Camp Oven Lamb Shank and Root Vegetable Stew

There are few things more satisfying at the end of a long day on the road than lifting the lid off a camp oven to find a rich, deeply flavoured lamb shank stew bubbling away. The smell alone is enough to draw every person in the campground over for a look, and the taste delivers on every promise that aroma makes. This is slow-cooked comfort food at its finest, designed for the campfire and built around ingredients you can pick up at any country town butcher or supermarket along the way.

Lamb shanks are one of the best cuts for camp oven cooking. They are forgiving, almost impossible to overcook, and they transform from tough, sinewy joints into fall-off-the-bone tenderness with nothing more than time and steady heat. Paired with hearty root vegetables and a rich tomato-based broth, this stew is a proper meal that fuels you for cold nights and early starts. Whether you are set up at a free camp in the Victorian High Country or tucked into a site along the Gibb River Road, this one works everywhere.

Why Lamb Shanks Work So Well in a Camp Oven

Camp oven cooking is all about low, slow, even heat — and lamb shanks thrive in exactly those conditions. The connective tissue and collagen in the shank break down gradually over a couple of hours, creating a naturally thick, silky sauce without any need for flour-based thickeners or complicated techniques. The bone marrow renders into the broth as well, adding a depth of flavour you simply cannot replicate with other cuts.

The beauty of shanks is that they hold their shape during cooking. Unlike diced lamb, which can break apart and become stringy if left too long, shanks maintain their structure while becoming impossibly tender inside. You can leave this stew over coals for two and a half hours and come back to meat that slides cleanly off the bone with a fork. That reliability makes them ideal for campfire cooking, where precise temperature control is not always possible.

Choosing Your Shanks

Look for lamb shanks that are roughly equal in size so they cook evenly. Most butchers sell them as foreshanks, which are smaller and more manageable in a camp oven than hindshanks. Two foreshanks per person is a good guide for hungry campers, though one large hindshank each will also do the job. If you are buying from a supermarket on the road, the pre-packaged shanks are perfectly fine — just check they have a decent amount of meat on them and are not mostly bone.

If you can, ask the butcher to french the shanks — that is, to clean the bone end of excess sinew and fat. This is purely cosmetic but does give a cleaner presentation when you serve them up. It is not essential by any means, and most camp cooks skip this entirely. The flavour is identical either way.

For travellers planning meals ahead, lamb shanks freeze exceptionally well. Vacuum-seal them at home before you leave and store them in your 12V fridge or freezer. They will defrost overnight in the fridge section, ready for cooking the next evening. This makes them one of the most practical cuts for extended touring trips where fresh meat access can be unpredictable.

The Right Camp Oven for the Job

A 10-quart (roughly 9-litre) cast iron camp oven is the ideal size for this recipe, comfortably fitting four to six shanks with vegetables and liquid. If you are cooking for two, a 4.5-quart will manage two shanks with room for vegetables, though you will want to reduce the liquid slightly. The key is that the shanks should sit in a single layer on the base, partially submerged in liquid, with the vegetables packed around and over them.

Pre-seasoned cast iron is essential here. The high-acid tomato base in this stew will react with unseasoned or poorly seasoned cast iron, giving the broth a metallic taste and potentially stripping your seasoning. If your camp oven is well-used and has a good black patina, you have nothing to worry about. If it is newer, consider doing a few batches of high-fat cooking (damper with butter, or fried bacon) before attempting acidic stews.

Flat-bottomed camp ovens with legs work best for campfire cooking, as you can set them directly over a coal bed. If you are using a tripod or hanging setup, a round-bottomed oven works too, but the flat-bottom design gives you the option to brown the meat directly in the oven before adding liquid — a step that makes a real difference to the final flavour.

Ingredients and Preparation

This recipe serves four to six people generously and is designed around ingredients that travel well and store easily in a camp fridge. Everything here can be prepped at home and stored in zip-lock bags or containers, which cuts your campsite cooking time down to almost nothing beyond the actual simmering.

The root vegetables are chosen for their ability to hold up over a long cook without turning to mush. Carrots, parsnips, and swedes all maintain their texture beautifully after two hours, while potatoes added later in the cook provide a softer, creamier element that soaks up the broth. You can substitute or add turnips, celeriac, or even sweet potato depending on what is available.

