burner griddle for it.

Can you tell me a bit about the propane tank in the bottom photo? I have two 5 gal standard propane tanks. what are the advtanges of that grey and white version? Is it some kind of sleeve that fits over a standard tank, or a whole unit?
 
Zak said:
OMG that looks mouthwatering! I have the Camp Chef Explorer two-burner and it was a great investment for car camping! Among other things, it is the perfect height and width to fit on the end of a Forest Service campground picnic table. I'm thinking of getting the single burner griddle for it.

Can you tell me a bit about the propane tank in the bottom photo? I have two 5 gal standard propane tanks. what are the advtanges of that grey and white version? Is it some kind of sleeve that fits over a standard tank, or a whole unit?
Click to expand...
The Explorer is a great stove. Can't go wrong with it.

It's actually a poly/glass hybrid. It only weighs about 1-2 pounds empty. Closer to 1 pound than 2. They even stack. Can't remember the make. Camp Chef sold them for a short while so they have me a few to test out. Love them. So light that people carrying them think they're empty.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zak
Zak said:
OMG that looks mouthwatering! I have the Camp Chef Explorer two-burner and it was a great investment for car camping! Among other things, it is the perfect height and width to fit on the end of a Forest Service campground picnic table. I'm thinking of getting the single burner griddle for it.

Can you tell me a bit about the propane tank in the bottom photo? I have two 5 gal standard propane tanks. what are the advtanges of that grey and white version? Is it some kind of sleeve that fits over a standard tank, or a whole unit?
Click to expand...
Look up Viking Cylinders.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zak
O clarkii lewisi said:
Hey @Jerry Daschofsky - thanks for this thread! I have already learned so much. Basically, learned that I will invite or hire you as CC then sit back, watch your magic, and dine. I will do the dishes!! 😋
Click to expand...
You wouldn't be the first and definitely not be the last to do this. Have had people try crashing my camps when they found out I was hosting one. Had one big yearly get together that was getting at least 30% of the participants only showing up to eat.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zak
Jerry Daschofsky said:
View attachment 55488

This will be a constant running thread for any questions you have about camp cooking. Are you curious about recipe conversion, camp set up, cooking for crowds, problems with your cooking equipment, you name it. I may not have all the answers, but I may be able to point you in the right direction for answers. Or pass the question onto some of my cohorts.
Click to expand...
I bought an alluminum dutch oven and one of the tents you put over a dutch oven. Was going to try and use it on a camp chef stove burner with the metal diffuse plate over the burner. Haven't given it a try yet. Any advise? Will this work well?
 
Russell said:
I bought an alluminum dutch oven and one of the tents you put over a dutch oven. Was going to try and use it on a camp chef stove burner with the metal diffuse plate over the burner. Haven't given it a try yet. Any advise? Will this work well?
Click to expand...
I’ve never heard of an aluminum dutch oven…
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top