Camping and caravaning often require the simplest and easiest dinners, and cooking outdoors with minimal washing up is a must. There’s nothing better than a delicious steak and a succulent salad enjoyed with a beer or wine at the end of a day in the great outdoors.
Perfect steak
Steaks come in a choice of five cuts: rib-eye, tenderloin, sirloin, T-bone and rump. Premium cuts like rib-eye and tenderloin often have fine layers of fat running through them called marbling, which melt when cooked. Rump can be tougher, but a good quality rump steak can be tasty if cooked well.
Choose a nice red piece and remove it from the fridge one hour before cooking, as steak cooks best at room temperature. Ensure your grill is set to high to seal in the natural juices, and never cut a steak to check if it’s done.
Step one
Trim excess fat. Heat a hotplate, grill or heavy-based pan on high. Brush each steak lightly with oil.
Step two
Place on a hot grill. Cook steam to seal until moisture begins to pool on the surface. Turn only once.
Step three
Cook until the steak feels springy when pressed with tongs. Cover with foil and rest for five minutes.
Peach salad
Ingredients
820g can peach halves, drained
2 tbsp olive oil
8 thin slices prosciutto
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp white wine vinegar
70g rocket leaves
Half cup fetta
Method
Pat peach halves dry with paper towel, then arrange on more paper towel until ready to use. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan on high. Fry prosciutto for 2–3 minutes until crisp. Set aside. Add peach halves and cook, turning, until lightly caramelised. Stir in thyme and heat for one minute.
Stir mustard and honey through, then bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for one minute. Stir vinegar through and season to taste. Transfer pan juices to a jug. When ready to serve, divide rocket, fetta, prosciutto and peaches among plates and drizzle with warm pan juices.
Serves 4.
Marinades and beer batters
The secret to successful camping is knowing what you need and leaving behind what you don’t. These tasty enhancers, made with ingredients you already have, will help lighten the load.
Bushman’s marinade
Combine ½ cup beer, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp barbecue seasoning, 1tbsp malt vinegar, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 1 crushed clove of garlic. Suits 1.5kg beef.
Sweet spicy marinade
Combine 1tbsp Vegemite, 2 tsp curry powder, ½ cup fruit chutney, 2 cloves crushed garlic, ¼ cup natural yoghurt. Suits 1kg chicken.
Honey and mustard rub
Combine 2tbsp oil, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp vinegar, pinch cinnamon. Suits 750gm pork.
THE NEXT STEPS
A Hybrid Caravan or camper trailer could be what you need to add more adventure to your weekends, contact the Swag Camper Trailers team today. We’d be happy to help and answer any enquiries you have about our Campers, Hybrids and Caravans.
