Another crazy question: The 'camp site food'.

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Mexray said:
It's hard to beat grilled beef over a charcoal type BBQ when camping!  You can now buy the briquettes with bits of flavoring wood pressed right in, for that extra smokey flavor...YUM!


Ray
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Yes, your right, but my experience is that the wood flavorings is long gone by the time the coals are ready for cooking.  If I have some maple or mesquite, I'll soak it in water and throw it on the coals just before I cook.  That way, there's plenty of smoke.
 
We purchase our meat from Swingle Meat Co. in Jackson CA and always pick up a Kona marinated tri-tip which I slow cook on the Smokey Joe.  This is one our our favorites.  They also have great marinated half chickens breasts that we take often. 
We are perfecting our grilled pizza which is fun for the kids and us.  All kinds of toppings to make which ever kind you want.  Other favorites are chili, BBQ grilled hot wings. 
Just recently purchased a Coleman table top propane grill which worked well, not quite the same as the BBQ flavor from Joe.  Much harder to clean as a well seasoned grill needs little cleaning. 

Bon appetit.   
 
After a day on the road (usually 300 miles MAX) and set-up, the LAST thing I want to do is SLAVE over a stove (have to agree with Marsha).  Those days are usually crock-potters, cooking whilst we drive. 

BUT, on non-travel days I can hardly wait to "git-ur-jest-a-rippin" outside with an appropriate adult beverage in hand.  Most, if not all, my cooking has been declared "outside cooking" by DW because we can't afford 17 rolls of paper towels and 3 bottles of Windex that she uses for getting up the 1 itsy-bitsy splatter that I got on the stove.  Or DW using multiple Christmas Tree Room Fresheners to rid the kitchen of fishy smelling fried fish.  Therefore, "my clean freak" is totally in favor of any thing I cook, as long as its outside (but NOT under the awning)(and it's NOT storming and/or too cold).

My favorite meals are definitely out of the ordinary, and usually brought from home.  Local markets for seafood and some speciality meats are used, if the product is fresh and looks/smells good.  Most people, and DW, refer to my culinary skills (or lack there-of) as exotic for outdoor cooking.  Such as, bison burgers (would probably NOT do beef), grilled goose breasts, paella, elk tenderloin.......... As a matter of fact, earlier this summer, I was starting to get ready to grill some elk and the camper next door asked what I was going to cook.  I told him, and he said he had never had it........ So, I grilled an extra plate-full and delivered it to him....... Lo and behold, in appreciation he delivered a bottle of DeWars the next day (must have noticed my bottle sitting on the picnic table).

Love to cook, love to crank up the grill/hot plate/smoker/deep fryer, love to prepare something that the average Joe would not think about doing outside of the kitchen.  Cooking and camping is an adventure!!!!!

Sounds like all I cook is "wild game"........ BUT, that's NOT true.  Many of my favorites are ethnic recipes; Oriental,  European, South American, etc.......... I enjoy American cuisine, but tire of hotdogs, hamburgers, and apple pie.
 
Question for the fish grillers. Do you grill the fish on a water soaked cedar board or do you grill it on the grating of the grill?
If directly on the grill grating how do you keep it from falling apart? Also, do you cook it with the skin on or have it removed when removing the bones?
 
On a camping trip long ago we were trying to bake potatoes on a small charcoal grill, but it was pretty windy and we were having a problem getting them hot enough to bake well. :(

We ended up  cutting the potatoes into small cubes adding butter and garlic powder and wrapping the whole thing in a somewhat flat aluminum foil package.  This cooked much better and was Delicious!  It is pretty much our defalt way to do potatoes on the grill now. ;)
 
I have been doing fish in foil packs  (Like Honest John and the potatoes)

I do have cedar planks somewhere but I can never find 'em when I wan't 'em.. May have to go looking tomorrow if I feel better (Kicking a cold just now)
 
Yep, with fish, cedar planks or just just cedar soaked chips thrown in right before you toss on the fish is just as good.  Also with fish, I'll always have a low heat (coals good and ready) with a tin foil underlay.  I stay away from bony fish, so I've never had that problem.  CARP-YUCK.
 
Fish on the grill......... You bet we do!!!!!  Falling apart or breaking up when taking them off USED to be a problem.  Fish fillets or whole fish seemed to "sag" between the thin wire grate and when you tried ti flip with a spatula, the spatula would catch the edge of the fish and tear the whole thing apart........  Remedy......... I use an old cast iron Hibachi (sp) grill placed on top of the wire grates.  It's surface if wider, with thinner cracks for the fish to fall through AND the surface of the grill is flat making the spatula slide between the fish and the grill.  Another trick is to NOT move the fish around as its cooking, let it "crust" up real good, making it easier to work with.  Foil works good also, spray with cooking spray before cooking to prevent sticking.  Maybe even poke a few holes in the foil to let some smkoe season the fish!!!!!!

Taters N Foil............ An old Boy Scout method, wrap taters, meat (hamburger), onions., maybe some other vegetable also, butter/margarine, salt and pepper......... Wrap in thick foil, or double wrap with thin stuff, and set in the campfire coals (or on the BBQ grill) until taters are done!!!!!  Foil envelope can be opened to inspect, and then re-seal.  Good with chunked pork chop, chunked steak, ham, sausage, even thick sliced bacon.....
 
