Ahh - January - time to bone up on trail cooking dreams while waiting for that thaw.... Its raining cats and Irish wolfhounds today... saw a post from Oz - Jacko about using money to get a steak at a restaurant - because its hard to get it inside the Ti - pot... got me thinking...
When was the last time you had dirty steak? Yea - you pass a grocery just off the trail grab a small steak out of the cooler and make sure it doesn't say Chuck. Nothing wrong with a T-Bone... its like having a handle on Dinner. Slide it next to the water bladder inside the sleeve. Its good to have cold stream water, and don't worry you are not going to die. Grab a few potato's and tin foil. Hike out of town..
You get to the shelter or the clearing.. I don't want to get into all the dementia of that sign over there... (No open fire)
Clear away the leaves make sure your rocks are dry and build that circle, never use slate or wet rocks find a oval one or a flat surface. If you can find one tall one use that as a back rest, to draw the smoke away from you.
Wood - well this is something of an acquired skill, I watched many a boy fall flat on this - you are walking under trees looking for half inch thick long branches. Don't come back with logs. There is no need for a axe - or saw, just a good knife. When breaking it up start with twiggy ends and make that into a pile in the middle and as you get to the other end its every 8 to 12 inches. Go ahead and get it started and gather some more half inch stick about 1 cubic foot. If the wood is wet - you remove the bark with the knife. -- now its not wet.
Well now we have our neanderthal cook set going time to prepare those potatos. cut a large x on one side and break out some butter pats from Mcdonalds if you have them. put a little water in there too. Salt & pepper -wrap in tin foil shiny side in...
set aside... nothing to do for a while.... you are waiting for the flames to die.... no kidding, people still think flame broiled - no you cook on the rock and coals...You can nestle the potatoes on the side provided you turn them so often. If you are a patient cus you want coals. then you place them right in there all snuggled up, rotating every once in a while....
Theres one flat rock warming up right? Thats the hearth stone...move it to the middle. Leave a tall one at the back... why? Any smoke at this point will be elective towards this if it is high enough... on a windless day if you are standing next to a fire the smoke will follow you. Let the rock do the work
Cut the meat into 4 oz sizes so its easier to spork it. Stick the meat on the stone - you should hear a sizzle, no sizzle? not hot enough....add more stick if you want.
Take you thumb and push down on the meat... if its soft it sinks in. (not done yet) if its medium pressure you are almost there. if you burn your thumb or it doensn't sink it at all - too much. Time to eat add some more stick or let it go out.
If you are having an issue fishing the potato out - take a stick and whittle a small spear poke and remove.
please make sure its cold out when leaving...my trick is stir water into the fire pit then, pull it all apart, there is not much left - you would miss it if you walked by. So long as there are not hot coals - pulling it apart - works every time.
When was the last time you had dirty steak? Yea - you pass a grocery just off the trail grab a small steak out of the cooler and make sure it doesn't say Chuck. Nothing wrong with a T-Bone... its like having a handle on Dinner. Slide it next to the water bladder inside the sleeve. Its good to have cold stream water, and don't worry you are not going to die. Grab a few potato's and tin foil. Hike out of town..
You get to the shelter or the clearing.. I don't want to get into all the dementia of that sign over there... (No open fire)
Clear away the leaves make sure your rocks are dry and build that circle, never use slate or wet rocks find a oval one or a flat surface. If you can find one tall one use that as a back rest, to draw the smoke away from you.
Wood - well this is something of an acquired skill, I watched many a boy fall flat on this - you are walking under trees looking for half inch thick long branches. Don't come back with logs. There is no need for a axe - or saw, just a good knife. When breaking it up start with twiggy ends and make that into a pile in the middle and as you get to the other end its every 8 to 12 inches. Go ahead and get it started and gather some more half inch stick about 1 cubic foot. If the wood is wet - you remove the bark with the knife. -- now its not wet.
Well now we have our neanderthal cook set going time to prepare those potatos. cut a large x on one side and break out some butter pats from Mcdonalds if you have them. put a little water in there too. Salt & pepper -wrap in tin foil shiny side in...
set aside... nothing to do for a while.... you are waiting for the flames to die.... no kidding, people still think flame broiled - no you cook on the rock and coals...You can nestle the potatoes on the side provided you turn them so often. If you are a patient cus you want coals. then you place them right in there all snuggled up, rotating every once in a while....
Theres one flat rock warming up right? Thats the hearth stone...move it to the middle. Leave a tall one at the back... why? Any smoke at this point will be elective towards this if it is high enough... on a windless day if you are standing next to a fire the smoke will follow you. Let the rock do the work
Cut the meat into 4 oz sizes so its easier to spork it. Stick the meat on the stone - you should hear a sizzle, no sizzle? not hot enough....add more stick if you want.
Take you thumb and push down on the meat... if its soft it sinks in. (not done yet) if its medium pressure you are almost there. if you burn your thumb or it doensn't sink it at all - too much. Time to eat add some more stick or let it go out.
If you are having an issue fishing the potato out - take a stick and whittle a small spear poke and remove.
please make sure its cold out when leaving...my trick is stir water into the fire pit then, pull it all apart, there is not much left - you would miss it if you walked by. So long as there are not hot coals - pulling it apart - works every time.
Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you!