Outdoor Activity Foods - AMC Recipe

[Charlie Schuessler]

Call it what you want, when you're hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, cross-country-telemark-alpine skiing, you're outdoors and when you are active for a few hours or more you need to feed the engine. I believe that I snack more in colder weather than I do in warmer weather.

I received this month's AMC NH Chapter Newsletter "Mountain Passages" and read a simple "Beef Jerky" food preparation article prepared by Anne Gwynee & David Ross that seemed appropriate for A-Z outdoor enthusiasts.

1.5-lbs flank steak, top round or whatever looks good & is about 1.25" thick. Slice the meat thinly with the grain, it may be easier to complete this by freezing the meat for an hour or two before you're ready to work with it.

Prepare a marinade consisting of the following items mixed together - 1/2-cup soy sauce (try low sodium), 1/2 tsp. cayenne powder, 1/4-1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke, 8-10 drops of Tabasco, and 15 shakes of chili powder. Allow the meat strips to marinate in the mix for at least 4-hours; overnight is not a bad idea.

Set the oven for 170°F and place the prepared strips on over racks in the middle of the oven and bake until dry, usually about 8 hours. Place aluminum foil under the strips on the lower rack to catch the drippings.

Allow them too cool, place in zip lock bags and take them with you for a quick snack no matter what you’re doing outdoors. Now that I’ve spent some time thinking about this, I’m going try this recipe.

Does this seem interesting? What do you do? :idea:

 

[riverc0il]

i pack sandwiches, cookies, and grapes. takes all of three minutes to prepare then i am heading to the slopes! i can't imagine cooking a steak for trail food... maybe for dinner the night before!

and regarding steak, too much soy sauce makes for an aweful marinade. worchestershire sauce (sp?) is much better in my book. also, chili and tabasco? the last thing i want on a hike is to be eatting something with the hots and needing to drink more water!

 

[ctenidae]

You know, you can buy that stuff- it's about $4 a bag. Comes in all kinds of flavors, too!!

Seriously, the soy sauce is important, mostly for the salt- it helps draw out the water from the meat so it dries out better. Doesn't hurt to keep your sodium level up when sweating, too. I'm kinda iffy on the tobasco and chili powder, though- you'll want to be careful on that.

I can't say I have a standard trail food- it's usually whatever is on special at the store when I'm shopping. I don't really do much snacking, though- I carry enough energy with me (at least, according to my wife I've got plenty), and hiking works well for the long, slow burn.

 

[awf170]

i carry anything with salt when i hike...

 

[Paul]

I like the looks of it, but am probably too lazy to try it.

Oh..and you can NEVER have too much Tobasco, or chili.....or cayenne....or....

 

[ctenidae]

One of the best meals I ever had hiking was on something like day 14 of an Outward Bound course. We were a day away from our next food cache, and were down to bagels, peanut butter and onions. Throw some chili powder on that, and you've got yourself a meal! Helps keep the bears away, too.

 

[JimG.]

and regarding steak, too much soy sauce makes for an aweful marinade. worchestershire sauce (sp?) is much better in my book.

Try substituting Teriyaki sauce for the Soy sauce. It's alot mellower and sweeter. Soy sauce is for salt lovers. I mix the Terikayi with Worcestershire sauce for the extra kick. The steaks wind up tasty with some kick but not too salty.

 

[smitty77]

Does this seem interesting? What do you do? :idea:

About a week ago on "Good Eats" (FoodNetwork) Alton Brown showed you how to make your own jerky with a very similar recipe, only he dried his by sandwiching the beef strips in the pleats of HVAC filters, stacked 6 or 7 high, and lashed them to a box fan with a bungee cord and let it run until they were dry. He says it yields a more tender jerky stick. I've also seen him dry herbs this way. I like his show because he gives the science behind the recipe, which I find more interesting than "just add this, that, and presto." Or is it BAM!

I'm hoping to try either recipe soon.

Like ctenidae, I think there can never be too much tobasco or chili powder, or garlic for that matter!