Food always seems to taste better when it has been cooked in the outdoors and especially while camping. What can possibly be more tantalizing than the aroma of a good steak being charred to perfection over the campfire? Or, maybe your favorite might be an ear of corn that has been browned and roasted right

Preparing steak on cooking log.

there in the campfire and accompanied by a superbly baked golden brown potato with copious amounts of melted butter running down the sides. But in many cases these outdoor culinary delights come with a downside-black, greasy, sooty mess on your pots and pans. Nevertheless, you need not restrict your dining to scorched hot dogs and marshmallows drooping from an alder stick. There is a way to cook these great dishes without the mess.

In order to prepare a steak in an easy and succulent way without the need of a pan or grill a little preparatory work is called for. First, you will need a block of firewood that has a clean, flat surface. The best piece of wood has a flat area on one side, possibly 10" to 12" across. From the end of the block it should be close to a perfect 90 degrees, or to say it another way-looking from the end of the block it would appear like a 1/4 of a circle. It's probably better to prepare this block at home, because two or three holes will need to be cut along the top edge of the block. The easiest way to accomplish this is with an electric drill before leaving home, but in a pinch the holes can be carved out with a sharp knife point. I simply make it a point to have a "cooking block" with my camping items at all times.

Steak cooking on edge of camp fire.

The holes must be large enough to firmly hold short lengths of limbs or sticks having a diameter around 1/2 inch. The branches should be a little larger than the holes in the block and about six inches long. Green branches are best as they are less likely to catch fire. Once cut they should be sharpened on both ends and stripped of bark.

A word of caution is probably called for here; you should use only the species of wood that you are thoroughly familiar with. If you should happen to be unfortunate enough to select, say cascara wood for example, as a source of your cooking block or sticks you could receive more than just a good meal. Cascara contains a natural cathartic and if used, you may spend much of your time in the bushes clutching tightly a roll of toilet paper, or maple leaves (whichever you prefer). Maple, willow or alder will work fine.

Bury wrapped corn cobs in hot coals.

An interesting side note about cascara is that some people believe that black bears understand about the effect of ingesting cascara bark and when coming out of hibernation actually seek out a cascara tree in order to eat the bark. By doing so this provides an easy and effective way to "clean themselves out" after their long winter's sleep.

If your wood is dry-it should be thoroughly wetted in order to discourage it from catching fire. You might even want to submerge the block in a nearby stream, as long as the stream is clean and unpolluted, or douse it thoroughly with water. Next, you should drive the stakes tightly into the holes, after which your meat can be impaled or pierced and allowed to hang. The block is then placed around the outside edge of the fire. The radiant heat emitting from the fire will cook your steak to perfection. For the most even cooking have your fire hot and arrange the cooking block as perpendicular as possible to the heat. You will need to watch it closely because grease will run off and sometimes attempt to catch fire. Once browned on one side the meat should be turned over. The bottom will probably cook quicker, so it is a good idea to rotate top to bottom as the meat is turned.

Corn on the Cob prepared over an open fire.

For side dishes, how do baked potatoes and roasted corn on the cob sound? A large potato wrapped in two layers of tin foil and placed in the coals will cook thoroughly in about 45 minutes, if your coals are good and hot. In order to accomplish this the campfire should be started well in advance of dinner time. You should have a roaring, hot fire going at least an hour before you plan to start cooking. This will produce the necessary coals needed for cooking. Once a good bed of coals exists the fire should be pulled apart and a hole dug under the fire. The potatoes can then be put into the hole and covered with the coals. The fire should then be rebuilt over the top.

Corn on the cob can be cooked in the same manner as the potatoes. In order to do this the ears should be carefully opened and the silk removed. The corn husk should remain attached. Once the silk has been removed the ears can be washed. Don't worry about extra water on the corn-it will simply help to steam the corn in the cooking process. After washing, the husk should be pulled back into place.A pat of butter inside will help keep the corn moist while roasting and add greatly to the flavor. Now wrap the individual ears in two layers of tin foil and place it in the coals to cook. With a good hot bed of coals corn will generally roast in about 20 minutes. It is important to keep in mind that in both the case of the potatoes and the corn they should be covered thoroughly with ashes and coals in order to keep them from scorching.

Roasting an egg over an open fire.

Kids always love to cook hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire, but have you ever tried to cook an egg in a similar manner? This is great fun, especially for the kids. In order to cook an egg, first wash an egg, then use the point of a knife to carefully carve out a small hole on each end. Next, insert a small branch, twig or wiener stick through one hole and out the other. The egg can now be roasted much like you would a hot dog or marshmallow over the blaze. Cooking an egg by this method will usually take five to seven minutes and will taste similar to a boiled egg, but with a smoky favor.

The smoky flavor of campfire cooking is nothing short of a culinary triumph, but possibly even better than the succulent edibility of these dishes is the fact that there are no greasy pots and pans to deal with afterwards.