Cooking Inside or Outside?

[gypsydad]

I remember we took a new smoker with us one year in Ventura area for Thanksgiving with the family. Took it out of the box, assembled it, lit the coals, added the wood, and put in our seasoned turkey. All was going rather well in the beginning, but this was first time I had used a smoker, and I did not read the directions very well...whats to know, right? Well, I would lift the lid about every 15 minuets to see how it was doing...not a good idea....after 7 hours, it was getting late; started getting dark out, and the bird was jus starting to turn brown...we ended up eating hot dogs that night, and had the turkey in the morning...still fun and the bird was very tasty albeit a day late. Now days, after 6 smokers and many years experience, I would absolutely do that again, with my new Davey Crocket smoker. I would butterfly the turkey for faster even cooking, as I do most times when I cook a turkey now days. Family and camping go together...extra special when your celebrating an event like Thanksgiving!

[369goose]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

We think your idea of a Thanksgiving meal while camping is fantastic. We don't mind cooking in our trailer as we have an older trailer. We do both indoor and outdoor cooking when we camp.

We have done a Thanksgiving meal outdoors and it was probably one of the best we had for overall Thanksgiving feeling. Our camping unit the 4CU does an annual Thanksgiving at a campground and it's always a great meal.

You have some good tips here already.

If doing a real turkey you could do your turkey in the smoker off of a propane tank. Potatoes could be baked and done in foil inside your coals. Stuffing can be done ahead and heated up nicely. I like to put apples and a little bit of sausage in my stuffing to keep it nice and moist. Kernel corn or green bean casserole can be done in advance and heated up but corn on the cob could be done right on the grill grates left in the husk. Bread can be done in a dutch oven or bring squishy bread that will hold and can sop up your plates with. Desert can be done in the Dutch oven. Put your dessert on the coals and by the time you get done with dinner it will be bubbly hot and delicious. You can decorate your table with twigs, leaves, branches, pine cones and pretty rocks and have a beautiful Thanksgiving table.

PS plus libations. Hot chocolate in the morning and hot rum in the evening.

Disclaimer: last time I did a full Thanksgiving Outdoors we were still tent camping and we made a turkey loaf instead of a real turkey. It snowed the night before but we were expecting bad weather. We had a blow-up mattress on the ground on top of blankets and every possible blanket, quilt and duvet cover in our tent on top of our already good sleeping bags. It was incredible to wake up in freezing weather but warm and toasty in bed. The weather got better that day not worse and it was an incredible Thanksgiving.

Thanks for all the great tips Everyone. My confidence is growing. Keep them coming.

Hittenstiehl, that sounds amazing! Since I have an on the stove top pressure cooker, soups vide and various grills and cookers I should be able to pull this off almost like at the sticks ‘n bricks house sans the good China & crystal. Although I don’t often carry all these options all the time it’s great to have an arsenal. We will have full hookups at the campground all of which seems a bit like “cheating.” Of course libations will be included. Btw there are only 6 of us so definitely doable.

[GCinSC2]

Gypsydad,

My son gave me a charcoal water smoker and I added a remote thermometer just for that reason.

Still learning that water smoker.

Cooking smells in camp, yeah.

Gary

[brad1]

We're both into food and cooking, so we have no hesitation about using the A/S galley conveniences. We grill outdoors a lot and have been working on our cooking-over-wood-coals game using the cast iron Lodge fry pan and Dutch Oven, but use the galley to bake, boil, and sometimes broil foods that aren't conducive to outdoor fires. We run the stove fan whenever it is on and for a bit afterwards and haven't found that the A/S retains cooking odors for long. And as other have pointed out, you've got to manage ventilation in an A/S whether cooking or not. We do clean the hood filter often and it does get greasy, but we don't find the A/S gets any dirtier than one would expect. Airstream interiors are a snap to clean, so that's not an issue.


