Is there anything better than a juicy pork roast with crispy crackling, and crunchy-but-soft-in-the-middle roast vegetables? The answer, of course, is no. Nothing is better. But getting these things just right in a camp oven can be tricky – but not impossible by any stretch!
Today, I’ll show you an easy method that works every time! Follow this step-by-step guide and you’ll be the master of roast pork in the camp oven in no time.
This is a slightly revised version of the Yummy Pork Roast recipe featured in the Camp Oven Recipes cookbook by the Cast Iron Boys.
For more camp oven cooking recipes, check out my Camp Oven Recipes e-book. Oh, and don’t forget to check out my damper recipe!
Ingredients
- 2kg pork – whichever cut you prefer
- Olive oil
- Rock salt
Method
Step 1: Prepare your camp oven
Light your briquettes or light a fire. Wrap a trivet in alfoil and place in the bottom of your camp oven.
The camp oven is ready to go with a foil covered trivet.
Step 2: Pre-heat your camp oven.
It is important to place your roast in a hot camp oven. I use about 14 briquettes on top and 10 or so under to preheat the camp oven.
Tip: You will need to keep changing the coals or briquettes when they start cooling down, to keep up the constant heat in the camp oven. Go here for more tips on heat control.
Here’s the camp oven with 14 or so briquettes on top and 10 underneath.
Step 3: Prepare the pork
There are so many ways to prepare your meat for cooking – this is how I like doing it. Firstly, I dry the pork with a paper towel. Then I oil it and cover in crushed rock salt. Then place it into a preheated camp oven for about 20 minutes.
The pork has been dried and is ready for salting before popping the lid on top.
Step 4: Crack the lid of the camp oven!
Moisture will build up in the camp oven, it’s important that you let it out. After the first 20 minutes, crack the lid using a piece of wire or a folded up piece of alfoil.
Simply place under the lid – doing this will allow the steam to escape and help create that perfect crackling you are looking for.
A wedge of folded foil is enough to crack the lid of your camp oven to let all that steam out. Too much steam means no crackling!
The remaining cooking time will vary depending on how big the piece of meat you’re cooking. As a rule of thumb, give each kilogram an hour – a 2kg roast will take 2 hours.
Look at that crackling!
Step 5: Dinner is done!
Serve with your favourite veggies and gravy.
Doesn’t look half bad, does it? Delicious with a rich gravy, spuds, beans, corn, and pumpkin.
If this article has got you excited to try some new recipes in your camp oven, then check out the recipe for making damper here, or for making some delicious roast lamb here too.
What are your favourite veggies to serve with a pork roast?
Mick is the bloke behind The Camp Oven Cook. What he doesn’t know about camp oven cooking probably isn’t worth knowing! You can catch more recipes from him at thecampovencook.com.au
Do you also cook the vege in the same oven?
If you have a larger camp oven, then you should be able to fit veggies in as well, otherwise you can do them separately Kirsten 🙂
That guy should wash his hands!!!
When you’re working with coals and a camp oven it can be a bit tricky to keep your hands clean, so that’s a fair point!
However, I’m sure Mick washed them before he tucked into that delicious pork.
Great work..Mick
Can you tell me whether or not the final cooked pork should be pink in color.
Hi Carl, I got in touch with Mick about this for a professional opinion, and this was his response: “I’ve always cooked my pork till the juice runs clear when poked with a knife, whilst I’m not a pro I have found that a “slight” touch of pink has been fine. I hope this helps cheers Mick.”