How to Cook on a Fry Rock in the Wilderness

You can make a frying pan out of a rock over your campfire.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 14-function Pocketknives

1. Select a thin, flat rock. This is the most essential aspect of fry-rock cooking, so take some time finding the right rock - the flatter and thinner the rock, the better to cook with.
2. Clean the rock with water to remove dirt and debris.
3. Build your fire.
4. Position your rock over your fire by using smaller rocks to brace it. The fry rock should sit about six inches over your fire.
5. Position your fry rock so that it tilts slightly downward toward the fire - this way grease will drain into the fire and not toward you.
6. Use a forked stick to push hot coals under the rock. Keep the fire stoked with a low, constant flame, allowing your fry rock to heat.
7. Cook on the fry rock as you would on a normal frying pan at home once it's heated up.
8. Use a forked stick to turn and remove food.

Tips & Warnings

• Cooking on a fry rock takes practice. Be patient and learn from your experiences. Start by cooking some potatoes or a fish.
• Avoid using stones from a riverbed - these stones often contain small pockets of water that, when heated to boiling point, cause the rock to split open.
• Be careful when turning over stones as you look for your fry rock - you never know what's living under there. Use your booted foot.
• Hot rocks and coals can cause serious burns or forest fires. Be very careful.