Full Ingredient List

For the stew:

• 4–6 lamb foreshanks (roughly 300–400g each)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or beef dripping
• 1 large brown onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 4cm chunks
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 4cm chunks
• 1 medium swede (rutabaga), peeled and cut into 3cm cubes
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 400g tin crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 500ml beef stock (liquid stock or 2 stock cubes dissolved in boiling water)
• 250ml red wine (or additional beef stock if you prefer)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 tablespoon dried)
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Optional additions:

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• A handful of flat-leaf parsley for serving
• Crusty bread or campfire damper for mopping up the broth

Prep-Ahead Guide for Travellers

Before you leave home, dice the onion and crush the garlic — store together in a small zip-lock bag or container. Peel and chop the carrots, parsnips, and swede, then store in a separate bag with a damp paper towel to keep them fresh. The potatoes can be peeled and stored in water in a sealed container to prevent browning. All of these will keep for two to three days in a camp fridge at 4°C or below.

Mix the tomato paste, smoked paprika, and dried herbs (if using dried instead of fresh) into the tinned tomatoes before you leave. Store in a jar or container. This saves rummaging through multiple containers at the campsite and means you can pour the entire sauce base in at once. The stock can be pre-made and stored in a bottle, or simply bring cubes and boiling water. Red wine travels in its own bottle, obviously.

The shanks themselves should be the last thing out of the fridge. Pat them dry with paper towel before browning — wet meat steams rather than sears, and you want a deep golden crust on the outside. Season them generously with salt and pepper just before they hit the hot oil. This is the single most important step for building flavour in the finished stew, so do not rush it.

Cooking Method: Step by Step at the Campfire

The entire cooking process takes around two and a half to three hours from lighting the fire to serving. The first 20 minutes are active — browning meat, sweating onions, building the base. After that, you are simply managing your coals and letting time do the work. This is ideal for a late afternoon cook where you can set the camp oven going, crack a drink, and enjoy the campsite while dinner takes care of itself.

Fire management is the key skill here. You want a good bed of coals rather than open flames. If you are using firewood, light your fire at least 45 minutes before you plan to start cooking, giving the wood time to burn down to glowing coals. Hardwoods like ironbark, red gum, or mulga produce the best coals — they burn hot and hold their heat for hours. Avoid softwoods like pine, which burn too fast and leave thin, crumbly coals that do not sustain heat well enough for a long cook.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Build your coal bed. Light your campfire and let it burn down until you have a solid bed of glowing coals, at least 5cm deep. Rake a section of coals to the side to create a flat cooking platform. You want medium-high heat for the initial browning — if you hold your hand 15cm above the coals and can only manage 3–4 seconds, the temperature is right.

2. Brown the shanks. Set your camp oven directly on the coals (remove the lid). Add the olive oil or beef dripping and let it heat until it shimmers. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the shanks on all sides — roughly 3 minutes per side. You are looking for a deep golden-brown crust, not grey steaming. Remove each batch to a plate or clean chopping board as they finish.

3. Cook the aromatics. With the shanks out, add the diced onion to the camp oven. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to colour. Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. If the base is catching, add a splash of the red wine to deglaze.

4. Build the braising liquid. Pour in the red wine (or extra stock) and let it bubble for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the camp oven with a wooden spoon to lift all the caramelised bits — this is where massive flavour lives. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce and mustard (if using). Stir well to combine.

5. Add the shanks and hard vegetables. Return the browned shanks to the camp oven, nestling them into the liquid. Tuck the carrots, parsnips, and swede around and between the shanks. Drop in the bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. The liquid should come roughly two-thirds of the way up the shanks — add more stock or water if needed. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Set up for slow cooking. Place the lid on the camp oven. Now adjust your heat: rake most of the coals out from under the oven, leaving just a thin, even layer. Place a generous amount of coals on the lid — roughly two-thirds of your total coals should be on top, one-third underneath. This top-heavy heat distribution prevents the base from catching while keeping the overall temperature steady at around 150–160°C inside the oven.

7. Simmer for 1.5 hours. Let the stew cook undisturbed for 90 minutes. Check your coals every 30 minutes and rotate the oven a quarter turn each time to ensure even heat distribution. Add fresh coals as needed — typically you will need to replenish from your main fire every 45 minutes or so. Resist the urge to lift the lid frequently, as each peek releases heat and extends your cooking time.

8. Add the potatoes. After 90 minutes, carefully lift the lid (use a lid lifter or thick leather gloves — the handle will be extremely hot). Add the quartered potatoes, pushing them down into the liquid. Replace the lid and refresh the coals on top. Cook for a further 45–60 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and the lamb is falling off the bone.

9. Rest and serve. Remove the camp oven from the coals and let it rest with the lid on for 10 minutes. This allows the sauce to settle and thicken slightly. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning — you will likely want a good crack of black pepper and possibly a touch more salt. Scatter with fresh parsley if you have it, and serve straight from the camp oven with thick slices of bread or campfire damper to mop up the broth.

