Family Campout Menu Ideas

[vumbi]

You left out vinegar based and molasses based, lol. And some of the best ribs I've ever had (and I've had my share) were at The Rib Pit in Cincinnati, OH years ago. There's pretty fair barbecue in AL, MS, and LA as well.

 

My biggest disappointment: Florida. What a 'hole'...when it comes to barbecue. Now if we're smoking fish, that's another matter. Charlotte Harbor smoked mullet is about as good as it gets.

 

Of course you can smoke a carp if you want, for that matter. You have to roll it up in a newspaper and suck real hard.

[Hedgehog]

So if I put a couple of racks of baby back ribs and a couple of bottles of Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce in a Dutch Oven and cook for three hours -- is that BBQ?

[Stosh]

So if I put a couple of racks of baby back ribs and a couple of bottles of Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce in a Dutch Oven and cook for three hours -- is that BBQ?

 

Yep

 

So is:

 

2# ground beef or pork or both

 

chopped onion

chopped green peppers

Jack Daniels BBQ sauce

 

Cooked in DO,

 

Scoop out on a bun or pita/pocket bread

 

The boys really don't care if it's slow cooked or not.  Add some Liquid Smoke and they'll be happy.

Edited October 5, 2015 by Stosh

[Krampus]

Here's one my son found. Made him a rock star with his patrol. Imagine being in Texas in the summer and conjuring up ice cream...on a camp out...in a Dutch oven no less.

Edited October 5, 2015 by Krampus

[NJCubScouter]

Here's one my son found. Made him a rock star with his patrol. Imagine being in Texas in the summer and conjuring up ice cream...on a camp out...in a Dutch oven no less.

Presumably that is in response to the original question, not the tangent this thread has taken. (Hmm, an ON-topic post, are those allowed here?) While a wide variety of things may be barbecued (or, if you are in the South, barbecue), ice cream would not seem to be one of them.

[NJCubScouter]

In the US, BBQ refers to meat cooked slowly over indirect heat on a BBQ Grill or meat that is cooked by high temperature smoking.  Grilling is cooking directly over coals on a BBQ Grill (though in England, what we call grilling is what they call barbeque but since barbeque is a new world cooking process, we can just smile at them and say "bless their hearts").

Now that I have learned, from past posts in this forum, what "bless their hearts" REALLY means, I will say that I think you may need to also bless our hearts up here in the Northeast and probably some other parts of the country as well. And maybe there's a rural vs. urban/suburban dimension at work here as well. We are talking about different U.S. regional dialects here, not just U.S. v. U.K.

[blw2]

Interesting re the consideration for picky eaters.

 

I guess I'm old.  I would never have a plan B for picky eaters.  

 

If a scout doesn't like what is being served, he can bring his own.   Or go hungry.    Usually, hunger will induce a picky eater to try something other "chicken" nuggets and other "food" of like kind.

 

Naturally, if a scout has a bona fide food allergy/medical/religious concern, I'll go the extra mile to accommodate.   But Johnny doesn't like stew because it has carrots in it?    Sorry.   Johnny can work up some courage and have some stew.   Or watch everyone else eat.   His choice.

 

 

The standard answer from my Mom who always like to experiment with new recipes... "You can try next door to see if what they are having is any better.  Otherwise there's peanut butter in the cupboard."

 

I learned to eat a lot of different things or go without supper.  Always my choice.  Never had the courage to see what the neighbors were having....

 

 

I like this idea, in theory anyway.

I'll eat almost anything as long as it doesn't have Blue Cheese on it, and I'm not a fan of most vinegar dressings and sauces.

My wife on the other hand is a very picky eater and has taught our kids nicely to be picky.....

so it's hard for me to teach this way...

 

But in the context of the group camping menu.... I agree, except to say that some folks just may not care for BBQ in one or more of these various forms..... so I think it's good to offer choices anytime something primary in the menu might be polarizing....

[mashmaster]

Presumably that is in response to the original question, not the tangent this thread has taken. (Hmm, an ON-topic post, are those allowed here?) While a wide variety of things may be barbecued (or, if you are in the South, barbecue), ice cream would not seem to be one of them.

yum....

 

Here is one I saw the other day and I immediately thought "Yum, that would be perfect on a campout".  http://allrecipes.com/video/1469/bubbas-jambalaya/?prop25=170677855&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2015-10-02&prop28=Feature_1&prop29=Photo&eaid=5159317  Bubba's Jambalaya.  I would just omit the shrimp.

