Camp Cookin

[Swede]

About four years ago it was left to me to be the camp cook. I know it is not a very glamorous job, but I had filled my elk tag while others were still trying to fill theirs. I would be the first to admit that I am not much of a cook. I have never had much interest in the job, but I can get by. Cuisine, when I cook is barbequed or fried steaks, fresh veggies and something like corn on the cob or canned corn heated up. I always have some bread, and tortillas in a sack, but you have to butter your own. I know about what time the hunters will be in, so I start out a few minutes before it gets dark and start preparing. Almost always it is fresh and hot when folks arrive in camp.
Well one evening as we are eating, one of the hunters was complimenting me and stated that I was a better cook than his wife. I know his wife's cooking and she is good, so I thought to myself "you are trying way too hard to show appreciation". Still I said "thanks". I did understand, in a way, what he meant though. There is something special about camp cooking and hunters sitting around visiting and discussing their hunts as well as their plans. It is one of the highlights of my day. even as camp cook. Since we live out of trailers and A-Wall tents, we are not forced to eat granola and freeze dried meals that you just add water to and shake or stir.
The thought of camp meals got me to wondering what others might be experiencing. What constitutes a great camp meal to some of you?

[Lefty]

Camp dinners is one of the things I do miss about not hunting in a group.
A good fire,.. time to relax, eat till your full,....I will say the best deer camp meals I ever had were when my mom came up to camp for a day or two Late November in Minnesota wasnt sit around the campfire, it was crank the heat
For now its gronola, apple, oranges, veggies and a few good sandwiches on good bread, good meat, good cheese, fresh tomatoes peppers and the right condiments

Food is always good when you are hungry.
Some guys should never be allowed in the kitchen. or arounnd the camp stove
Some should never be allowed to grocery shop.

Good cooking isnt that hard,.. dont burn anything, dont salt it like your trying to preserve it and add good butter to about everything

[pointysticks]

man..the most stressfree time for me is sitting around a campfire wearing a good puffy down jacket. add some good camp-fare, and i am truly in heaven.

i love eating while there is camp-smoke in the air. eat fast, because the cold mountain air will chill even deepest bowl of camp chili. i am always the camp-cook. better than being the camp dishwasher.

[Magic]

I have served as "Camp Jack" on several trips, and knowing ahead of time so that you can plan the menus is very important. A good variety and a few surprises like chocolate pie and banana pudding will make you a hero.

[cnelk]

A Dutch Oven is your best friend when you are designated 'Camp Cookie'...

[Vanish]

I was de facto camp cook even before I got my elk!

This year, since we were camped with our coolers, we did a week's worth of frozen meals prepared before we even got to camp, as well as some canned stuff for later in the hunt. It got interesting when we had to take an elk home on day 3 of 9 and still had lots of food in the coolers (especially since some of the frozen stuff did not get eaten on day 1 and 2), but we figured it out. Being short on space is something we can't really resolve at the moment!

One thing we tried to do was eat the big meal at lunch time, but even just heating the frozen stuff when we got back in the dark was easy. Here are a few I remember.

Mint Turkey Soup
Venison Stew (two kinds!)
Venison Burgers (Did these on the fire pit, too!)
Venison Sloppy Joes
Venison Fajitas
Fire Roasted Grouse
Egg Burritos

[hornart]

We all kind of take turns at camp cook,,but we eat really well in camp , almost better than home. The son-in-law is the best cook we have in camp and he likes to eat so he doesnt mind the cooking part either. We will have steaks for one meal ,porkchops for another,the son-in-laws homemade chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles,,we also have an oven that we use and bake biscuits or cinnamon rolls,,and we live out of a tent not a trailer