Main meals in camp

[Vaino]

After posting the seafood appetizers we enjoy in camp, the following are the delicious, hearty, main meals. Some start off as frozen and others which are consumed early on are not. Shortly after retirement, I prepared all the meals.

Am posting this in the present tense, although I no longer am involved.

Meatloaf and parselied, buttered red potatoes and canned green beans.

Paella which is a Spanish rice dish and contains pork, chicken, shrimp and sea scallops in addition to green and red pappers, onions,white wine and tomato sauce.

Spaghetti w/ Italian sausages in lieu of meatballs, romano grated cheese plus a green salad.

Lasagna made w/ mozzarella cheese plus a green salad.

Chili made w/ 3 different beans and a bit spicy.

Beef stew w/ all the usual veggies.

Omelet w/ link sausages.

This isn't a complete list, but won't bore you guys further.

All meals are served w/ red wine or drinks of choice.

Needless to say....the preparer of the meals must wash his hands using soap and in full view of the camp members....camp hygiene can be a problem and also will spoil my appetite if the hands aren't washed thoroughly. This is really our only rule....Fred

 

[Black Hand]

For another perspective:
These are dishes we've eaten at Rendezvous.

Roasted/fried (in bacon grease) meat - Elk, Venison, Beef, wild Turkey.

Cornmeal mush with bacon and/or sausages is popular for breakfast.

Sausages cooked on a stick.

Whole roasted chicken cooked suspended from a tripod next to a hot fire. The string is given a twist every so often so the chicken rotates for even cooking.

Stew containing barley (with hominy and/or wild rice, occasionally parched corn), dried vegetables (Carrots, onions, green onions, tomato paste) and Squirrel/Venison/Elk/Beef. Knorr Soup cubes help make the soup (Modern version of the L&C portable soup. I've made portable soup - it is good but very time consuming and you don't get much at the end when starting with a few gallons of stock)

Rice dishes cooked in a Dutch oven.

Bacon, eggs and potatoes.

Summer sausage, cheese and Triscuits.

Homemade pies.

Indian Pudding (cornmeal, sugar, dried ginger).

Tongue (Bison and Beef).

Made 2 whole spit-roasted pigs at a private event (cooked for ~24 hours over coals).

 

[Vaino]

Sounds delicious, but too time consuming for our hunts. Breakfast is some instant oatmeal in a cup and a glass of orange or tomato juice and a cup of instant coffee. Then we're off climbing to nearly 11,000 ft....a "heavy" stomach doesn't lend itself to this steep climb.

Lunch is a sandwich of roast beef slathered w/ horse radish sauce, a small candy bar and perhaps an apple.

The main meals have to be "quick" because we return when dark. After eating, we're in the sack after a few drinks.

We don't have a fire tender, cook or someone in camp during the day....we're all hunting.

Perhaps the question arises.....why hunt so hard?. That's how I've always hunted and the other members of the camp also hunt that way. Our deer camp and hunt were exactly the same.

Not being critical in the least, but a rendevous is very different than a hunting camp.... anyways ours....Fred

 

[Black Hand]

When in hunting camp, rations are far simpler:
Stew (as described above)
Roasted Meat on a stick
Cornmeal mush
Bacon
Coffee
Jerky & Parched Corn
Rum/Whiskey

Rations are fairly light, but we still eat well. The Knorr soup cubes and dried vegetables are also used in the mush - add a little bacon/sausage and you have a satisfying meal.

I believe it is helpful to have both extremes and the continuum in between. Gives people ideas...

 

[coloradoclyde]

All meals are served w/ red wine or drinks of choice.

You sir, are welcome at my camp anytime...... :thumbsup:

 

[bender20]

Our tradition is we make whatever game is leftover from last years hunts.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I hate leftovers.... :grin:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Buried Bird is fun to try.
1 Chicken
2 canvas cinch bags
A one yard square piece of canvas
heavy duty tongs
water
salt
sage
Rocks and wood
a shovel or spade

You dig a nice hole and line it with rocks*. Build a fire in the hole (the trick is to make a small hole next to the main hole that connects through the ground, that allows the bottom of the fire to be fed oxygen). When the fire is going well you add some rocks on top of the fire to heat. A couple of these need to be small enough to fit inside the cavity of a chicken (or other bird you are cooking.) You want a good fire, and you want to let it burn down.

Wet the yard of canvas and the pair of drawstring cinching canvas bags (I made mine on the sewing machine). Season the outside of the chicken with salt and sage. Using the tongs, place the two, small, heated rocks from the fire in the cavity of the chicken (they should sizzle). Place the chicken in the first dampened bag, and cinch it closed. Place that into the second dampened bag, only do so, with that the opening opposite of the first bag, and cinch that closed.

Using the tongs, remove the hot rocks that had been placed on top of the fire from the hole, and scrape out any ashes. Add the bagged chicken to the hole lined with the layer of heated rocks, and using the tongs, place the remaining heated rocks on top of the bagged chicken. Cover this with the damp yard of canvas, and then cover all of this with the dirt from the hole to seal it all in.

Do this right after lunch, and when you dig it up at dinner time the chicken will be done, moist, will fall off the bone, AND you didn't have to slave over an evening fire.

This works with all sorts of birds, though game birds might want wrapping with some fat (like bacon) Feeding a large group = a bigger hole, more bags and more chickens. It doesn't crisp up the skin as does roasting or frying though.

:idunno:

* Be SURE you do not use rocks from a creek or stream bed, and if you are in an area without good rocks don't buy rounded rocks from the local landscaping company as they are probably from a creek bed somewhere, as they may hold trapped water which will burst the stones when heated.

LD

 

[omarick1948]

At my age, I like to "rough it" and pre-cook much of our hunt camp food, so all one has to do is heat and eat. I just pop the vittles in my microwave or put a roast or other meat in a crock pot before venturing out of my fifth-wheel for a day hunting. I usually hit the hey after my hot shower and a little TV. :blah:

 

[Kansas Jake]

I can relate to that Rick. :bow:

 

[Black Hand]

My primary hunting areas are 20-40 minutes from the house. I just go home when I'm hungry...

 

[Blizzard of '93]

usually one of the bow hunters fetches a deer liver and heart to camp and there's always pounds of wild hog/venison sausage mix (great with chicken liver/gizzard in dirty rice).