Camp Cuisine

Though I don't write about it much, one of my other passions is cooking. In particular, I love to grill. So it's only natural that the challenge of an interesting meal cooked over an open fire is one I want to tackle. In fact, I think planning and executing meals over the campfire is among my favorite parts of the camping experience.

This past weekend was no exception and it was fun to figure out how to handle all my dining needs. Lunches were simple sandwiches, as no time for fires and such. But dinner and breakfast it was game on!

Saturday night -- Delmonico steak, grilled asparagus, and roasted redskins. Potatoes were probably the highlight. Sliced thin (love my super-sharp Rapid River Knife Works hunting knife), drizzled in olive oil and Penzey's Northwoods seasoning. Wrapped them in foil and tossed them into the coals for a while. Came out PERFECT. Interestingly, steaks are the one grilling item I sometimes struggle with at home. Yet when cooking over an open fire I can just easily nail a perfect medium-rare. Yum!

Breakfasts -- breakfast is one of my favorite meals to cook. It appeals to my "waddya' got" approach, learned from my Grandmother. Had some nice chunks of steak left so those went into a scramble with eggs and asparagus for Sunday's breakfast. Monday was pepper bacon with eggs and asparagus and a repeat of the potatoes. Sadly, the potatoes fell short -- a touch overdone this time.

Sunday night -- as I made my way back up the 145 steps at the Second Claybanks I realized it was HOT. Wasn't so sure I was up for a fire and all that it entailed. But part of this is the challenge and I decided to man up. Glad I did, as it was perhaps the best meal of all. I'd brined a nice thick pork chop. A quick rinse and a little Penzeys Sunny Spain seasoning and it's ready for some fire. Once again, some grilled asparagus (hey, I love asparagus, and one bundle was just right for two days worth of meals). Had some cold wild rice salad with me that I'd made for an event earlier in the week. What a nice meal.

And, what is food without drink? I've found that a nice growler filled with Michigan craft-brewed beer is the perfect end to a day outdoors. This trip I filled two with a couple of different IPA's from Detroit Beer Company. Tasty stuff. And growlers are actually easier to manage in the cooler than bottles or cans. Naturally, this approach doesn't apply to UP camping. It's Stroh's or nothing up there!

Upon arrival home, I found that I'd planned perfectly. Unloading the cooler was easy -- all that remained was two slices of bacon!

-Sean-