Some people are planners and some are not. Am I a planner? It depends, but when it comes to food, not so much. Alex, on the other hand, totally is. Thankfully I am a beneficiary of his planning because, even when we’re traveling and living the #vanlife we eat like we’re dining in a restaurant…and I’m not talking fast food either.
Being a chef, Alex has the knack for throwing together “simple” meals that he likes to prep in advance of our adventures since we don’t yet have a true kitchen in Vannah. Having things prepped allows him to use our propane camp stove or a campfire with minimal mess and tools one might normally require. Case in point – ribs.
We’re suckers for smoked meat…I love the flavor it adds! For the ribs, Alex used hickory wood chips and smoked them for about 3 hours after coating it in a variety of spices and herbs. His next step is bringing it inside and giving it a little bath…..ala sous vide.
Alex is a fan of sous vide. If you aren’t familiar with this cooking method (I sure as heck wasn’t), it means that one vacuum seals food in a bag then cooks it in water at a certain temperature for a specific length of time. This makes your ribs, or whatever else you may be cooking, turn out tender and juicy….trust me…it is delicious!
Alex had this going for about 24 hours then took it out, sliced it in half, coated it in some additional spices and sauce that he throws together, then vacuum seals it again and puts it in Vannah’s refrigerator. When we get to our destination, he’ll pull the ribs out of the fridge and either heat it up – still sealed in the baggie – in hot water or he’ll throw it on the grill – always using “low and slow” heat.
So what do we pair with the delicious ribs? We love veggies. I’ll admit that I am a convert to truly appreciating and enjoying veggies…..all thanks to the way Alex flavors and cooks them. Typically we’ll cut up a variety of peppers, a zucchini, mushrooms, and onions and put them in a baggie so all we have to do when we are ready to eat is grab them, throw them in a pan with some oil, herbs, and spices, and BAM – we have a healthy, delicious meal. To be clear, and fully transparent, when I say, “we” as it relates to prepping or cooking, I really mean Alex. I just don’t enjoy cooking and I thank my lucky stars every day that he does AND is willing to do it at home too!