Temperature Management and Troubleshooting

Getting the heat right is what separates a good camp oven stew from a great one. The target internal temperature for this stew is between 150°C and 170°C. Too hot and the liquid boils aggressively, toughening the exterior of the meat before the interior has time to break down. Too cool and you extend the cooking time significantly, potentially running out of daylight or coals before the shanks are tender.

A good rule of thumb for charcoal briquettes is the "rule of three": for a 12-inch (10-quart) camp oven, place 8 briquettes underneath and 16 on top for a temperature of roughly 160°C. If you are using campfire coals rather than briquettes, the sizing is less precise — aim for a thin, single layer of coals underneath (enough to cover the base footprint with small gaps) and a more generous layer on the lid.

Common Issues and Fixes

If the stew is boiling too vigorously when you check it, remove a few coals from underneath the oven. The bubbling should be gentle — a lazy simmer with occasional bubbles breaking the surface, not a rolling boil. Moving the oven to a slightly cooler section of your coal bed can also help if you have overloaded the bottom heat.

If the stew does not seem to be simmering at all after 20 minutes, add more coals underneath and on top. The lid should feel hot to a quick touch (be careful) and you should hear a faint, quiet bubbling when you lean close. Wind can strip heat from the camp oven surprisingly fast, so if conditions are breezy, position a windbreak or move the oven to a sheltered spot.

Scorching on the bottom is the most common camp oven mistake. If you smell anything catching, immediately remove the oven from the coals, lift the lid, and stir gently. Do not scrape the bottom aggressively — instead, add a splash of stock or water and let it deglaze naturally. Then return to the coals with fewer underneath. Prevention is always better: keep that bottom heat low and the top heat high.

Serving Suggestions and Leftovers

This stew is a complete meal in itself, but it pairs brilliantly with a few simple sides that require minimal effort at camp. A basic campfire damper cooked in a second camp oven or wrapped around a stick is the traditional Australian accompaniment, and its dense, slightly chewy texture is perfect for soaking up the rich broth. Alternatively, a loaf of crusty sourdough from the last town bakery does the job admirably.

For something green, a simple salad of whatever you have — cos lettuce, rocket, sliced cucumber — dressed with olive oil and lemon juice cuts through the richness. If you are carrying a small camp oven or a lid that doubles as a frying pan, wilted greens with garlic make an excellent side. Frozen peas or beans heated through in a billy can also work in a pinch and require zero prep.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Camp oven stews improve overnight as the flavours meld and deepen. Allow the stew to cool completely, then store it in the camp oven with the lid on (in cooler weather) or transfer to a sealed container in your camp fridge. It will keep safely for three days refrigerated. To reheat, set the camp oven back over a gentle coal bed and bring it slowly back to a simmer, stirring occasionally. The leftover sauce will have thickened considerably — add a splash of water or stock to loosen it if needed.

Leftover shank meat, pulled off the bone and shredded, makes an outstanding filling for toasted sandwiches the next day. Simply shred the meat, mix it with some of the reduced sauce, and pile it onto bread for the camp toaster or sandwich press. It also works surprisingly well rolled into wraps with cheese and a bit of chutney for a quick lunch on the road.

For those on extended trips, this stew freezes well in zip-lock bags or containers. Let it cool completely, portion it out, and store in your 12V freezer. It will keep for up to three months frozen and defrosts overnight in the fridge, ready to reheat for a quick meal on a night when you cannot be bothered cooking from scratch.

Make It Your Own

Once you have the basic technique down, this recipe is endlessly adaptable. Swap the lamb shanks for beef shin (osso buco cut) for an equally rich stew with a slightly different character. Add a tin of cannellini beans in the last 30 minutes for extra body and protein. Stir through a handful of pitted kalamata olives and a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving for a Mediterranean twist that works particularly well in warmer weather.

For a spicier version, replace the smoked paprika with a tablespoon of harissa paste and add a tin of chickpeas. This North African-inspired variation pairs brilliantly with flatbread cooked on a hot plate. If you are travelling through areas where you can source native ingredients, lemon myrtle leaves make a fascinating substitute for bay leaves, adding a distinctly Australian citrus note that complements lamb beautifully.

Whatever variation you try, the fundamentals remain the same: good browning, steady low heat, patience, and quality ingredients. A camp oven is one of the most versatile pieces of cooking equipment you can carry, and a stew like this barely scratches the surface of what it can do. Browse our full range of camping accessories at outcamp.com.au to make sure your camp kitchen is set up for meals like this and everything in between.