
7 minute read
So You Want To Be A Camp Cook?
With proper preparation and planning, baking enough Dutch oven peach cobbler for a crowd of nearly 100 people like seen here during a Renegade Party at the former Raffle’s Restaurant in San Antonio can be handled as a simple yet delicious camp cook task.
By Ralph Winingham
No camp compadre is under the microscope more than the guy or gal who in the golden olden days was simply called “Cookie.” The one who is responsible for dishing up dining delights at any hunting or fishing camp can switch from hero to goat in the flick of a fork. Unfortunately, more criticism than praise is normally heaped upon their culinary creations.
In days gone by, any Cookie wielding a sharp tongue and heavy ladle could serve up a steady diet of biscuits, bacon and beans washed down with boiling hot black coffee to a cattle drive crew without fear of back-sass or criticism. Modern day camp cooks are required to be more sensitive to the tastes of their camp companions. Camp cook duties are typically performed by a volunteer, more often than not a camp greenhorn who is reluctantly volunteered to put together meals that are expected to meet the dining requirements of his or her camp mates.
The story is told of one South Texas deer camp where a volunteered camp cook was required to perform kitchen duties until someone complained about any meal offering. The complainer was then delegated cook duties until someone else complained about the food. Tired of the all-day grind of hot and tiresome kitchen duty, the frustrated camp cook took a walk to a nearby corral and “harvested” a couple of horse apples that he diced and put into that night’s stew pot.
After only a few bites, one of the camp mates exclaimed: “This tastes like horse crap—but good!” No one else said a word and the hapless cook failed to escape from his kitchen internment.
Regardless of camp cook horror stories, preparing meals for groups of four to 40 over a campfire or utilizing a rudimentary kitchen in a remote location can be accomplished without any unnecessary loss of life or limb. As noted by the British Army adage known as “the 7 Ps” – Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. A camp cook who has gathered up the right equipment and given proper thought to a daily menu should be able to keep camp mates happy and healthy. The following is a simple check list of items and suggestions that just might keep a camp cook in good graces with his or her camp mates:
Bring the right gear. Depending upon the number of diners—this list should handle meals for about 2-4 people and should be increased proportionally depending upon the size of the group— some essential items include: • At least one seasoned 10-inch or larger cast iron skillet, with lid. • At least two seasoned 10-inch or larger cast iron Dutch ovens, with lids. • One lid lifter or a pair of heavy leather gloves to handle hot cookware. • At least half a dozen wooden or plastic ladles, spatulas and spoons, plus a heavy-duty potato masher. • Several sharp kitchen knives, both large and small; a good quality butcher’s steel to keep them sharp; and a large wooden or plastic cutting board. • Twice as many camp towels or rolls of paper towels as the cook expects to utilize for clean-up duties. • At least one bottle of Chef Ralph’s Super Seasoning (makes everything taste better, in the author’s humble opinion) or Cookie’s favorite seasonings.
Finally, in the words of John Oppenheimer who held court for more than 30 years at the father-son hunting getaway started in 1939 by his late father Herbert M. Oppenheimer of San Antonio, the most important piece of equipment at a hunting camp is an industrial-sized can opener. “A good can opener comes in really handy for feeding a lot of people,’’ he said. The deer hunting camp near Pearsall hosted more than 1,000 guests from all walks of life until Oppenheimer reluctantly closed down the operation in 2020, with a typical weekend gathering —hunting was only allowed Friday afternoon through Sunday morning—of about 30-40 regulars and guests. Each weekend was organized around a specially selected menu, planned to perfection by Oppenheimer himself. Standard offerings included deep-fried turkey with all the trimmings; fresh shrimp and oysters brought straight from the Texas Gulf Coast and fried to perfection; or expertly grilled steaks served with a steaming hot baked potato and fresh salad.
On special occasions, the fare featured Mexican delicacies hand made by the Karam family, owners of downtown San Antonio’s legendary Mexican Manhattan Restaurant or Chinese dishes hot from the wok expertly handled by John Yu, owner of the renowned Hsiu Yu Chinese Restaurant on Broadway that served San Antonio Chinese food lovers for more than 30 years. This tasty fare would be hard to match at any hunting or fishing camp scattered across the state but having the right equipment on hand was a big step toward getting that job done.
Plan a menu and put it on paper. Here is where the 7 Ps really comes into play in keeping Cookie in the good graces of

The right seasoning and proper preparation is essential in creating a delightful camp stew—the first step is digging a hole—with a versatile cast iron Dutch oven the proper utensil for any camp cook’s gear box.

his or her dining companions. Write out a menu for each day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, complete with an evening dessert. For some unknown reason, being outside seems to fire up the sweet tooth of both young and old outdoor enthusiasts and a sweet treat is often the highlight of any meal.
Keep the menu items on the simple side to reduce preparation time—making some selections ahead of time in the home kitchen will also cut back on camp kitchen chore time—and make at least two copies of the menu in case the original is lost or destroyed. Once the menu is finalized, write down a list of all the ingredients required to prepare each of the dishes. Gather up those ingredients and then check each one off the list to make sure no necessary item is left behind.
Packing each of the menu items in the same sturdy container or cooler will also help speed up and organize the process when Cookie is putting each dish together as he or she fulfills camp cook obligations.
A typical selection of delightfully simple and tasty dishes for a three-day camp is as follows:

Ready to savor an expertly prepared camp meal at the Oppenheimer Ranch near Pearsall, this group of hunters stay happy and healthy while enjoying some fine dining offered up at a decades old traditional deer camp. Some of the right tools for a properly prepared camp cook to use in keeping camp compadres healthy and happy includes a hefty variety of cast iron cookware.
DAY 1
• Breakfast—Meat & Taters Breakfast Casserole • Lunch—Kicked Up Cow Patty Burgers • Dinner—It’s Okay to Wine Stuffed Catfish Fillets and
Tres Blanco Cookie Bars for dessert
DAY 2
• Breakfast—Hominy Hash • Lunch—Ready for Anything Chili • Dinner—Eye Popping Creole Steak with Over the Top
Caramel Pie for dessert
DAY 3
• Breakfast—Pan De Ranche (Camp Bread) • Lunch—Venison Porcupines • Dinner—Don’t Cry Cheesy Onion Pie and Take a Shot
Dove Kabobs with Dump It In Peach Cobbler for dessert
In a shameless personal plug, these time-tested recipes can all be found in one of the author’s three cookbooks: “The Campfire Chef: Old Boots and Bacon Grease;” “Revenge of Old Boots and Bacon Grease;” and the recently released “Bustin’ Clays & Cookin’ Game with Old Boots & Bacon Grease II.” Each of the books is filled with delectable yet simple recipes for all kinds of main dishes, sides and desserts. The latest compilation also provides wingshooting and clay target busting instruction, featuring illustrations by Texas State Artist Sam Caldwell, that should be of value to both beginners and veteran shotgunners.
In addition, readers of any of the books in the collection will discover additional camp cooking advice and information that will enhance the outdoor dining experience in a simple, informative format. Further information about the books and Chef Ralph’s Super Seasoning is available at ralphwiningham.com.