We met up with the Nathans a number of years ago during our Alaska trip. We were in Prince Rupert and Liliane, Terry and I went out on a fishing charter. We had an excellent captain and had our limits in less than an hour after dropping our lines. When we got back to the campground with a "mess of flounder", Terry said we were going to barbecue the fish. OK, so Marlene watched and helped Liliane wrap individual filets in foil accompanied by spices and white wine. Put the foil packs on the grill and waited. The fish was about the best we have ever tasted and Marlene uses Liliane's recipe for BBQ fish to this day.
 
I love fish, DW tolerates it.  DW REALLY objects to "stinking" (her term) up the inside kitchen with prep and cooking.  Many years ago, so that I could have fish and appease the DW, I started prep/cooking on the BBQ outside.  Both gas and briquets.  Both at home and camping.  Tender fillets are difficult to keep from falling apart.  Cooking with the skin on the fish tends to be more "sturdy" when it comes to falling apart.  Wrapping in foil, and serving in the foil packet, does a good job.  If you end aim is cooked/steamed/poached fish adding 1/4 cup of white wine in the foil packet works great.  Butter/salt/pepper added works great.  Cajun Red Neck seasoning is SUPER!  Fresh spices (parsley, dill, lemon or whatever) add unique flavors to "just plain fish"...........

My favorite is Stuffed & Baked Whole Brown or Steelhead Trout (Only small fish, no larger than 5#'s) done with or without foil).  For the stuffing, just think Thanksgiving, and add several small cans of your favorite product (clams, shrimp, lobster, oyster, kipper snacks?, pickled herring?)  Use clam juice for a moistening agent for the stuffing, bread crumbs, celery, onions.  Stuff the fish abundantly and sew (with fishing line, NOT mono, and large needle) the belly closed.  Extra stuffing can be mixed with an egg, formed into patties, and grilled along side the fish........... Serve with a nice bottle of "Holy Water", salad and crusty bread.......YUMMY !!!!!
 
Additional comment....... Forgot the question about the cedar plank....... Yes, been there and done that........... Soaked in water, of course.  Works great !!!!!!!!!! You, of course, have heard the joke about grilling fish on a plank, where you cook the fish on the plank, when done you throw away the fish and eat the plank..........

I am a BIG time Lake Ontario fisherman, and always have a freezer of assorted salmon, trout, walleye, northern, etc.  I also have a military retired friend who lives in Pa.  He comes up a few times a year to fish, and for what ever reason doesn't do very well, he asks if he can raid the freezer.  Hep-Ur-Sef, sez I.  He grabs packages marked "S" (for salmom), "LT" for lake trout, "BT" for brown trout, and "PT"......... A month or so later, I receive a phone call............ Seems he was in the mood for some fish, opened the PT package, only to discover a slab of pine wood.  Had a hard time cooking that !!!!!!
 
Sounds like too much work..whatever happened to the Sushi fad?

  I don't like Sushi either, especially when it still wiggles.  ;D

 
We're going camping this weekend for the Canadian Thanksgiving. Going to be deep frying a turkey!  :p

Mike
 
I want to make a quick remark....  Cedar planks, I do not trust.... I'm quite the idiot and I have already made a previous comment on putting cedar planks under fish, but I thought about it, and I could be wrong.
You see, Cedar is used in fencing. Cedar is a poison for animals that try to eat fencing. That's why cedar is a good fencing material. Animals do not eat it.    I do not know the exacts, and would much rather use mesquite under fish, but I don't trust cedar.  Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can stand up and refresh us on this???  Mesquite is very good with fish.  it's also WONDEFULL with chicken. Cedar, I will not use.  I mistook it because i wasn't thinking clearly.  We need a professional here.
 
razu13612 said:
Fish on the grill......... You bet we do!!!!!  Falling apart or breaking up when taking them off USED to be a problem.  Fish fillets or whole fish seemed to "sag" between the thin wire grate and when you tried ti flip with a spatula, the spatula would catch the edge of the fish and tear the whole thing apart........  Remedy......... I use an old cast iron Hibachi (sp) grill placed on top of the wire grates.  It's surface if wider, with thinner cracks for the fish to fall through AND the surface of the grill is flat making the spatula slide between the fish and the grill.  Another trick is to NOT move the fish around as its cooking, let it "crust" up real good, making it easier to work with.  Foil works good also, spray with cooking spray before cooking to prevent sticking.  Maybe even poke a few holes in the foil to let some smkoe season the fish!!!!!!

Taters N Foil............ An old Boy Scout method, wrap taters, meat (hamburger), onions., maybe some other vegetable also, butter/margarine, salt and pepper......... Wrap in thick foil, or double wrap with thin stuff, and set in the campfire coals (or on the BBQ grill) until taters are done!!!!!  Foil envelope can be opened to inspect, and then re-seal.  Good with chunked pork chop, chunked steak, ham, sausage, even thick sliced bacon.....
Click to expand...

Another thing I use right before I 'flip' the fish steak, is squirt a lot of lemon juice right under the hot spot frying pan to give the fish that little bit of bite.  The key is to squirt it on the hot spot, then throw the fish right on that boiling liquid to absorb it.  Delicious.  You get crusted fish steaks with a zest of lemon.  Baking is one thing, but searing the flesh with seasoning is a whole new appreciation.  Also, bay leaves are very good when marinading fish with Italian dressing the night before you cook, makes a wonderful fish too.

I hope I didn't send anyone to bed hungry tonight.
 
I doubt cedar is poisonious because deer will strip them clean in the middle of winter when food is scarce. I think cedar is used because of its longevity over pine.

Mike
 
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