This Dutch Oven Camp recipe is very similar to a chuck wagon cowboy recipe called “Big Old Mess”. Big Old Mess is very filling and easy to make. This is a very easy starter recipe for the beginning camp cook.

1 lb Smoked Sausage
1 Bell Pepper
1 Anaheim Pepper
1 Large Sweet Onion
1/4 tsp Hot Pepper Flakes
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Barbecue Sauce, Nothing Fancy
2 tbsp Hot Sauce
2 tbsp Cider Vinegar
Vegetable Oil

Serves two hearty appetites.

Cut the smoke sausage into 1″ thick rounds and set aside. Cut onion and peppers into large bite size chunks and set aside. In a measuring cup add barbecue sauce, hot sauce, cider vinegar, brown sugar and hot pepper flakes. Stir well to desolve the brown sugar and set aside.

This recipe will require shifting charcoals from top to bottom twice to complete the dish, but its worth it.

Start with 20 charcoal briquettes. Put 10 coals under a 10″ Dutch Oven. Add a tiny amount of vegetable oil, wipe oil to cover bottom of the Dutch Oven. Add the smoked sausage to the Dutch and brown on both sides. Add the chopped vegetables and sauce mixture to the Dutch Oven, stir and cover. Remove all but 4 or 5 coals from the bottom and put on top with the remaining coals. Bake for about one hour stirring ocassionally. Add more coals as needed. Once the vegetables are tender, remove lid and put about 10 coals underneath. Bring mixture to a slow boil to reduce and thicken the sauce. Be careful not to burn the sauce. If it gets too hot remove a few coals from underneath.
Serve the Sweet and Heat Smoked Sausages with refried beans and tortillas. The hot peppers and hot sauce can be bumped up for the heat lovers and the cider vinegar is what gives it that little sour twang. “Oh Boy” is this GOOD!

To learn more about charcoal placement and temperatures
Visit “Cooking with Charcoals”