I went on my very first camping adventure last weekend on Mt. Laguna. The nights were cold, so I was tasked with coming up with some food to warm everyone up.
Campfire Beef Stew
Before I left home I marinated about 3 pounds of stew beef overnight in a bottle of red wine (HINT: Use a nice burgundy or pinot noir. It does't have to be expensive, but be sure it is something you would enjoy drinking). The next day, I drained the beef, reserving the excess marinade, and dried the pieces with paper towels. I seasoned the beef with a little salt and pepper and seared it in olive oil, working in batches. I then tossed all the beef with a couple tablespoons of flour and returned it to the hot pan, tossing just until the flour was browned. I let the beef cool and packed it away for the trip.
In the meantime, I cut up about 3 carrots, 3–4 stalks of celery, about a pound to a pound and a half of little fingerling potatoes (halved), a sweet onion and about 6–8 cloves of garlic. I seasoned the veggies with a little salt and pepper and poured the reserved marinade over them before packing them away for the trip.
When the time came to cook the stew at the campsite, I combined the beef and veggies (including their marinade) with 1 quart of beef stock in a cast iron Dutch oven and let it cook on the campfire for several hours. Serve with crusty bread for a one-pot meal to warm any cold night!
This is a collection of jalapeño, serrano and
cayenne peppers I grew in pots on my front porch.
They were simply tossed in olive oil, sea salt
and freshly ground black pepper, then
roasted on the fire in an iron skillet
until soft. Fiery yet delightful!!
