Cooking and The Mountain: Part II

... and up Mt. Katahdin we went. Hiking up this mountain is unlike anything I've ever done before because the trails are basically rock slides that require you to scramble hand over foot up boulders the size of cars. To use my friends sentiment, it is kind of what you dream of doing when you are eight years old (or 29 years old as the case may be).

We reached the summit, crawled across the Knife Edge (a narrow ridge of rocks with a precipitous drop on either side), and descended down the other side. The sweeping panoramic views were stunning and seemed endless. The entire hike took us eleven hours and prepared us for one of our favorite meals: "meat special". Not a very appetizing name I know but we couldn't just simply call it what it really is, a beef pot roast cooked over a campfire.

Meat Special
(for 3 - 4 people)

aluminum foil
2 lbs. stew beef
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 large potatoes, thinly sliced
2/3 lb. baby carrots
1 1/2 cup water
1 package of pot roast seasoning

Step 1: Cross two 12 inch long sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. (One set for each person.) Divide all ingredients (except water) evenly on top of each set of sheets. Arrange such that potatoes are on the bottom of the pile.

Step 2: Partially fold foil to form a pouch capable of holding water around ingredients. Add water and form a packet with a tight seal.

Step 3: Place packet on hot coals. (The picture here demonstrates a bit of poor form. We were very hungry and too impatient to wait for the wood to completely burn down to coals. We later did some rearranging so that the packets rested on coals only.) Cook for 45 minutes.

Step 4: Remove from pouch and enjoy a fantastic pot roast stew next to the campfire. No dishes to clean up.

Part III coming soon ...