Newton / Des Moines East KOA Journey Blog

Camping Grill Tips from Omaha Steaks

Reposted from the KOA blog:

Lets face it, there are many degrees of camping. You could pull up in a huge camper as long as a house with a full-size Weber grill or come equipped with a simple tent and rolled-up sleeping bag. RVs, trailers, pop-ups, Deluxe Cabins, tents – there are lots of ways to camp and lots of ways to cook while doing it.

For our grill carrying RVers, campground cooking might not be all that different from home. For the more adventurous campers, if you have space to carry a small grill, or have a 2-burner Coleman stove or a fire pit, you’re good. Burgers, steaks and gourmet jumbo franks are all candidates for camping meals.  And Omaha Steaks Tenderloin Tips or Beef Sirloin Tips are great, too, if you have a Dutch oven for one-dish meals or bring skewers for kabobs.

Better yet, order some pre-made Omaha Steaks chicken or tenderloin kabobs. Leaving the prep behind, all that’s left for campers is to grab a cooler, fill with ice, load in the frozen meats and cover with more ice. For longer hauls, dried ice packs offer even more chill before you grill.

While remembering the steak and potatoes might be easy, forgetting other essentials happens all too often. Use our streamlined campsite cooking checklist to make sure you’re camping grill is ready to go.

Campsite Cooking Checklist

• Good ‘n heavy aluminum foil
• Big serving spoon or long-handled ladle
• Tongs
• Large frying pan or Dutch oven
• Cutting board
• Paring knife and a larger knife, too
• Cooking oil
• Salt, pepper, seasonings, liquid smoke (Probably redundant over a wood fire!)
• Dish cloths, dish towel, sponge
• Dish detergent
• Lots of zip lock bags

Now back to the steaks. Of course, if you’re carrying a BBQ grill, it’s no different that grilling at home.

Just remember these simple rules: 

1. Lightly oil and season the steaks
2. Never pierce the meat with a fork
3. Use tongs or a spatula
4. Only turn the steak ONCE
5. Cook 60% of time on the first side and 40% on second.
6. Use Omaha Steaks’ free Steak Time cooking app to time your steak

Cooking with Coals

Cooking over the fire presents a lot more challenges. One way to avoid the dreaded overdone dinner is to make bag kabobs. A KOA recipe favorite, bag kabobs are easy to prepare ahead, easy to pack and easy to cook just right. They can even be cooked directly on burning coals right in the fire pit! Just remember, a few coals can go a long way.

A Side Chamber

Another great tip when cooking over a bed of coals, some campers create a small side pit into which they drag some of the coals from the fire. This method allows campground grillmasters to control the heat by adding or removing coals. You can use a small grill over the coals or you can arrange large rocks for a pot to sit on. Campfire cooking might require creativity, but that’s half the fun!

So get out there and breathe some fresh air. And camp cook the gourmet way! Bon appetite, Campers.

Omaha Steaks delivers quality steaks and gourmet foods directly to grillmasters doorsteps. Featuring top-of-the-line red meat cuts, specialty grilling packages (even those just for camping!) seafood, grilling and cooking gear and more.