Some people point to the #vanlife movement, or to the new era of documenting all our adventures鈥攁nd meals鈥攐n social media. Others cite the rising popularity of camping in general, or the new crop of cool camping cook gear.
Whatever the exact reasons, one thing everyone agrees upon: we鈥檙e living in a golden era of camp cooking. But here鈥檚 the thing. That doesn鈥檛 mean you have to get all fancy or overly complicated about it, says Emma Frisch, a former climbing and backpacking guide and author of Feast by Firelight, a cookbook optimized for the outdoors. 鈥淚f done right, you鈥檙e hanging out, having a beer, and just watching something sizzle on a grill.鈥 Here are Frisch鈥檚 best tips鈥攁nd a few recipes鈥攖o help elevate your next car camping meal.听
Prep at Home
鈥淵ou can keep things simple while you鈥檙e at the campsite and avoid most of the cleaning if you do your prep at home,鈥 Frisch says. That means chopping vegetables, marinating meats, and pre-making sauces or seasonings before you leave the house. Front-loading these tasks not only simplifies the cooking but also makes packing the cooler easier and more efficient.
Elevate a Campfire Classic
You could argue that you鈥檙e not camping if you鈥檙e not eating hot dogs at some point during your trip. Frisch up-levels this campfire classic by grilling sausages over an open fire and topping them with homemade Pale Ale mustard. 鈥淕et precooked sausages so you don鈥檛 have to worry about internal temperature, and cook them on sticks over an open fire. The kids love it,鈥 Frisch says.
Pale Ale Mustard: Soak a cup of mustard seeds (black and yellow) in in the fridge overnight. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of allspice, and 5 tablespoons of honey. Blend thoroughly and store in a jar.听聽聽
Satisfy Big Groups
Large groups can be tough. You鈥檝e got one dude who鈥檚 allergic to dairy, another who鈥檚 allergic to soy, and someone鈥檚 kid who only eats orange foods. Avoid the hassle by creating Frisch鈥檚 鈥淕razing Table,鈥 where you load the picnic table with hearty snacking foods so everyone can load their plate with only the items they want. Think: sliced fruits, nuts, thick bread, cheese and sliced salami, hummus, sliced veggies鈥 鈥淚t鈥檚 a full meal, and you鈥檒l avoid spending all day cooking over the fire,鈥 Frisch says. Go the extra mile by making your own Pale Ale hummus.听
Pale Ale Hummus: At home, add 2 cans of drained chickpeas, 3 cloves of garlic, half a cup of tahini, juice of 1 lemon, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a food processor or blender and blend. Once it鈥檚 thoroughly blended, add half a cup of , stirring constantly until you get the consistency you鈥檙e looking for. Store in a jar in the fridge.听
Try Something New
One of Frisch鈥檚 go-to campfire dinners is grilled skirt steak and vegetables with a homemade chimichurri sauce, all of which is prepped at home so all you have to do at camp is man the grill. 鈥淪kirt steak is great because it cooks fast and you can鈥檛 overcook it,鈥 Frisch says. Slice the steak into wide strips at home and season with salt and pepper, storing in plastic bags. Slice yellow squash and zucchini, baste with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, storing in plastic bags.
Chimichurri: In a blender or food processor, blend a bunch of parsley and olive oil until you have a thin paste. Store in a jar. At camp, grill the steak and vegetables. Serve with a dollop of chimichurri, which pairs perfectly with the grilled meat and an ice-cold and aggressively hopped .听
Don鈥檛 Forget Dessert
There ain鈥檛 nothing wrong with s鈥檓ores, but if you鈥檙e looking to impress your mates, make this Old-Fashioned Bourbon Cherry Fool, which combines crushed fruit (cherries are best, but anything seasonal will work), homemade whipped cream, and bourbon.听
Old-Fashioned Bourbon Cherry Fool: At home, mash 2 cups of pitted cherries and put them in a mason jar with the juice of 1 orange and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Shake and store in the fridge.听At camp, put 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon bourbon to a mason jar (leave out the bourbon if you鈥檙e serving kids). Add a marble. Tighten the lid and shake vigorously for 3 minutes, until it turns to whipped cream. Remove marble. Layer cherries and whipped cream in a bowl or mug, fold together, and serve.
June is National Camping Month, and wants you to celebrate with car camping, a backcountry overnight, or just by pitching a tent in your backyard. However you decide to enjoy it, make sure you stock up with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale鈥攖he Official Beer of Camping鈥 for the adventure.