Outdoor Adventure USA

This week we will cover different methods for cooking on the trail. With a little luck, the discussion will include everything from camp tools and gear to different methods to actually cook the meal. There is no one correct way, and everyone has a different twist on how it is done best. We will have several guests and methods to cover and we want to hear from you on what works best. Post your favorites and join the discussion.

Pictures, links and text to follow.

I'll be out for this one, please provide me with an forum check-in and between now and then I will post a few different methods I've used.

From the use of a C-Rat cracker tin & heat tab to the hot side up iron in the barracks or simply throwing my MRE packet out in the sun to the more advanced "luxury" Dutch oven gooey cheesy mess of a meal. I should have a few photos to share by net time. Just recounting some of the phases I've gone through over the years is kind of amazing. To think there are so many ways to heat up chow and sit fat and happy somewhere on earth, priceless!

Cast Iron Fried Chicken
Take several chicken breasts and slice them (butterfly) in half so they will be thin. It may be desirable to pound them out so they will be as evenly sized as possible. This will ensure good even cooking. This will work with regular chicken pieces, but bones and irregular sizes can make it difficult to manage even cooking.

Take the chicken and dredge it in flour then egg wash then flour, buttermilk and again in and panko bread crumbs. Season the flour and breadcrumbs with salt pepper paprika onion powder to taste

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Allow the coated chicken to rest a bit to ensure better adhesion of the coating.

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a heavy cast iron pan Lodge 10.5 inch skillet ($10.000) or dutch oven bring up to 350 Degrees. Be sure to regulate temperature well if it gets too hot it will burn the outside before the inside is done. It is best to use a propane stove such as the Partner Steel ($250.00) or Campchef Mountain Series ($99.00) to manage the heat well. If it is too cool, the chicken will be greasy. There is no need to completely submerge the chicken in order to cook it.

Place the chicken in close to you and lay it in away from you to prevent splashing Oil on yourself. Lay the chicken in the pan with room for it to move. This will keep the oil form cooling too much.

Cook until done and golden brown 4-6 minutes per side.
Drain on a wire rack for a few minutes and serve.

I usually serve it with mashed golden potatoes. Boiled for 15 minutes, then drained, smashed with buttermilk and butter, salt (garlic), Pepper to taste.

Biscuit Doughnuts

A great dessert after making cast iron Fried Chicken is to make biscuit doughnuts.

Use the heated oil from the fried chicken to fry a tube/roll of refrigerated buttermilk biscuits. Open the tube and squeeze the center of the flat side of the biscuit making a hole. Stretch out the biscuit a little bit and gently lay it in the oil. Flip when golden brown.
In a paper bag, mix sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, etc., according to taste. Drop a freshly fried biscuit doughnut into the bag and shake to coat. Serve warm from the bag. It will be a hit, better get two tubes.

Be sure to clean and dry your cast iron well, however do not use soap,

My best method for camp cooking is to have Dave and Hector make dinner!
But second best is hot coals over a camp fire with lots of meat on the grill. Doesn't get much simpler than this.
Check out Trail Food for the Non Cook. Just don't expect Dave and Hector to join you for dinner.
http://www.4x4training.com/Articles/Cam ... nCook.html

When cooking for a group, I use my Dutch oven so most of the time I can get by with a one burner stove. It gets used mostly for a quick pot of coffee in the morning, heating water for dishes, and for drying the Dutch oven after cleaning / oiling.

I like the one that uses a 16oz propane bottle since that is a shared propane source for a lot of other camp items (lantern's, tent heater, showers, etc.) and it fits the touch I carry in the tool box.
You can get a Coleman brand on amazon for about $24.
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-200001064 ... B00GVLDK4A

This is a picture of my coffee pot on top of the one burner. I notched this one so the legs of my Dutch oven will sit on top. The Coleman looks like it is more round and may not require "improvements" On this particular model, the base has extra wings that fold out for stability.

camp box full of cooking gear & supplies

Great cooking begins with the essentials. The first, of course, is having a suitable cooking station. Since we are gearing this discussion to cooking on the trail, and since it is necessary to carry all of the essentials we need to camp, then the equipment that we carry must be compact and light enough to be stowed in the vehicle.

