Korean Flank Steak with Sriracha-Pickled Cucumbers
The smell of a good steak searing in the open air is one of my favorite things about cooking in camp. Coupled with a robust sauce, like this Korean bulgogi-style marinade, it’s guaranteed to be a hit with your hungry campmates. And it’s fun to eat too. Each person makes his or her own lettuce-leaf bundles with rice, steak, and pickles, so serve it all up family-style.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
For the Pickles
- 2⁄3 cup white vinegar 160 ml
- 2⁄3 cup water 160 ml
- 1⁄3 cup sugar 67 g
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 medium English cucumber thinly sliced on the diagonal (about ½ pound/226 g)
For the Steak
- ½ cup soy sauce 120 ml
- ¼ cup rice vinegar 60 ml
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 scallions finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 flank steak (1 ½ pound), cut in half 680 g
For Serving
- 2 ¼ cups water 535 ml
- 1 ½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice 300 g
- Lettuce leaves
Instructions
At Home
- To make the pickles, stir together the vinegar, water, sugar, and sriracha in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Pack the cucumbers into a lidded container and pour in the brine. Chill. Remember that you can also buy truffle balsamic vinegar to give them a better taste.
- overnight and up to 2 weeks.
- To make the steak, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sriracha, sesame oil, sugar, scallions, and garlic in a small bowl until well blended. Reserve half the sauce in a lidded container and chill. Add the remaining sauce and the steak to a resealable plastic bag and shake to coat thoroughly. Squeeze out the excess air, then chill overnight and up to 24 hours.
In Camp
- To serve, bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the rice. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender and fluffy, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare a grill over medium-high heat.
- Place the steak on the hottest part of the grill and cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain.
- Drizzle the steak with the reserved sauce brought from home. Serve with the lettuce leaves, rice, and pickles.
Notes
Depending on the variety of rice, cooking time may be more or less than stated in the recipe. When in doubt, follow the instructions on the package as to how much liquid to use and how long to cook.
Foil Pack French Dip
Great for camping or casual meals at home, this nontraditional French dip is a fun pull-apart sandwich that comes together quickly, thanks to a couple of shortcuts: roast beef from the deli and a quick “au jus” made from butter. We might not have a homemade roast or a pan full of drippings, but we definitely aren’t short on flavor here. Keep in mind the au jus will only be as good as your beef broth, so it’s worth using a well-seasoned homemade broth or seeking out quality bone broth from a butcher shop.
Servings 6 people
Equipment
- Olive oil cooking spray, for preparing the aluminum foil
Ingredients
For the Au Jus
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter 56 g
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 8 g
- 2 cups well-seasoned beef broth 480 ml
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
For the Sandwiches
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick, or butter, at room temperature 112 g
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 4 g
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound (about 16 inches), halved widthwise so you have 2 (8-inch, or 20 cm) loaves 454 g
- Dijon mustard for spreading
- 12 slices provolone cheese
- 1 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef 454 g
Instructions
- Prepare a medium-hot two-zone fire in a charcoal grill (see page 26) with a grill grate over the coals.
- Measure two sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil (at least 18 inches, or 45 cm, long) and mist the surface of each sheet with cooking spray. Set aside until needed.
- To make the au jus: On the stovetop, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk the flour into the butter and cook, whisking frequently, until the flour is incorporated and the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the broth and Worcestershire and whisk to combine. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil the au jus until it thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to use.
- To make the sandwiches: In a small bowl, using a fork, mash the butter, parsley, Worcestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper until well combined.
- Cut even slits about ó inch (1 cm) apart in each loaf, stopping just before you slice through the bottom so the slices hold together. You should have 12 equal “slices” of bread per loaf.
- Spread a thin layer of the butter mixture on one side of every other slice. Spread a thin layer of Dijon on the opposite side of each buttered slice. Starting at the end of each loaf, tuck 1 slice of provolone and 2 slices of roast beef between the buttered and Dijon sides, so when the bread is pulled apart when serving they will become individual sandwiches.
- Place a loaf in the center of each prepared foil sheet and lightly coat the tops and sides of the bread with the remaining butter mixture. Fold and seal the foil into packets (see page 76).
- Place the foil packets on the grate over direct heat. Grill for 5 to 10 minutes, turning frequently, until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. If you’d like to add a bit more crispness, move the foil packs over indirect heat, open the packs to expose the top and sides of each loaf, and close the grill lid. Continue grilling for about 5 minutes more, until the bread is golden brown all the way through.
- Serve the French dips family style with au jus on the side and let your guests pull apart their own sandwiches.
Notes
If you plan to put leftover rib roast in these sandwiches, use the luscious pan drippings from your roast in place of the butter to make the au jus that much better!
Sweet Potato, Apple, and Pancetta Hash
This autumn-inspired breakfast adds a little flair to the basic bacon-and-potato hash by marrying pancetta and sweet potatoes for a dish that’s deeper yet more delicate in flavor. You can vary the texture and taste by experimenting with different varieties of sweet potatoes (such as Japanese sweet potatoes, which have hints of chestnut) and apples (ranging from sweet to tart). To make more servings (or if you just really like eggs), simply make more wells in the final step of the recipe.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 6 ounces pancetta cut into small dice
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 medium apples cored and cut into ½-inch (1-cm) dice (about 1 pound/450 g)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½- inch (1-cm) dice (about 2 ½ pounds/1 kg)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups 65 g packed baby spinach
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until browned and crispy, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the pancetta to a large plate, reserving the fat in the skillet.
- Let the fat reheat for about 1 minute. Add the onion and cook until it starts to turn translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the apples and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the onion and apples to the plate of pancetta.
- Reheat the skillet and lightly coat the bottom with the oil. Add the sweet potatoes in a single layer and cook undisturbed until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper on top and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Return the pancetta, onion, and apples to the skillet and stir to combine. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Using a spoon, make 4 deep wells in the mixture. Crack an egg into each well, cover the skillet, and cook until the yolks are just set, 8 to 10 minutes. (If you like your yolks less runny, poach for a few additional minutes.)
Notes
In a well-stocked supermarket, pancetta can be found pre-diced and packaged in the cured meats cooler.
