What to cook when camping?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just for the record OP, if someone wanted to cook steaks for me on a camping trip I would NEVER tell them it wasn't rustic enough!

Thank you. I am thinking about going with steak - easy and quick to cook in an iron skillet. maybe grilled polenta to go with. perhaps saute some mushrooms and shallots in the pan while the steaks rest, add some brandy or whisky, cook it down, then a touch of cream. and a squeeze of lemon.

Keeping things clean and cold is really the hard part. The cooler fills up so fast, that you're not going to want to bother with "a touch of cream" when you're there with no fridge or sink. And yes, cooking things takes a lot longer over a fire than a Viking.

I am not ready to compromise on flavor. If that means there is no room in the cooler for little Johnny's medicine, then so be it.

Ok, Niles Crane. Fussy much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is a reality check:

*Cooking over the open fire takes longer than cooking on an over or stove, is more difficult then you realize. There is a learning curve. Think trying to lean over a hot fire to check food while not burning your finger tips. Just get long handled grill utensils. You'll be fine. But, do give yourself extra time. - No , even the long handled ones don't help.
It's a fire with flames for goodness sakes - not a tiny little contained bbq with no flames.

*Washing dishes while camping is a big pain in the ass. Avoid it as much as possible. Having greasy dishes is even worse. You can't leave the dishes for the morning either or you risk wildlife over night. Yes you have to wash your dishes. But if you put a thin coating of dish detergent on your pots before you cook over a fire, the mess just wipes off very easily. Your putting a thin coating in the pot that you are cooking in??? Otherwise, who cares about the outside of the pot getting clean, it's the inside you need to worry about. You also have to find the dish washing station (many times you can not use a bathroom sink or hose at campgrounds), if there is an actual sink, you may have to wait, the dishes have to put out to dry, the dishwashing area might not be close to your campsite.
*Smores - if you are doing these for kids - nice in theory but messy, requires a longer cool down then you realize from the fire, and someone gets burned. If the kids are really young skip them. Never skip the Smores. They are messy but the kids love them. I've been doing them with my kids since they were old enough to hold a stick over the fire and we never had an accident. Just be careful. Yeah, that's great advice. Until you see an excited little kid burn their entire mouth because it takes a second for them to want to sample it, or an eager older child pulls the marshmallow out of the fire and it drips on their little brother, - smores are great - as long as the adults are willing to basically make them.

Have fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just for the record OP, if someone wanted to cook steaks for me on a camping trip I would NEVER tell them it wasn't rustic enough!

Thank you. I am thinking about going with steak - easy and quick to cook in an iron skillet. maybe grilled polenta to go with. perhaps saute some mushrooms and shallots in the pan while the steaks rest, add some brandy or whisky, cook it down, then a touch of cream. and a squeeze of lemon.

Keeping things clean and cold is really the hard part. The cooler fills up so fast, that you're not going to want to bother with "a touch of cream" when you're there with no fridge or sink. And yes, cooking things takes a lot longer over a fire than a Viking.

True, but a) you can bring extra coolers and b) you can freeze the steaks and cream and by the time they have thawed you are good to go. Also what else needs to be in the cooler besides the steaks and the cream?? Mushrooms and shallots and lemon can go in a bag...whisky doesn't need anything special to transport. Not seeing the problem here. Go steaks!

[Anonymous]

First I always put meat in its own cooler, like pp said freeze the meat ahead if time and you will be able to get more time out of it in the cooler

Prep as much stuff as possible at home; I dice potatoes and put in Tupperware with water (so it doesn't turn brown) chop veggies and also store in water so they stay crisp; put marinade into ziplock with the meats, chop everything that can be done ahead if time at home.
Foil packets are great you can prep them at home and just throw them over the fire then grill your meats.

Your sauce sounds great, consider making it at home and freezing. Then heat it up and add the cream there


Also as a joke for your "not rustic enough" friend serve then this breakfast; ziplock bag with dry cereal and powdered milk, add water shake and enjoy