Camp Oven Bake

Norma's Note:

Camp oven cooking is the most delicious method of cooking roasting meats of any type. The slow cooking of a camp oven locks in the flavour of all ingredients. After you have eaten meat cooked in this traditional Australian way you will never want to eat roast meat prepared any other way.

• Total Time: 3 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 ½ kg leg of lamb (or piece of beef,pork or roo)
• 3 large potatoes , peeled and sliced thickly
• 2 medium onions , peeled and sliced thickly
• 1 liter beef stock
• 2 teaspoons mixed herbs or 2 teaspoons basil , oregano
• olive oil (as required)
• 4 tablespoons gravox (powder product used to produce gravy)

Directions:

1. Place sliced potato in bottom of camp oven.
2. Coat meat with moderate amount of olive oil, then cover with mixed herbs.
3. Place in camp oven, making sure meat is not touching sides or lid.
4. Place sliced onions around the meat.
5. Pour in beef stock.
6. Check meat is not going to touch the lid, if it is cover just the top with 1 layer of foil.
7. Make base of hot coal for the camp oven, place camp oven on coals, cover lid with one shovelful of hot coals.
8. Allow to cook for 1 hour, then check liquid content, top up with beef stock if necessary.
9. Re-do the coals both top and bottom.
10. Continue cooking for 2-3hours, checking every 1hour and re-doing coals to keep an even heat.
11. When cooked, remove meat from camp oven and set aside.
12. Scoop out potatoes in the bottom, set aside.
13. Spoon out liquid into microwave oven jug, make up with tap water to approximately 1 1/2 litres.
14. Add Gravox powder while whisking briskly.
15. Microwave on high for 2 1/2 minutes.
16. Whisk again.
17. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.
18. Whisk again and continue until gravy is cooked and thickened.
19. Serve meat sliced with potatoes from camp oven as an accompaniment,with gravy.