Maria's Campfire Slovakian Goulash

In this day and age we often get caught up in the latest kitchen gadgets.  I have done a fair bit of campfire cooking in my time, from soups and stews to a boiled pudding made in a bag on a mountaintop.  However, it has been a while.  A visit to a friend's house this weekend was a good reminder of how great - and simple - campfire cookery can be.  This is the second year Maria has made us her traditional Slovakian version of goulash while we visited.  It is more like a meaty soup than the recipe we make, and each time the recipe is a bit different, and equally delicious.  The quantities and ingredients are variable, the results are uniformly excellent.

Add:

Stewing Beef

Flank Steak

Hanger Steak

Pork Shoulder

Pork Sausage

Venison (optional, traditional)

Ribs (optional)

Some peeled potatoes

Onions 

Tomatoes

Paprika

Marjoram

Salt 

Pepper

To a large, lidded fireproof pot until it is 2/3 full and cover with:

Water

Hang from a tripod over hot coals and keep at a simmer for seven or eight hours.  For the last hour of cooking add:

More potatoes.

Serve hot with fresh bread.

I have seen many people struggle to cook over a campfire.  The problem is that they try to cook over fire as opposed to coals.  The trick is to make hot coals as quickly as possible, and then feed them from a fire at the side.  The secret is the log cabin approach to fire building.  Old Boy Scouts may swear by the teepee, but nothing makes a good bed of coals faster than a log cabin.  The cabin also acts as a chimney, and you heat the pot before the coals are ready.  Adjust the height of pot over the fire to get the desire temperature.