Steak and Arugula Sandwich with Bleu Cheese Spread Camping

Inspiration hit as I was preparing for a scout camp outing this past weekend.  I wanted to show the boys that they could make much more than hot dogs over the fire.  This incredibly delicious sandwich was the result of it.  It rocked their world, and I’m guessing it might yours as well.  I’ve since made it at home on my gas grill, and it was still very good, but lacked the awesome smoke flavor the campfire provided.  Try it anytime, anywhere, but definitely include this sandwich as part of your next camping trip’s meal plans.

Ingredients to Make Steak and Arugula Sandwiches with Gorgonzola Spread Over a Campfire

• 2 Ciabatta bread loaves
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, roughly 8 tablespoons
• 1 pound beef bottom round roast, sliced 1/4 inch think (2 slices per sandwich)
• Head of garlic, cloves separated and lightly mashed
• 1/2 onion, quartered at root end
• Gorgonzola Spread (recipe follows)
• 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil
• 1 ounce arugula
• 18 peppadew peppers, cut in half
• kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

How to Grill Bread Over a Campfire

Prep your campfire by burning a good bed of coals.  Once coals are ready, move them to one side of the fire pit ring and move any burning logs to the other side.  Place a wire camp cooking rack (or use the built in metal fire pit grate if present) over the coals and grill the ciabatta on it.  You’ll know when the temperature of the coals is right when you can hold your hand over the coals at rack level for 2 seconds.

To grill the ciabatta, slice the loaves in half lengthwise, drizzle olive oil over the insides (roughly 1 tablespoon per half), and season with salt and pepper.  Place the ciabatta on the grill, olive oil side down first.  Grill for a few minutes, or until the bread is toasted a crunchy golden brown.  Some black burn marks are OK.  You may need to occasionally move the halves around the rack to ensure an even toasting.  Once toasted, flip the halves over and toast the other side.

Grilling Bread Over Campfire

Grilled Bread Over Campfire

How to Pan Fry Steak Over a Campfire

Now that your bread is toasted, it’s time to cook the steak.  Start by placing a cast iron skillet (or a dutch oven) onto the coals to get it very hot.  Once hot, remove from the coals and place on the campfire rack.  Add the remaining olive oil (or enough to completely cover the pan, about 1/8th of an inch deep).  The oil should immediately start to smoke, but if not, heat a little longer until just to the smoking point.

Once your oil is hot, add the onion wedges and the garlic gloves (skin on), and cook until they start to caramelize and brown.  This will season the oil to add flavor to the steak.

Brown Onion and Garlic to Flavor Oil Over Campfire

Move the onions and garlic to the edges of the skillet, and add the steak.  Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper and cook to brown.  Once browned, turn over and brown the other side of the steak, seasoning again with salt and pepper.

Cooking Steak in Cast Iron Skillet Over Campfire

How to Assemble Steak and Arugula Sandwiches with Gorgonzola Spread

Start by first spreading the Gorgonzola Spread over each open half of the ciabatta.  There should be just enough spread for all four halves when applied liberally.  You’ll want it all….it’s that good.

Second, place the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil on the bottom half of each ciabatta loaf.  Spread them out evenly across the bread, but they don’t need to be heavily concentrated.  You be the judge.

Third, place the arugula over the sandwiches on top of the sun-dried tomatoes.

Fourth, place two strips of steak on each sandwich.  If the steak isn’t quite long enough to fill the sandwich length, cut another strip in pieces (if you have an extra) to fill to the edge with what you need.

Fifth, add the peppadew halves on top of the steak in pairs, then cover with the second half of the ciabatta.

Steak and Arugula Sandwich with Bleu Cheese Spread Camping Assembly

How to Serve the Campfire Sandwiches

Depending upon how hungry your crowd is, cut the sandwiches in half or in thirds.  Place each serving on your best metal camp plates.  I suppose paper plates would work, but this is no time to go cheap on your camp guests.  These sandwiches deserve your best camping serving ware!

Recipe for Gorgonzola Spread

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 2 pinches of kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix together with a spoon.  You’ll want to press the gorgonzola pieces against the bowl with the back of the spoon so as to break into small pieces.  Think spread, not chunks.  Taste to make sure you have enough salt, pepper, and lemon, adding more to taste if necessary.

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, January 2012

The Bald Gourmet loves his camping, and loves making incredible gourmet meals over a campfire even more, like Steak and Arugula Sandwiches with Gorgonzola Spread.

Chili Lime Chicken Sandwiches with Mango Salsa and Roasted Pablano Peppers Recipe

Chili Lime Chicken Sandwich with Mango Salsa and Roasted Pablano Pepper

The boys went crazy for this dish.  They absolutely loved it and never dreamed of eating something like it on a campout.  It was really fun teaching them the different steps and techniques.  A couple even asked for the recipe so they could go home and cook it for their families.

