TOP OUTDOOR COOKING RECIPES

- 2024-06-07

There are many reasons why we like to head off on vehicle-based adventures: wildlife encounters, sports activities, fresh air, quality family time, or to escape the urban rat race. One of the most popular and satisfying things on these trips is the chance to cook outdoors. Hitting the road, going for a surf, or reading a book in your camping hammock is no fun on an empty stomach.

Top nosh can only be achieved with the right ingredients and proper outdoor cooking gear. If you are traveling somewhere remote, like Australia’s Simpson Desert or Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, don’t expect to find any food shops, so take along all the ingredients you might need. However, if the opportunity to go to local markets to purchase local produce is there, snap it up.

Ensure you have all the gear and ingredients (link to CAMP KITCHEN) to cook up a feast of culinary delights before heading on your next trip. The collapsible and compact BBQ/Fire Pit or the Spare Tire Mount Braai/BBQ Grate are great charcoal or wood cooking options. Some places don’t allow fires, so you might have to opt for a CADAC gas BBQ, such as the great all-rounder 2 Cook 3 Pro Deluxe model, or if you want something smaller, try the Safari Chef 30. What are the best things about these gas cookers? You fire up the gas and start cooking straight away.

You’ll need enough water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning, so a big enough water storage system is necessary. (links to water storage solutions). A reliable surface for food prep and serving is a must, and they don’t come sturdier or more easily accessible than the Under Rack Table. Flipping food, chopping ingredients, and cutting require the right tools, and you’ll find them all in the Camp Kitchen Utensil Set.

Now that you have the right gear and ingredients, it’s time to fire up the gas, wood, or charcoal BBQs. We chatted with three of our favorite outdoor cooks for some recipe ideas, and here are some you must try on your next vehicle-based adventure:

The BLT Bagel by Sarah Glover

I grew up eating bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches in Australia. Recently, I devised a mash-up of two of my favorite foods: BLTs and toasted bagels with cream cheese. You must try this with your next brunch, perhaps with a blood orange Bellini on the side.

What you need:

1 Everything bagel, split

2 Tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

½ Teaspoon dried parsley (optional)

Lettuce leaves of your choice

1 Tomato, sliced

2 Slices of bacon, cooked to your liking.

Toast the bagel to your liking. Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dried parsley (if using) in a small bowl. Spread the mixture onto the cut sides of the toasted bagel.

Add the lettuce, tomato, and bacon to one side of the bagel, then place the other half on top. Slice in half and enjoy!

*Recipe from Sarah Glover’s Open Skies Cookbook

The Traditional Braaibroodjie by Jan Braai

The traditional South African braaibroodjie is the highlight of many a braai or BBQ. Who needs meat when you can have a perfectly toasted cheese sandwich? Make a few extra; they are great next-day snacks when on the road. This recipe has many variations, but this is the original one.

What you need:

12 Slices of bread

Butter

Chutney

240g Cheddar cheese, grated or sliced

2 or 3 Tomatoes, sliced, 2-3 slices per braaibroodjie

1 Onion, sliced into rings

What to do:

Build the braaibroodjie. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread (these will be outward-facing on the assembled braaibroodjie). Place half the bread slices butter-face down; spread chutney on them and evenly distribute cheese, tomato, and onion on top. Grind salt and pepper on top. Cover with remaining bread slices.

Braaaibroodjies should be turned often and are toasted in a closed, hinged grid on a Front Runner Spare Mount Braai or BBQ Fire Pit. Aim for all the cheese to be melted and all the other fillings to be heated entirely by the time the outsides are golden brown.

Once done, slice each braaibroodjie diagonally in half and serve immediately.

*Recipe from Jan Braai’s Braaibroodjies and Burgers book.

Stockmen Stew by Viv Moon

I’ve adapted this great recipe from a stew I encountered during one of our trips to South Africa. It’s a great way to use leftover cooked meat, such as sausages and steak. It takes a few ingredients and some cans to open, but it is a straightforward and tasty dish to throw together, a meal in one.

Ingredients:

1 to 2 Tablespoons oil

1 to 2 Red or brown onions, finely chopped

2 Cloves garlic, crushed

1 Green or red capsicum, de-seeded and finely chopped

2 Cups or more of leftover cooked meat, leftover from the BBQ, steak, sausages and chops work well

½ Teaspoon ground coriander

½ Teaspoon ground cumin

½ to 1 Teaspoon chilli flakes or crushed chilli

1 400g Can tomatoes, crushed or chopped

1 400gm Can baked beans

1 400g Can butter beans

1x400g Can corn kernels

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar

Salt pepper to taste

Salt and pepper

Method:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or camp oven and add the onions, garlic, and capsicum. Stir over a medium heat for a few minutes.

Add the spices and chili and stir for a few minutes for the spices' flavors to develop.

Add the chopped meat, tomatoes, baked beans, butter beans, and corn, and mix it all.

All the balsamic vinegar and sugar and mix through.

Season to taste.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until everything is thoroughly heated through and the stew has thickened.

Keep an eye on the amount of liquid in the stew; add water if it is too thick.

It can be served in tortilla wraps with lettuce or on a bed of mashed potatoes.