[Krampus]

Presumably that is in response to the original question, not the tangent this thread has taken. (Hmm, an ON-topic post, are those allowed here?) While a wide variety of things may be barbecued (or, if you are in the South, barbecue), ice cream would not seem to be one of them.

 

Yes, it was an answer to the original post. However, I will say that you *can* BBQ ice cream. In Texas we even fry it.

 

On the subject of BBQ (not barbecued or barbecue), as a Texan I tend not to get involved when people "talk through their hat" about this subject. Y'all may have your ways you *think* are real BBQ, but its just a fancy way to say your grilling something. As far as sauce goes, that's just something you put on bad BBQ to allow you to choke it down.

 

Come to Texas and we will be happy to show you what "low and slow" means. No self-respecting pit master would cook ANYTHING with "high heat".   We brine, dry it, rub it, smoke it, let it set, chop it (or slice it, sometimes pull it) and eat it. We don't inject it, cover it with sauce, cook it on high heat or anything else unnatural. 

 

BTW, @@Stosh, when you drive through Big D stop at Meshack BBQ in Garland. The neighborhood will scare you a bit but the BBQ is top shelf.

Edited October 5, 2015 by Krampus

[vumbi]

I've enjoyed Texas BBQ before, in the hill country around Southwest Texas State. Also in the San Antonio area and most recently in Abilene. It's all good. One thing I've noticed traveling around is that everyone, EVERYONE, thinks their barbecue (BBQ for Krampus) is better than everyone elses, or at least that it is unique.

In this respect, the topic of barbecue (BBQ) is almost like discussing someone's religious beliefs. There's really no point in trying to convince anyone. Each of us must sample it and decide for ourselves if we like it or if it's really 'better' in some way. And we can't expect others to have the same reaction or even agree. But if they DO agree, we can gather in reverence toward whatever we call the stuff that we slow cook, grill, smoke, chop, slice, pull, slather with sauce, or however we prepare it. And then we all fall in to silent (and shared) reverence as we consume our objects of culinary worship.

Edited October 5, 2015 by ya lazima vumbi

[Ranman328]

Have you considered foil meals?  We have done hamburger, turkey burger, chicken burger with hash browns, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers, cheese or whatever veggie you like wrapped up in foil and placed on coals for about 20 minutes.  We always have some bread and cheese for those kids (like my son) that don't like foil meals.  We have also done soft and hard tacos with Spanish rice. 

[mashmaster]

yum....

 

Here is one I saw the other day and I immediately thought "Yum, that would be perfect on a campout".  http://allrecipes.com/video/1469/bubbas-jambalaya/?prop25=170677855&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2015-10-02&prop28=Feature_1&prop29=Photo&eaid=5159317  Bubba's Jambalaya.  I would just omit the shrimp.

Made this in a dutch oven and they gobbled it up.  needs Franks hot sauce as the only condiment.  We omitted shrimp.

[blw2]

I'm not a fan of foil meals

It's a cool novelty

& I know there are ways to do them better, and a lot of the result is in the ingredients....

and you have to have the proper heavy duty foil

and the coal bed needs to be just right

 

but every time I've seen these things done it has been a failure

• they typically aren't done with what I would call the right kind of ingredients
• the coals aren't ready when folks are hungry
• so cooking starts too early
• burnt
• or stuck
• or not very tasty
• or some overdone
• others under done
• some get holes in them
• some come unsealed
• others aren't marked well enough so taht the owner can't be identified
• It's a chinese fire drill for the "pit master"

[Mom2a]

Taco in a bag was a huge hit at our fall campout. Parents thought it sounded strange then fell in love with it and are still talking about how good they were. Spaghetti has worked well in the past. We have also had friendship soup. Every scout brings a can of their favorite vegetable, pack provides meat, broth and noodles.

[Hedgehog]

 

I'm not a fan of foil meals

 

 

it's all in the folding technique.  Our guys have done hamburgers (veggies options) on an individual basis.  Actually, most of them cooked two at a time.  They were all done to perfection.

 

The adults and the boys often cook the veggies in foil.  A little water, a little butter, salt and pepper and some green beans or broccoli or carrots.  We also get heat and serve bread, take it out of the package, wrap it in foil and warm it on the edge of the coals.  That with some Dutch Oven Pasta (see post #11 above).