Steaks on Coleman stove

[gcot...@hotmail.com]

What's the best way to cook a steak on a Coleman Dual-Fuel Stove (Model No.3000000788)?

[Oregonian Haruspex]

On 2014-05-25 01:15:44 +0000, gcot...@hotmail.com said:

> What's the best way to cook a steak on a Coleman Dual-Fuel Stove (Model
> No.3000000788)?

With a cast iron griddle in between the flame and the meat. You don't
want to breathe the exhaust, so please don't eat it either.

[gcot...@hotmail.com]

I don't have a griddle; I use a cast-iron skillet.
Should I use cooking oil?
How hot should the skillet be?
How do I determine the temperature of the skillet?
Do I cover the steak while it's cooking?

[Ed Pawlowski]

Heat the skillet as hot as you can get it. No oil needed, but salt and
pepper the steak well and it will not stick. Sear one side well, flip
for the other side.

Do not cover.

Depending on the thickness of the steak and heat of the pan, probably 3
to 5 minutes a side.

[sf]

On Sat, 24 May 2014 19:19:10 -0700 (PDT), gcot...@hotmail.com wrote:

> I don't have a griddle; I use a cast-iron skillet.
> Should I use cooking oil?

If you do, coat the meat lightly with it don't coat the pan.

> How hot should the skillet be?

Depends on how you like your steak and how many BTUs the burner can
produce, most camp stoves are pretty weak. I like my steak blackened
on the outside and rare inside, so mine would be screaming hot.

> How do I determine the temperature of the skillet?

I hold my hand over it, but you could put droplets of water on it. If
they dance and evaporate immediately, you're in the ballpark. Sounds
like you don't cook very much and need to get some experience under
your belt. I suggest doing that by making breakfast a few times.

> Do I cover the steak while it's cooking?

NO!!!! Don't steam it. Why aren't you cooking that steak over coals?


--

Good Food.
Good Friends.
Good Memories.

[gcot...@hotmail.com]

Because I don't take charcoal and/or wood on camping trips so I can't cook over coals.

I don't cook steaks for breakfast.

[Oregonian Haruspex]

A skillet is fine too of course. I don't think that oil is necessary
in a well-seasoned pan unless your steak is extremely lean.

The skillet should be VERY hot. How hot exactly depends on a number of
things, like the thickness of the cut, how well done you like the meat,
etc.

I wouldn't cover the steak.

[bigwheel]

gcot...@hotmail.com;1933912 Wrote:
> What's the best way to cook a steak on a Coleman Dual-Fuel Stove (Model
> No.3000000788)?

Go to Wally World and grab the griddle which fits the fine little stove
over in Sporting Goods. Raw aluminum on the bottom side and non stick on
the top. Get it hotter than a mofo and give it four minutes per side or
till it gets to 150 internal. Add some seasoning on the first flip. Salt
and pepper or whatever pleases your pallet. Let us know about that.




--
bigwheel

[dsi1]

I would use a good amount of oil and get that pan pretty hot. The
trouble being is that those stoves don't supply the heat you need to get
the job done properly. Well, that's what I remember anyway. Your best
bet is to let your brother-in-law cook the steaks while you watch him.
Don't expect to get it right the first few times. It took me decades to
be able to get the feel needed to cook a steak.

[Janet Wilder]

Thinking back to my days of camping with the kids and cooking on a
Coleman stove. Unless they have really come up with significant
changes, I don't think it will get hot enough for searing your steak in
a cast iron pan.

IIRC, It took quite a while to get enough heat going to make pancakes.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

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[Cheryl]

On 5/25/2014 12:50 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:

> Thinking back to my days of camping with the kids and cooking on a
> Coleman stove. Unless they have really come up with significant
> changes, I don't think it will get hot enough for searing your steak in
> a cast iron pan.
>
> IIRC, It took quite a while to get enough heat going to make pancakes.
>

Is that the kind of grill that uses those small disposable cans of propane?

--
ღ.¸¸.✫*¨`*✶
Cheryl

[Oregonian Haruspex]

No, OP is talking about the green suitcase style stove that runs on Coleman
fuel, although I know that there are conversion valves that allow the
Coleman fuel stoves to run off propane.

[Janet Wilder]

No. Mine used white gas, a/k/a Coleman fuel.

We travel (in the RV) with a small grill that uses the propane cylinders
and that is just fine for grilling steaks, burgers, and chicken breasts
on, but the Coleman stove that used the liquid was not very hot.

[Janet Wilder]

That's what I thought. I don't think the Coleman fuel gets all that
hot. Of course they could have improved things since I last used a
Coleman stove while camping with my kids.

[Dave Smith]

OP also mentioned the model number of the stove, which should have been
a pretty good clue that he was posting from his dorm room.

