Campfire Cooking

I got an email from Sunny this morning, directing me to a cooking site she ran across yesterday while Googling Hobo Packets. That email got me a little nostalgic, it did.

I was first introduced to foil packs (my term for hobo packets) when I was a boy scout. The idea behind a foil pack is simple in its ingenuity... or is that ingenious in its simplicity? Yeah, I think I like that better. All you need is some raw meat, veggies, spices and some aluminum foil, and you've got the fixins for a great meal. (If you're a vegetarian, you can omit the meat and substitute a generous portion of butter or cooking oil.) It's virtually (though not completely) idiot proof.

This is a recipe that my friends and I use every year when we go camping. Let me tell you how we make our foil packs...

Take some ground beef... the same amount you'd use for one or two hamburgers... it all depends on your appetite. You can substitute boneless chicken if you prefer.

Slice or coarsely chop some onion, mushroom and green pepper.

Slice one large potato.

Any other veggies you see fit. We tend to add baby carrots. Zucchini is also good.

Lay out a strip of aluminum foil and toss on the ingredients as you see fit. We generally don't compress the ground beef into patties, but that's a matter of personal taste. Make sure to leave enough room on the foil so that you can wrap it up. Before wrapping the stuff though, add seasoning to taste. We use Lawry's seasoned salt. But wait, there's more. We also add 1/3 to 1/2 can of cream of mushroom soup. It helps prevent everything from burning if you cook it too long.

Now wrap that rascal. Add a second layer of foil. That helps seal in the juices and steam, and prevents leaks. Keeping the juices and steam helps eliminate burnt food.

Toss it in the oven at 350 to 400 for about 45 minutes, or toss over a bed of hot coals if you're camping. Flip once, about half-way through the cooking process. You should see the foil pack puff up a bit from the steam during this process.

Some folks recommend the fork test to see if it's done. We don't do that. Once you've punctured the foil, you lose steam, which allows burning. My rule is this... if you're not sure let it cook five or ten minutes more. If you're still not sure, keep waiting. Someone else will lose patience and check theirs. If theirs is done, yours is too.