Cast Iron Bacon Fried Rice
Instant rice, precooked bacon, and egg powder in a skillet over the fire.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 6 oz
- cal / oz
- 120
- protein
- 26 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 18 min
- total time
- 23 min
- water
- 400 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Breakfast
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Instant rice | 2 cups dry | parboiled, not minute-of-work jasmine |
|---|---|---|
| Precooked bacon | 6 slices | shelf-stable packet, no cooler needed |
| Dried mixed vegetables | 1/2 cup | peas, carrot, corn, onion |
| Whole egg powder | 3 tbsp | plus 3 tbsp water at camp |
| Gluten-free tamari | 2 tbsp | in a leakproof bottle |
| Neutral oil | 2 tbsp | |
| Garlic powder and ground ginger | 1 tsp total | |
| Black pepper | to taste |
Method
- Boil 400 ml of water in the skillet, dump in the rice and dried vegetables, cover, and pull it off the heat. Ten minutes, lid on.
- Scrape the rice into a bowl or the pot lid. Wipe the skillet out.
- Set the skillet back over the coals and let it come up slowly. Medium heat is enough; cast iron holds what you give it. Use a mitt on the handle.
- Add the oil once the pan is hot, then tear in the bacon. One minute, until the edges crisp.
- Stir the egg powder with 3 tbsp water and pour it into the pan. Push it around until it sets, about thirty seconds.
- Return the rice, add the tamari and spices, and press it flat. Leave it alone for two minutes so the bottom layer browns, then stir and repeat once.
Fried rice at home starts with cold leftover rice, which is the one thing camp never has. Instant rice fills in: hydrate it first, then get it out of the pan so the skillet can run dry and hot. Wet rice in a wet pan steams and turns to paste.
Cast iron is the reason this works over a fire. It takes a while to come up to temperature but then holds it while you keep adding cold food, so the rice actually browns instead of stalling. Preheat it gradually and off to the side of the coals; a screaming hot spot will scorch the seasoning and stick everything to it.
Packing
Rice, dried vegetables, egg powder, and spices go in one zip bag at home. Bacon and tamari ride separately. The skillet goes in the car, not the pack.
Variations
- A foil packet of salmon in place of the bacon works and keeps it in the same weight class.
- Skip the bacon and double the egg powder for a meatless version.
- A squeeze of lime and chili flakes at the end cuts the salt.
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/pages/cast-iron-101-cooking-with-cast-iron