In another thread folks described their minimalist views on carrying cooking gear along. We're the opposite. All Clad saucepan and 4gt pan with covers, All-Clad 14" skillet, Lodge 14" cast iron skillet, big'ol Lodge Dutch oven, salad spinner that doubles as a mixing bowl and dish washing aid, measuring cups, measuring spoons, baking pan, 8" cake pan, stove-top tea pot, hand coffee grinder, two #2 coffee drip cones, etc. The pans all fit in the oven, other stuff is stored in a container under the curb side couch (ours is an EB) and whereever. We're not on shore power enough to want to carry a microwave, electric coffee maker, etc, so there's all that space...



Shopping locally and making foods endemic to the places we travel is one of the best parts of the experience. My end message is, don't be afraid to cook in your A/S. It's built for it. If you're the type that cooks, go for it!

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by brad1

We're both into food and cooking, so we have no hesitation about using the A/S galley conveniences. We grill outdoors a lot and have been working on our cooking-over-wood-coals game using the cast iron Lodge fry pan and Dutch Oven, but use the galley to bake, boil, and sometimes broil foods that aren't conducive to outdoor fires. We run the stove fan whenever it is on and for a bit afterwards and haven't found that the A/S retains cooking odors for long. And as other have pointed out, you've got to manage ventilation in an A/S whether cooking or not. We do clean the hood filter often and it does get greasy, but we don't find the A/S gets any dirtier than one would expect. Airstream interiors are a snap to clean, so that's not an issue.


In another thread folks described their minimalist views on carrying cooking gear along. We're the opposite. All Clad saucepan and 4gt pan with covers, All-Clad 14" skillet, Lodge 14" cast iron skillet, big'ol Lodge Dutch oven, salad spinner that doubles as a mixing bowl and dish washing aid, measuring cups, measuring spoons, baking pan, 8" cake pan, stove-top tea pot, hand coffee grinder, two #2 coffee drip cones, etc. The pans all fit in the oven, other stuff is stored in a container under the curb side couch (ours is an EB) and whereever. We're not on shore power enough to want to carry a microwave, electric coffee maker, etc, so there's all that space...



Shopping locally and making foods endemic to the places we travel is one of the best parts of the experience. My end message is, don't be afraid to cook in your A/S. It's built for it. If you're the type that cooks, go for it!

Don't forget the Instapot! Man, what a marvelous appliance! We have a 3 qt in our AS and a 6 qt at home...gave each of the kids one for Christmas, and they love it...

[369goose]

Originally Posted by brad1

We're both into food and cooking, so we have no hesitation about using the A/S galley conveniences. We grill outdoors a lot and have been working on our cooking-over-wood-coals game using the cast iron Lodge fry pan and Dutch Oven, but use the galley to bake, boil, and sometimes broil foods that aren't conducive to outdoor fires. We run the stove fan whenever it is on and for a bit afterwards and haven't found that the A/S retains cooking odors for long. And as other have pointed out, you've got to manage ventilation in an A/S whether cooking or not. We do clean the hood filter often and it does get greasy, but we don't find the A/S gets any dirtier than one would expect. Airstream interiors are a snap to clean, so that's not an issue.


In another thread folks described their minimalist views on carrying cooking gear along. We're the opposite. All Clad saucepan and 4gt pan with covers, All-Clad 14" skillet, Lodge 14" cast iron skillet, big'ol Lodge Dutch oven, salad spinner that doubles as a mixing bowl and dish washing aid, measuring cups, measuring spoons, baking pan, 8" cake pan, stove-top tea pot, hand coffee grinder, two #2 coffee drip cones, etc. The pans all fit in the oven, other stuff is stored in a container under the curb side couch (ours is an EB) and whereever. We're not on shore power enough to want to carry a microwave, electric coffee maker, etc, so there's all that space...



Shopping locally and making foods endemic to the places we travel is one of the best parts of the experience. My end message is, don't be afraid to cook in your A/S. It's built for it. If you're the type that cooks, go for it!

