As Napoleon said: “an army marches on its stomach” – and while he referred to the importance of forces being well-provisioned, we can paraphrase and say “a hiker needs to eat well”. So after we have seen some trails to hike in Israel, it is time to learn how to make Poike (or “Poyke” )- The ultimate “Jewish” campfire meal.
What is Poike?
Poike is a common cooking tool among Afrikaners (the same white Dutch who settled in South Africa). According to the stories, the Poika pots were created by their Dutch ancestors, who first developed the round and heavy pot, and discovered the same unique alloy that contains dried sand that gives it its strength and smooth surface area.
When the pot first arrived in Africa, local settlers saw the thick iron casting, discovered its heat dissipation properties and the fact that it was perfect for field cooking – and according to the needs of 17th century African settlers – warmly embraced it.
To this day, in many countries it is called the “Dutch Oven”. In contrast, in Afrikaans, the common language in South Africa, it is called Potjiekos (pronounced “poike-kaws”), which means “food pot”. It is not so clear why the Israelis adopted this name, but here it has been given the name “Poike” (or “Poyke” ), which is more reminiscent of the lost uncle of a grandfather from Poland than an African pot, but why not.
What’s Special About a Poike Pot?
The great advantage of a poika pot is the fact that the cast iron from which it is made and its convex shape allows it to distribute the heat evenly at each and every point in the pot, in contrast to regular pots where the heat is concentrated to the dish from the heat source only (bottom of the pot). This makes it ideal for long cooking on an exposed fire source, such as a campfire or whispering coals.
And although its main purpose is to cook juicy pots, the poike pot is also useful for frying, quick cooking and even baking. If handled properly, not stirred and not burned, it gives a particularly delicious aroma to the dish – and it is really, really durable – so it will be really hard for you to ruin it.
“The whole point of this poike is that everything you throw there, including the triangle from the sink – is considered a success”
Meir Shalev, Two She-Bears
On the other hand, the big advantage of the Poike pot – the fact that it is made of cast iron – is also its biggest disadvantage. Poike pots are very very heavy. This means that it is not going to be relevant for backpackers or cyclists, but only for trips by vehicle or camping. It also makes it difficult to operate, and to get it out of the fire you will need a hard stick and two sturdy people to lift it on both sides.
Another disadvantage of the pot – it may rust. It’s important to keep it clean, and we’ll talk more about that.
Poike Pot Sizes
The poike is produced in a variety of sizes numbered in ascending order by volume. According to legend – we did not find a source for it but it sounds logical overall – the number means the amount of geese you can put in the pot in their entirety.
| Pot Size | Volume (Liters) |
|---|---|
| 1/4 | 1 |
| 1/2 | 1.8 |
| 3/4 | 3 |
| 1 | 4 |
| 2 | 5.5 |
| 3 | 8 |
| 4 | 10 |
| 6 | 14.5 |
| 14 | 40 |
The most common sizes in Israel and among Israeli campers are 3 or 4 sized pots, which are enough for a meal that will satisfy about 7 people.
How to Make Poike
The question “How to make poike” is a very general question. By and large, a successful poike does not require tracking an accurate recipe. As Meir Shalev wrote, almost everything we will put in the poike pot will be a ok, and all it takes is to follow a few rules:
What to put in the pot – although it is certainly possible to follow various recipes, it is also possible to improvise. Varieties of vegetables (you can fry some onions and garlic), potatoes, rice, wheat, beans, chickpeas or other legumes and meat of all kinds. Fill 3/4 of the pot with liquids – water will do the trick (and it is the simple choice), but it can also be varied with chicken stock, beer, coconut milk, wine or even coca-cola.
Fire – the poike can be prepared on whispering coals or directly on the campfire (the pot has small legs) – this depends on the desired cooking time, what is inside the pot and personal preference. On the other hand, it is important to maintain a continuous heat, so if you are putting the pot on coals, be sure to renew them in case they have lost some of their heat. Some over achievers even “hang” the pot using an iron chain over the fire. My favorite solution is to simply put the pot in the corner of the fire – easy, accessible and definitely does the job.
Time – Like many things related to food, longer cooking time = a tastier result. Start cooking as early as possible, and let the pot simmer for as long as possible.
The campfire – it seems to me like something unnecessary to say, but as long as the pot is boiling, try to keep the fire “clean”, i.e. with only wood and no other materials or plastics of any kind that can poison your food.
Patience – Once your poike is on the fire, it is recommended not to open the lid and not to stir it too much, a maximum of a few touches with a round spoon and as close as possible to the side of the pot, so that the result will be more similar to a stew and not a dough.
When is it ready – the rule of thumb is this: once the hardest ingredient in a dish becomes soft and edible, it’s ready. This is the point where you should get it off the coals and start chewing. Every extra minute of cooking will darken the color of the stew and make it more gooey and suck.
Cleaning and maintaining the pot – Before and after use, place the empty pot on the fire until it is hot, pour in water carefully (no soap is needed), mix and pour out. At the end of use, after the cleaning process, it is important to oil the pot occasionally with absorbent paper and cooking oil to prevent rust.
The Cooking Process of Poike
Basically there are about an infinity of options, but the standard Poike preparation process is going to go like this:
- Make a small dent in the ground and fill it with coals, or use existing coals from the fire, and get to the point where the coals are whispering. The process is relatively slow, so plan for about 3 hours of cooking.
- Place the pot empty on the coals, and after it has warmed up a bit, add oil for frying. This is where we will put in vegetables like onions or mushrooms, and chicken that require frying.
- After frying, put the rest of the ingredients – vegetables, roots, meat, etc. according to the recipe or personal preference, and fill the rest of the pot (about three-quarters of its volume) with the cooking liquid.
- Mix the ingredients a little in the pot, and close the lid. From this point we will strive to keep the pot closed for the entire length of cooking.
- And that’s it – we’ll wait.
To Sum It Up
We hope you enjoyed this post, and that your poike dish will be super tasty!
(and even if you are not into cooking, at least you will know what those weird Israelis are doing with a massive iron pot on the Israel National Trail).