[Oregonian Haruspex]

On 2014-05-25 21:57:01 +0000, Janet Wilder said:

> On 5/25/2014 4:20 PM, Oregonian Haruspex wrote:
>> Cheryl <jlhs...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>> On 5/25/2014 12:50 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thinking back to my days of camping with the kids and cooking on a
>>>> Coleman stove. Unless they have really come up with significant
>>>> changes, I don't think it will get hot enough for searing your steak in
>>>> a cast iron pan.
>>>>
>>>> IIRC, It took quite a while to get enough heat going to make pancakes.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Is that the kind of grill that uses those small disposable cans of propane?
>>
>>
>> No, OP is talking about the green suitcase style stove that runs on Coleman
>> fuel, although I know that there are conversion valves that allow the
>> Coleman fuel stoves to run off propane.
>>
>
> That's what I thought. I don't think the Coleman fuel gets all that
> hot. Of course they could have improved things since I last used a
> Coleman stove while camping with my kids.

Coleman fuel gets hot enough to fry a steak and melt lead. The classic
green suitcase gets a bad rep because the burners can lack heat if you
let them all rip, as they are fed from one common source.

I have just reconditioned a Coleman 425 from the 70s and it gets plenty
hot for any cookery.

Part of the issue I have seen is that many people do not keep adequate
pressure in the tank - if it is chilly it requires a few pumps now and
again to keep the flame going well. You can tell simply by looking at
the flame pattern if you have adequate tank pressure.

[jmcquown]

Spring break just keeps getting longer! ;)

Jill

[jmcquown]

On 5/25/2014 1:34 AM, gcot...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Because I don't take charcoal and/or wood on camping trips so I can't cook over coals.
>

That's a shame. When I've been camping we did all our cooking over wood
fires. Seems to me it's more of a PITA to haul around a Coleman stove
and fuel than it is to gather some wood from around the camp site, dig a
small pit and build a fire. We just took a metal cooking grate for
things that didn't go directly into the coals (like foil wrapped potatoes).

> I don't cook steaks for breakfast.
>

You don't know what you're missing. Steak is wonderful for breakfast. :)

Jill

[Gary]

jmcquown wrote:
>
> On 5/25/2014 1:34 AM, gcot...@hotmail.com wrote:
> > Because I don't take charcoal and/or wood on camping trips so I can't cook over coals.
> >
> That's a shame. When I've been camping we did all our cooking over wood
> fires. Seems to me it's more of a PITA to haul around a Coleman stove
> and fuel than it is to gather some wood from around the camp site, dig a
> small pit and build a fire. We just took a metal cooking grate for
> things that didn't go directly into the coals (like foil wrapped potatoes).

Really? Potatoes, foil wrapped or not, should get buried in the
coals, imo. The cooking grate is for the other things.

My best oysters ever was right at the shore line. I dug a small pit
and got a fire going. Then I waded out into the shallow water and
harvested 6 nice live oysters. Once the fire died down to coals, I set
the oysters on top just until they opened. YUM!

G.

[Janet Wilder]

There are many campgrounds where open fires are not permitted. Not
enough rain and fear of fires.

[gregz]

jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote:
> On 5/25/2014 1:34 AM, gcot...@hotmail.com wrote:
>> Because I don't take charcoal and/or wood on camping trips so I can't cook over coals.
>>
> That's a shame. When I've been camping we did all our cooking over wood
> fires. Seems to me it's more of a PITA to haul around a Coleman stove
> and fuel than it is to gather some wood from around the camp site, dig a
> small pit and build a fire. We just took a metal cooking grate for
> things that didn't go directly into the coals (like foil wrapped potatoes).
>

Fire takes preparation. I have trouble even getting fire with damp wood.
How about when it rains. I got an old large Coleman stove. They can put out
some good heat. Used to go overboard when staying a few days. Extra
charcoal grills, Colman propane grate, generic two burner propane backup,
and electric burner. Right, electric. Campsite had electricity. I think I
once took a microwave. Waking up to damp morning for breakfast, you don't
want to play around.

Greg

[Pete C.]

Janet Wilder wrote:
>
> Thinking back to my days of camping with the kids and cooking on a
> Coleman stove. Unless they have really come up with significant
> changes, I don't think it will get hot enough for searing your steak in
> a cast iron pan.
>
> IIRC, It took quite a while to get enough heat going to make pancakes.
>

The "Dual Fuel" model is the white gas / gasoline fueled model, which in
my experience can produce a lot more heat than the LP fueled model. The
same applies to the Coleman lanterns where the liquid fueled model
produces a lot more light than the LP fueled model.

[Nunya Bidnits]

gcot...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Because I don't take charcoal and/or wood on camping trips so I can't
> cook over coals.

But if you took some you could.

Or you could gather wood when you get there.

Then you could just throw the steak straight into the fire and get a decent
char.

[gregz]

I don't see that. You have to have the fire burning an hour or two before
it has some good hot coals.

Last year going to trailer camp, I stopped at giant eagle and picked up a
couple packs of dried wrapped wood, to be sure we had dry wood to get
things going. Turned out the wood was not very dry. Waste of time. I've had
problems with damp charcoal too.

Greg

[Nunya Bidnits]

Keep your charcoal in a sealed container or tote. If you use a chimney to
start it and can get something going in the bottom, it will dry out pretty
quickly and catch. The best starter for the chimney is oiled paper towels.

MartyB