Yeah, it’s only a hot dog, and roasting it in a milk carton doesn’t do anything to make it taste any better. In addition, the cooking method is admittedly inefficient. But good food served in a flash is definitely not the point of this recipe!

What’s the purpose, then? Why, to have another item in your bag of tricks, of course! There’s hardly a better recipe for bringing a little fun to the fire pit, for impressing the younger campers, or for guaranteeing that your group of Scouts will want to participate.

Start by gathering the ingredients and cooking material, multiplying each item as required by the number of people you’ll be serving:

• Hot dog (precooked)
• Hot dog bun
• Square sheet of aluminum foil
• Empty 1/2-gallon wax-coated paper milk carton
• Several sheets of newspaper
• Favorite condiments

The milk carton must not be the plastic type! Use a wax-coated paper carton, and open it at the top, removing the plastic pouring spout. Rinse any remaining milk from the carton, and allow it to dry.

Clear a fire-safe area, free of debris and combustibles. A large metal pan placed on a grill grate or on the ground is ideal. A fire pit with no active fire and with no thick ash layer also works well.

Place the hot dog in the bun, and completely wrap the combination in the foil. Set it upright in the milk cartoon. Crumple the newspaper and pack it around the hot dog on all sides. Don’t pack the paper too tightly, or it won’t burn properly.

Set the milk carton upright in your fire-safe area and light the carton on fire at two or three locations along the open top edge of the carton.

Now all you need do is wait. And wait…and wait some more!

It can actually take several minutes for the carton to burn downward. But this is what works the magic. The slow burn of the waxed paper heats the carton’s interior and gradually cooks the hot dog from top to bottom.

Once the fire has burned to the bottom of the carton, carefully remove the foil pack, unwrap, and enjoy your perfectly cooked hot dog with your favorite condiments!

Watch the instructional “How to Cook a Hot Dog in a Milk Carton Video” here:

This recipe idea comes from The Scout’s Outdoor Cookbook by Christine and Tim Conners. See page 59, Flaming Gorge Hot Dog. Visit Tim and Christine at www.lipsmackincampin.com for free recipes and instructional material.

The “How to Cook a Hot Dog in a Milk Carton Video is a part of the new Lipsmackin’ Campin’ series presented by MSR (Mountain Safety Research)–a fun and informative WebTV series hosted by renowned cookbook authors Tim and Christine Conners.

Image courtesy Tim Conners