[philmont] Phil food prep method

This seems to be the time of year that next season's advisors start looking for advice about cooking, stoves, etc. I see conversations about cooking/turkey bags and the official Philmont method. The way the Rangers teach is the bottom line, can't fail method for a crew with no pre-trip training so that they don't starve. They may not like all the dry food and water dumped together and brought to a boil but since they didn't arrive with a practiced method they will have to depend on this "simple" system. I think the turkey bag system has the same level of delectable meal appreciation-yuch, it is just easier to clean up. We have yet to have a Ranger make us cook the "Philmont" method since they could tell we had our system down pat.
   
  Our unit borrowed and then refined a system we saw a couple of years ago on this list. It has now worked for us three trips and we have spread the method thru units in our council, the Greater St. Louis Area. Since the dehydrated meals are made to have boiling water added, stirred, set aside for a time to rehydrate and then eaten why not use the method that the meal manufacturers have spent time developing.
  1. We bring the large pot (8 qt.) of water to a boil. Don't think we ever measure this - we just put in a bunch of water depending on what the meal packets say with some extra for cleaning.
  2. While the water is being heated the cook and that day's assistant:
       -open all the packets and combine the main course items from the two person meal packs (all the potatoes into 1 or 2 1 gal. zip locks, all the beans into 1 or 2 1 gal zip locks, etc.). When you have 5 or 6 meal packets you may have to add 64 ounces of water to an entree, that's why you may have 2 bags of potatoes/mac & cheese or whatever the large volume entree is.
  3. When the water comes to a boil scoop out the needed amounts of water into the zip locks, stir, seal and then wait. The best item to use to scoop water is a GSI Fair Share Mug, they're tough and have a lid and a handle - pouring boiling water into a water bottle is not efficient. We use this 32 oz Lexan cup with lid to carry the small containers of spices. The cup has measuring lines and is sure a lot easier to use than those small 8 oz camp cups. Our troop Fair Share Mug has been on 3 trips and is etched with crew numbers and years, getting to be a "troop tradition". The mug is available at any outfitter and the TOTT.
       -One of our refinements was to bring 3 or 4 Glad Ware plastic containers (about the size of a small bread pan). The zip lock bags with dry food is put in those, boiling water is added, stirred, sealed and then wait the appropriate time. The container keeps the bag out of the dust/mud and a 1 gal. bag with water is a wiggly thing to watch if you don't put it in some kind of container/holder.
  4. While food is rehydrating the cook and assistant lay out the other meal items (spices, bread sticks, cookies) onto some sort of buffet meal line on top of the bear bags/opened meal packets.
  5. Food is hot, rehydrated and ready to eat! Say grace, everyone dips their cup/mug/spoon in the remaining hot water to sterilize, cooks serve dinner. The large stainless steel Phil spoons are fine but we bring 1 plastic serving spoon with slots and 1 without.
  6. After dinner the clean up(s) adds some hot water and some cold water into the small pot with camp suds. Everyone cleans their own bowl/cup/spoon, dishes are rinsed in the left over hot water in the big pot. and the clean up(s) clean the spoons and sump any left over dish water and food. Clean up is the easiest job on the roster.
  7. We had the same head cook, with assistant changing daily, so they could refine and master the dinner prep if needed. The head cook is an honored person and has no other roster duties. Have fun with this; special bib, chef's hat or whatever.
   
  Terry Pogue
  Manchester, MO
  64, 82, 05 (traditions are great but the place never stays the same)
  PS: externals and internals have their place, I own and use both. Philmont is the perfect place for externals, most folks don't know the difference.

Terry Pogue
490 E Quail Ridge Dr.
Manchester, MO 63021
636-227-1215
terrencepogue@yahoo.com
       
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Received on Tue Sep 25 23:33:52 2007