Backcountry Cooking

[dube]

I know some of you are hard core hikers and others maybe just a little creative so I figure it can't hurt to throw this out there.

 

We got the first hike of the year this weekend (piss off rain) and I'm in charge of dinners. Generally for myself I'm content with the backpackers pantry dehydrated pre-made meals but am shooting for brownie points with the lass and wondering if anyone has some backcountry recipes they'd like to share.

 

I'm looking for the ones where other people are looking over and saying "good idea!" or "wow that smells good!" while they eat their slop.

 

Weight is not a huge issue because it's only 2 nights. Got one maybe 2 stoves.

 

Giver your best shot!

[ÜberFly]

PM sent

 

I know some of you are hard core hikers and others maybe just a little creative so I figure it can't hurt to throw this out there.

 

We got the first hike of the year this weekend (piss off rain) and I'm in charge of dinners. Generally for myself I'm content with the backpackers pantry dehydrated pre-made meals but am shooting for brownie points with the lass and wondering if anyone has some backcountry recipes they'd like to share.

 

I'm looking for the ones where other people are looking over and saying "good idea!" or "wow that smells good!" while they eat their slop.

 

Weight is not a huge issue because it's only 2 nights. Got one maybe 2 stoves.

 

Giver your best shot!

 

[fishfreak]

Useful foods:

- instant mashed potatoes (Idahoan brand) - goes great with any meat

- Uncle Ben's quick rice packages - just heat and eat

- Lipton's cup-a-soup - an old classic

- bannock - the easy way is adding water to Bisquick, and make a dough ball on a stick, and cook SLOWLY over the fire

 

If you want gourmet, and a lot of envious onlookers:

- slice potatoes, onions, and carrots

- add butter, garlic, and seasoning salt

- wrap well in tin foil

- place on coals (or grill) for 1 hr, flipping occasionally - low heat is key

 

Dang, now I'm hungry.

 

Hope you have fun this weekend!

[slingshotz]

Potjiekos (pronounced POI-KEY) is a traditional South African stew cooked a long time over the fire in a cast iron pot. It's a little insane to carry a cast iron pot but it's doable with light weight pots. If you pre-chop all the ingredients it makes it really easy to put together.

 

Sample recipe (tweaked from another website):

 

Oxtail Potjie

INGREDIENTS

500g Oxtails cut 2 inches thick pieces

½ cup Flour seasoned with salt and pepper

10 slices Bacon cut in 1 inch pieces

1 litre beef stock (water can work too)

1 can tomato paste

6 large leeks, chopped coarsely

2 large onions, chopped coarsely

6 large carrots, chopped coarsely

 

20 button mushrooms

1 Bay leaf

6 black peppercorns

1 bouquet garni

1 cup red wine

½ cup sherry

½ cup cream

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons crushed garlic

 

If you want to cheat and get a close imitation, you can exclude the ingredients from the mushrooms down with one-two cans of Campbell's cream of mushroom. If oxtails are not your thing, bone in chicken will do fine. The alcohol might be difficult to carry but you can use a can of beer too for a different flavour.

 

1. Dry oxtails with paper towel.

2. Put seasoned flour in a Ziplock bag, then add the Oxtail and shake to coat with flour.

3. Sauté bacon pieces.

4. Remove bacon and brown Oxtail in resulting fat, remove and drain.

5. Finely dice 4 of the carrots. Coarsely chop the onions and the leeks.

6. Add the finely diced carrots, leeks, onions and sauté until softened

7. Add Oxtail, bacon, bouquet garni, bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic, tomato sauce, red wine, sherry. (or the cans of creamed mushroom)

8. Bring slowly to a boil and cook slowly for 3 - 4 hours.

9. 1 hour before serving cut the remaining carrots into 1 inch pieces, add them and mushrooms and continue cooking slowly.

