Slow-Roasted Campfire Pork Roast - Canoe-Camping in Remote Marshland

The sound of a crackling campfire breaks the otherwise calm of the summer morning at our campsite. With only occasional occupants in these parts, a fox following the river upstream pauses, no doubt intrigued by the sound and scent of our fire. The day is spend idled away, paddling the marshlands and lakes nearby. Butterflies, song birds, ducks, a fresh water leech and a variety of insects catch our eyes as we explore the area. The strengthening breeze and building of storm clouds in the distance prompt us to steer the bow towards our camp to begin preparations for the evening meal. The Victorinox Hercules makes its appearance, first employed to make a wedge to split wood to facilitate battoning and then to carve feather sticks. Stirring the seemingly dead coals of the morning fire, a few embers betray themselves and are soon pressed into service. Gathered between two feather sticks, gentle fanning encourages the embers to reignite and another dancing fire comes to life. The pork roast on the coffey spit is clipped into the supports at the front edge of the fire pit and basted with honey, mustard and herbes using a clump of white pine needles. Glowing coals are pulled under the meat and it begins to slowly roast. Over the next hour or so, it is repeatedly rotated and basted with the marinade. Next up, chopped carrots and green onions are grilled in the kettle with a little olive oil, followed by a cup of white rice. Once heated in the oil, water is added and the kettle is covered and hung to simmer above the flames. Slices of garlic are sautéed in the carbon steel fry pan as a slowly moving rain shower moves in. The gentle sound of rain on water and the tarp provide the soundscape for the remainder of the meal preparations. Briefly-boiled Swiss chard is added to the pan along with some diced tomatoes which, with the garlic, are stewed together at the fires edge. With the addition of a few more green onions to the rice, the meal is cooked. Accompanied by determined mosquitos also looking for an evening feast, the pork roast is sliced and food is plated. With the growing chorus of bullfrogs and a merry fire as a backdrop, it is time to eat. Other amphibians make their appearance around the campsite including a bullfrog, a mink frog and toad, perhaps attracted by the lure of the buzzing mosquitos. As evening fades to night, more frogs begin their calls and we enjoy the snap and crack of the fire under the kettle. #campfire #cookingwithfire #camping