WanderUs Travel Recipes-Part One

One of our favorite things to do together while on our adventures is to work together as a family to help prepare our breakfasts and dinners (lunch is usually a quick meal that can easily fit in a backpack and travel well on the trails). Somehow the kids are more willing to try new foods when they have assisted in the creation of the dish, so we encourage everyone to help to take part in it as a family activity. I believe there is something to be said about seeking a little discomfort and pushing our personal limits in new experiences. You never know what you may like if you just give it a try!

On one of our last trips we were pleasantly surprised when our eldest came out of the grocery store with some ground Elk meat! She had made an executive decision to purchase elk meat as an alternative to regular ground beef for our campfire burger night.

While some of us have a more adventurous pallet, the majority of the family do not. Her decision was NOT met with a lot of excitement, as gamey tasting meats are feared in our household. Gagging noises could be heard from the back seat and it is possible a tear or two may have been shed.

That night when we returned to camp, Marley stepped up as head chef while Sam readied the grill while fighting the wind on this extremely gusty evening.

We don't usually travel with many seasonings, so all she had to work with was salt, pepper, garlic powder and the sand that was whipping through the air!

I'll also note that we mixed the elk meat with ground American Wagyu in a 50/50 mixture and served it all with cheddar cheese on a Hawaiian bun, potato chips and none of the other normal fixings. Ketchup was provided for those who wanted it and Sam made sure to drench his burger in Dave's Insanity gourmet hot sauce.

We all sat, a little afraid to take our first taste, not knowing what to expect, but as soon as we had survived the first bite it instantly became one of our best family campfire meals and memories! The kids freakin' loved it and all of the burgers quickly vanished into the bellies of the previously tear shedding picky diners.

That night we sat around the campfire trying to stay warm, all filthy dirty from the day of camping, hiking and creating but we had our tummies full and our hearts overflowing. The little picky eaters were so pleased and proud of their adventurous meal and it sparked a curiosity to try new things that has popped up in almost every trip since!

Without any further ado, I will now share our recipe.

Marley's Spontaneous Campfire Elk BRRGZ

Ingredients

-1 lb ground Elk

-1 lb ground American Wagyu

-Salt and pepper to tast

-Wind blown sand (in moderation)

-Cheddar cheese

-Buns

-Ketchup, mayo, mustard and any other fixins' your heart may desire.

Preparation

Step one- Prepare and clean grill, while teaching kids proper lessons in fire safety and pyrotechnics.

Step two- Put out fire that Sam started while giving kids pyromancy lessons.

Step Three- Combine the meats and seasonings in any container you can possibly find and form into patties of desired size and thickness. What is best is debatable and varies from person to person

Step four-Try not to get icked out by the raw meat that's on your hands. Find a water source and soap and remove all of those bloodborn pathogens!

Step five- Place patties on grill and let cook 2-4 minutes on each side or until they have reached your desired done-ness? temp?

Step six- Get your buns nice and toasty by the fire and slap some cheese on em'! Also add cheese to your bread.

Step seven- Remind kids it is not ok to play with fire, despite what Dad says.

Step eight- Assemble burger with all of the previously mentioned accoutrements.

Step nine-This is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART! Sit down WITH your family. Just be there together. Enjoy this fleeting moment and chow down!

In conclusion... inspite of the seasoning sand and lack of desired toppings, this was probably the best burger I've ever eaten. I can't guarantee yours will turn out as magically delicious and WanderUs as ours, but I can say with much certainty that it was worth the extra couple of dollars for the experience and lifelong memories.

Safe travels!

-Zana