10. Just prior to serving, add cream and stir in.

11. If you want to thicken the sauce mix some cornstarch with the cream before adding.

 

And before any South Africans here yell at the can of mushroom cheat, I learned that trick from fellow South Africans that immigrated here The real secret to the recipe is letting it cook for a long time so that the meat flavours infuse into the liquid. And it's even better reheated the next day if you actually have any left, although you have to somehow chill it overnight if it gets real cold or keep it warm on the fire overnight.

[ÜberFly]

Holy $hit! You are going to carry all of that into the backcountry and simmer it for 4 - 5 hours!! Yikes! You might as well carry a cast iron dutch oven as well!! LoL

 

 

P

 

[Pipestoneflyguy]

This one almost requires a fire. great for small to medium sized groups. I think you could pull it off with two stoves, by basically building a 12" tall fire ring, leaving the stoves burning inside and sizing the ring so your log or muffin pan basically covers the top - just make sure you put all your rocks back and leave the site as you found it.

 

I'm a huge fan of veggie logs, except we always make em with lots meat

 

Put whatever you like in terms of veggie preferences - we also add a variety of pre-cooked meat, typically sausage, wild game if ya got it, or whatever you like. spice and flavour to your liking. Drain as much moisture out as you can before bagging. I use those huge double seal freezer baggies, squeezing out the air just before you pack you bag saves space, and draining out any loose water keeps it light.

 

Bring a good thick quality aluminum foil, depending on how many you want to feed size can be the size of a sub for 2 hikers, or the size of a giant bagette for as many as 10. - Don't try to pre wrap with tin foil as it will likely not survive the trip in. before wrapping, at your campsite, sprinkle the whole mess with water - make sure you wrap it such that it is as sealed as much as possible. Poke a pin hole in one end. chuck it in the fire turning periodically - watch the pin hole, when steam comes out your cooking, should take about 15 minutes after the steam starts. just before service we add about a 1/2 to 1 cup of "Catttle Boys BBQ sauce" this stuff is awesome on veggies and meat alike. Also a good tip I have learned over the years is to pre-steam my potatos for 15 - 20 minutes at home or they will be under cooked compared to everthing else (other wise you over cook everything else to get the tatas done).

 

Pre making logs for car camping is a great idea too, especially if you need a food for a week or so.

 

For a 6 to 12 person breakfast idea try what we call a heli-breakfast (common with heli-ski outfits), this is good for cool weather trips - You'll need a folded up sheet or two of aluminum foil, a 12 muffin pan, a 12 pack of ham slices, 12 eggs, a baggies of diced veggies (onion, greeen pepper, mushrooms etc) and baggie of grated cheese - I know it seems like a lot to carry but for a one or two night trip this will leave your neighbours drooling LOL. (Just get out a hacksaw if you want and you can make a twelve muffin pan a 6 or 4 easily)

 

Simple put a slice of ham into each muffin spot, crack open a egg into each slice of ham, stir in some veggies into each egg, add salt and pepper, and top with a little grated cheese. cover tightly with aluminum foil then cook to liking over the fire, just not to close or it will burn the ham. Obviously you can mix in whatever you like, bacon if you want to protein up, or majic mushrooms, if you want a mystical hiking experience LOL, what ever suits ya. The great thing is the ham works as an edible cup of sorts when the whole thing is cooked. This one is also fun cause it drives the bear-a-noid, granola eaters crazy, hee hee

[slingshotz]

Holy $hit! You are going to carry all of that into the backcountry and simmer it for 4 - 5 hours!! Yikes! You might as well carry a cast iron dutch oven as well!! LoL

 

 

P

 

I've made fresh pasta while camping, I'm a little on the extreme cuisine side of things in the bush

[ÜberFly]

So am I (but in the backcountry, as opposed to "the bush" )! But then again, I've learned how to dry (dehydrate) food (in a regular oven, mind you) and that has opened things up for full on gourmet in the backcountry!! ANYTHING that you can make at home can be dried!!

 

P

 

I'm a little on the extreme cuisine side of things in the bush