For the Roasted Pablanos:

• 2 pablano peppers
• vegetable oil to coat

Coat the peppers with oil, then place on a grill rack over the campfire (just coals, no or very low flame), until black all over.  Cover with towel or place in bag for 10 minutes to allow to steam.  Remove blackened skin by rubbing with a paper towel.  Remove stems and seeds and set aside.

For the Chicken:

• 8 chicken breasts, skin and bones removed
• 1/2 lime
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Garlic powder to taste
• Cumin powder to taste
• Chili powder to taste

Grill over campfire, seasoning both sides with the seasonings and lime juice, until cooked.

Grill Chicken Over Campfire

For the Mango Salsa:

• 1 mango, seeded, peeled, and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• half a bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste, roughly 1/4 teaspoon each
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely diced (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

To assemble sandwiches:

Slice roasted pablanos into quarters and place one quarter on a piece of bread with a chicken breast.  Top with mango salsa.  Add lettuce and mayonnaise to another slice of bread if you’d like and assemble.

French Toast with Nutella, Strawberries, Bananas, and Powdered Sugar Recipe

French Toast with Nutella Strawberries and Bananas

Now this is the breakfast of camping champions…

• 1 large loaf sliced bread
• 1 dozen eggs
• milk, maybe 1 cup
• 1 teaspoon or so of cinnamon sugar
• Nutella to spread on toast
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced
• 4 bananas, peeled and sliced
• powdered sugar for garnish

Crack eggs in bowl and whisk with milk to a smooth runny consistency.  Add cinnamon sugar and whisk to incorporate.  Dip bread, one slice at a time, to coat, then grill over medium-low heat until golden brown on both sides.  Spread with Nutella and place sliced strawberries and bananas on top, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Recipes by Jothan Yeager, July 2011

The Bald Gourmet is a seeker of delicious food, and creates wonderful dishes no matter where he is, including while camping in the middle of the forest in the mountains.

Grilled Provolone and Pastrami Sandwiches

Do you remember making those extra crispy, over-cooked, open faced quesadillas in the oven when you were a kid?  Well this sandwich oddly reminds me of those a bit, except in a much more sophisticated mature Italian version.  The cheese is grilled until golden brown and crispy, which gives a wonderful chewy contrast to its melted goo.  It is fun and delicious to eat.  Unfortunately, I can’t take the credit for this creation, as it was taught to me from my good friend Justin who built upon a concept he ate at a favorite sandwich shop of his.  It is with his permission that I proudly present this grilled cheese masterpiece.

Grilled Provolone and Pastrami Sandwich Recipe Ingredients

• 6 inch – 8 inch Sourdough hoagie roll per sandwich
• 2 slices of provolone cheese per sandwich
• 3 slices of good pastrami per sandwich
• 1/2 cup chopped onions per sandwich
• 1/2 cup sliced mild peperoncinis per sandwich
• 2 handfuls shredded iceberg lettuce per sandwich
• Red Wine Vinegar to taste, roughly 1 tablespoon per sandwich
• Cracked black pepper to taste
• Mayonnaise, roughly 1 tablespoon per sandwich
• Good quality horseradish mustard (optional)

Grilled Provolone and Pastrami Sandwich Recipe Directions

Slice bread in half lengthwise and then spread with mayonnaise to coat inner side.

Spread Mayonnaise on Bread

Place on grill pan over medium high heat, place a heavy weight on top (like a skillet or pan) to press, and cook until the mayonnaise has caramelized and has given the bread a crunchy layer, about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Grill the Bread Mayonnaise Side Down

Weigh Bread Down with a Skillet or Heavy Pan

Mayonnaise Gives Grilled Bread a Great Crunch and Beautiful Color

Place onions and peperoncinis on the same grill pan to cook in the left over oil from the mayonnaise.  Add some olive oil if needed to ensure onions cook evenly without burning.  Season with cracked black pepper.

Cook Onions and Peperoncinis Together

While onions and peperoncinis are cooking, place the slices of provolone cheese on a grill pan over medium-high heat, overlapping the slices if necessary to match the length of the grilled bread.  Place the pastrami slices on top of the cheese and cook until the cheese forms a nice crust of golden brown goodness.  Run a spatula under the cheese and flip to grill the meat for 2-3 minutes.

Grill Provolone Cheese Until Crisp and Brown on Bottom and Melted on Top

Scrape Cheese off Pan and Flip over onto Pastrami Side to Grill Meat

Grilled Provolone Crispy and Brown

Remove the meat and cheese from pan and place on the grilled bread.  Add the cooked onions and peperoncinis, lettuce, and red wine vinegar.  Spread mustard on other half of the hoagie roll (optional – the sandwich really doesn’t need the mustard, but it is nice to add sometimes).  Serve and eat.

Place Onions and Peperoncinis on Sandwich, then top with Lettuce and Vinegar

Grilled Provolone and Pastrami Sandwiches 2