Cooking stations can be placed into two general categories, both of which will be discussed during the net. The two types are tail gate cooking and cooking on some sort of a table that accommodates your style. This post will focus on the portable tables that can serve the outdoor chef.

There are a variety of tables that will suit the needs of the cook, but there are a couple of standouts that offer more than others. Ideally, the cooking station should have the following:

• 1. a shelf to accommodate the stove that you use and which is at a comfortable height
  
  2. side tables and shelves for utensils and food prep
  
  3. a fixture that will accommodate a light
  
  4. paper towel holder
  
  5. compact, light weight and sturdy
  
  6. easy and quick set-up and take down
  
  7. hooks to hold utensils and gear
  
  8. reasonabe priced

Finding such a station which has all these qualities may be difficult, but this is where the clever and resourceful outdoorsman will devise a solution. Here are some suggestions:

GCI Outdoor Slim-Fold Cook Station

Thee Slim Fold Station is an excellent cooking station and with the exception of the light fixture and the paper towel holder, it meets all of the needs mentioned above. Priced at about $85.00, with a steel frame, it is an excellent choice. Check out the GSI website, https://www.gcioutdoor.com/camp-tables/ ... tation.htm.

From the GSI website
The GSI station folded up.
Cabela's Instant Cook Station

Cabela's now offers a full line of outdoor cook stations,( http://www.cabelas.com/category/Camp-Ki ... 248980.uts ) but for the most part they are a little bulky and heavy. Depending, however, on how much storage space your rig has and how big your dinner list will be, the larger units can be very useful. Although difficult to find now, the Instant Cook Station was another excellent choice.
While the Cabela's cook station had a paper towel holder, it suffered from a tendency to allow the paper towels to become unrolled as soon as the wind whipped up. Here is an example of where ingenuity took over. Below is my solution to returning to camp after a day of exploring only to find that the paper towels were all over camp. It is simply a sheet of aluminum of sufficient weight to keep the towels on the roll.
Different Cook Stations in the Wilderness

Even tables,without all the options and extras, can be useful, as seen from this picture.

Every one joining in the meal and especially the cook, needs to needs to remove the dust and grime from their hands. I have mentioned this product before, but the Wishy Washy deserves another mention, considering it's importance. Here is what it looks like as recommended by the manufacturer:
The only objection that I had was the bucket. It was bulky and difficult to stow in the 4x4, but mostly, cleaning the gunk from the bucket when we were ready to leave camp was not just a messy operation, but it just added another delay to packing things up. The solution - eliminate the bucket altogether. I created a stand that allows for mounting the tube, and now packing up the Wishy Washy is quick and easy to stow.

The new mounting stake is on the left:

Stoves are the traditional and most common method for outdoor cooking. The leader for many years was, and still is, Coleman. While today's Coleman stoves are different than those of years past, they still offer a great option for all of your cooking needs. I was raised with and still have several Coleman Stoves, but I am partial to the older ones as they seem to be made better and are sturdier. Regardless, they are still well made and will serve the outdoor cook for many years. And, one of the nice things about Coleman products is that replacement parts are still available.

Some years ago, on a river rafting trip, I was introduced to several products made by the Partner Steel Company, including their stoves, the Wishy Washy and their tables ( http://partnersteel.com/prod01.htm ). It didn't take long to see that Partner Steel made superior products, designed to meet the demanding needs of professional river rafting guides as well as campers. I have been using their double burner stove and have nothing but praise for its performance, compact size, rugged construction, and attention to detail.

From the Partner Steel Website:

My favorite cooking method involves a pressure cooker. We will discuss the reasons during the net, but the ability to do a one pot meal is certainly at the top of the list. Here is a picture of the PC in operation (note the Coleman Stove!)
Used in conjunction with a stove, a small portable oven is a great way to prepare a whole new set of eats including pastries, appetizers, breakfast sandwiches, baked potatoes, fresh biscuits, and more! The Coleman Camp Oven is light weight, folds flat for storage and will last many years.