Couldn’t agree more:
“Shopping locally and making foods endemic to the places we travel is one of the best parts of the experience.” Whether cooking in the Airstream, outside or utilizing both for the feast.

[rmkrum]

Many of our best camping memories, and pictures for that matter, involve the preparation and consumption of great meals in the out-of-doors.

[GCinSC2]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

Many of our best camping memories, and pictures for that matter, involve the preparation and consumption of great meals in the out-of-doors.

And then inviting a new camping neighbor over to share it with.

[Hopeful1]

Originally Posted by Caffeinated

We do whatever the weather and our whims dictate. We set up a aluminum folding table out side the airstream, a put our weber Q 1000 and our Wolfgang Puck electric grill on it. The electric grill out side cooks morning bacon, pancakes, hash browns, omelettes, weather permitting and the gas Que does the usual burgers, chicken and fish. We have been known to use the microwave to warm up Trader Joes chicken piccata, when we come into a camp site late and we don't want to really cook. We use the stovetop to steam/ sauté veg, or breakfast if the weather doesn't allow alfresco cooking.

By the way,we have never had a issue with the stove fan vent pulling in black water stink. Ever.

We also have a Phillips multi cooker. We love it. I think it's a lot like the instant pot without the pressure cooker function. It will do (superbly) oatmeal, rice, browning meats, stews, soups, chilli, steam veg, pretty much most of the one pot slow cooker stuff with the added ability to sear stuff. Like I said, we love it.

Coffee. As my screen name suggests, I'm somewhat obsessed with it. I roast my own beans and have for years. At home I use a Technivorm mocha master drip machine, handmade in the Netherlands. It heats the water to 205 degrees, then runs it through a Mellitta style cone drip in 6 minutes, enough to get good extraction but not over extraction. In the trailer I do a pour over Mellitta drip for the same results. Easy, low tech, and inside the trailer.

Mike

Totally sounds like us with the exception of roasting our own beans.

I use a Coleman coffee pot over my stove. I have an outdoor kitchen to take when group camping or longer trips.

I also cook over the campfire. It just depends.

I usually do a big breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and weather permitting, outdoor grilling for dinner.

Love having an oven for cool mornings to make muffins or if a chilly evening, heating up prepared lasagna.

I use the vent fan and have my rear bedroom vent open. Never heard of having a black tank smell. And, basically, smells don’t linger in my Airstream. The only fan/black tank smell I know to avoid is not to flush the toilet with the shower fan running.

I just believe that these Airstreams were built to make our camping life easier and I’m going to enjoy every feature mine offers me and I have. I also try to be smart and aware of how to use the features correctly.

By the way, if we ever do trade in for a different model, I definitely want the oven. It is a super nice item to have.

[GCinSC2]

Originally Posted by Hopeful1

I use a Coleman coffee pot over my stove. I have an outdoor kitchen to take when group camping or longer trips.

I also cook over the campfire. It just depends.

By the way, if we ever do trade in for a different model, I definitely want the oven. It is a super nice item to have.

Mike,

OK I'm liking it. Now find an old 425, 413 or 426 Coleman and make the coffee outside and watch the morning wake the camp.

Now if you want a show stopper of an oven, a cardboard box oven is the ticket. We can bake anything we need in that box. http://http://www.airforums.com/foru...zza-82663.html

Gary

[sheriff1]

Coleman 442!

[sbowman]

Enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts and practice for cooking inside or outside. The wife and I discussed this question prior to taking our new 2017 AS Classic out for the 1st time.



It seams no matter what amount of ventilation you use there is food smell that will stay inside. We cook outside year around. Grill, propane stove top, slow cooker, pressure cooker, and etc. Me I like cast iron pots and pans. The wife likes the new age aluminum ceramic coated pots and pans.


We do coffee and likes inside.



Safe travels and best regards......................