My role in the Story Moto ADV family is to grind it out in these roles… I’m the McGuyver, the mule, the protector, and also the Lewis & Clark. What I am NOT… is the Paula Dean or Rachel Ray. In some states I am legally prohibited from trying to cook.
( It was a mercy ruling. Lol )
Having said that … I’ve been known to try. While Bonnie Johnson is the food whisperer in our clan responsible for every TRULY wonderful meal that has made it to my fire side plate… I have a couple old school staples meals hidden up my sleeve. That sounds weird but you get the gist. Here is one of them…
HOBOS
They go by many names but in my decades of pre-Bonnie adventure touring we called / call them Hobos and we made them on special-ish occasions. Such an occasion was usually defined as… feeling especially sickly from eating horrible food or none at all. That, timed with the chance passing of a market near the prospective camp… meant it was hobo time.
You’ll need these…
MEAT…. Any meat you like ( steak, hamburger, sausage, whatev’s )
VEG:… Any you’d like
BUTTER or OIL
SALT n’ PEPPA
ALUMINUM FOIL
The Prep…
Chop meat to about grape or slightly larger size. Chunks no more than 1/2” to 3/4” in thick to be certain the meat cooks properly.
Slice veggies with same in mind and per the veggie itself. (e.g. tomato will cook faster than carrot to tomato could be sliced more thickly. )
Lay out a tile of aluminum foil 3 or 4 layers thick depending on the quality of the foil. It’s going in the fire with all your grub in it so thats on you if it rips. Also make the tile large enough that it will hold individual servings of the prepped ingredients like a big Hershey’s kiss that will be placed in the fire.
Nothin’ left but the Cookin’….
You’ll need to have created an ample coal bed by now. Scoop plenty out into an area you’ll be able to manage without catching your hair on fire. The coals should be enough to completely cover your hobo with the exception of the twisted top. Mind that coals are under the hobo as well.
FINAL NOTES:
Cook times vary depending on coal coverage, depth, amount and thickness of ingredients etc. Select one hobo to be a litmus for the rest and check it accordingly. Experiment. 10-15 minutes or so is a decent target cook time.
For an excellent fire ring style that is perfect for cooking hobo’s and all other campfire cooking for that matter visit this link.
Hobo’s are an awesome opportunity to make extra for breakfast the next day. Just throw them back in some coal to heat up while the coffee brews. This option / benefit is regionally limited. For example, if you are camping in a hot jungle you may not want to leave food out all night. OR perhaps even more significantly … if you are camping in grizzly country and are a person who enjoys not being ripped asunder by an 800 lb. bear, you might want to stick with not keeping extra food around or follow some tested guidelines on the matter.
We hope you find my somewhat pathetic recipe to your liking. Let us know how it went if you give it a whirl. As always, be sure to put all fires dead out and leave your camp without a trace. That’s exactly how that camp will be there in the future.
Be sure to check out Bonnie's adventure travel cookbook Camp-ucopia! Don't forget to subscribe to our channel and check out our recent videos on the matter and know there are plenty more coming down the line as we prepare for the physical launch of the cookbook!
If you are a Facebook-ian stop by our adventure riding camp cooking group: Motorcycle. Camp. Cook. Loads of wonderful content and resources for campin' happy. And as always, connect with us at Story Moto ADV if there is anything we might be able to help you with.
For a great and growing compendium of suggested gear for you, your camp and your motorcycles stop by the Story Moto ADV Amazon Storefront. The categorized selections are based on our constant search for the best priced gear and 'must-haves' in, on and around the sport of adventure riding-- and adventure travel otherwise that also requires the light & tight approach to gear.
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To be a positive, helpful, inspirational and effective voice in adventure riding by connecting people, ideas and values within the sport-- in order to honor and sustain the character and integrity of it's past and insure they are instilled into the next generation of riders.