How to Cook With Rocks

Heat rocks to cook food over the campfire.

Campfire cooking doesn't have to consists of only hot dogs or s'mores. Change up the dinner menu around the campfire by transforming a box or old tabletop grill into an oven. The oven can be heated using rocks so there is no need to worry about the food tasting like lighter fluid. Heat rocks on the campfire to bake brownies, barbecue chicken or any favorite recipes. Whether camping in the backyard or the great outdoors, the menu possibilities are endless when cooking with hot rocks.

Things You'll Need

• Temporary Oven:
• Firewood
• Kindling
• Lighter
• Cardboard box
• Aluminum foil
• Wire rack
• Grill tongs
• Grill spatula
• Grill fork
• Permanent Oven:
• Tabletop grill
• Grilling tongs

Instructions

Temporary Oven

1. Select a location for the campfire. The campfire should not be near any low branches, shrubs or trees.

2. Make a fire using firewood and kindling such as newspaper or dead twigs and leaves. Crisscross the firewood over the kindling to create a flat surface to cook on.

3. Collect a few rocks to set inside of the campfire. Arrange them on the inside edge of the campfire. These will heat up and be used to cook food. Allow them to heat up for at least one hour.

4. Cover the interior of the cardboard box with aluminum foil. Cover the flaps as well. Wrap the foil with the shiny side out. Pinch together aluminum together so no cardboard is exposed.

5. Use the tongs to move the rocks from the fire to inside of the box.

6. Place the wire rack on top of the rocks.

7. Lay your food on top of the wire rack. Then, close the flaps of the box. Place one of the grilling utensils on top of the flaps to keep them closed.

8. Cook the food twice as long as you would normally. The oven takes twice as long to cook as a traditional oven.

Permanent Oven

1. Remove the gas line and any gas related parts from the tabletop grill, if it uses gas.

2. Make a fire. Place the rocks for cooking inside of the fire.

3. Allow the rocks to heat up for at least one hour.

4. Use the tongs to grab the rocks and place them at the bottom of the grill.

5. Cover the rocks with the grill's wire rack.

6. Place the food on the grill and cover. Hot rocks take twice as long as a traditional oven to cook food.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use schist, shale or slate rocks. These rocks are made of layers, which makes them more susceptible to exploding once heated.

References

• Discovery; Planet Green; Camping Cuisine - Cook with Hot Rocks; Sarah Smusiak; July 2009