Big Bend Ranch State Park - An Off-Roading Adventure: Day 2
Hi! I'm Nedra! Food tastes better when it's enjoyed in the great outdoors. Life's an adventure, so travel, explore, and go cooking!!
We woke up hungry that first morning, so I cooked us up a pancake and sausage breakfast. It was enjoyed thoroughly while watching the sun rise over the canyon and reading excerpts from Texas Outback: Portraits of a Wildly Weird Country by Calib Pirtle. After cleaning up our dishes and packing up our gear, it was time to head into the interior of the park. I looked forward to the remoteness of our campsite for the next two nights. It was my first time visiting the interior of the park, and I was excited and a little anxious to experience driving on the back roads. We decided to do one of the two dog friendly hikes in the park, Closed Canyon, since it was on our way.
Closed Canyon is a fun, short hike, so I recommend it for most levels of experience. There are a series of drop offs that get larger and larger as you get closer to the Rio Grande. Some are easily traversed, while others require some skill. We just turned around when the drop offs got unmanageable. The best part is the canyon walls shield you from the sun for most of the day making it a pleasant hike even in the hottest part of the day.
After a quick stop in Presidio for gas and ice, we checked into our reserved campsite at the Fort Leaton State Historic Site just outside the city. It's worth the stop just to see the old fort and chat to the knowledgable Rangers. It was finally time to hit some back roads and head to our campsite, Tascate!!
Here's a pic of what the roads look like as you head to Tascate from the Seuceda Ranger Station. Be sure that you have a vehicle that can make it to these remote areas. I drive a Ford Escape and my friends drive a Subaru Forester and we both made it just fine. Be sure to call ahead and ask a ranger if your car will make it to a particular site. We wanted to go to an extremely remote site named, Guale, but sadly, our cars weren't equipped to make it. We all resolved that next time we would rent a high clearance four wheel drive, as it's now at the top of the bucket list to make it to Guale!!
Tascate did not disappoint, nestled in between two mountains it housed a dried up sistern, a fallen windmill and a covered picnic table. The next closest campsite, Tascate 2, was almost a mile away. We set up our gear and got down to the business of cooking dinner. Tonight, I had planned an Indian feast because I knew my friends loved Indian food. Heck, who doesn't love Indian food?? If you are unfamiliar with Indian Cuisine, here's your chance to try some simple recipes. Despite sounding very avant guard, it's actually an easy camping meal to prepare. Here's how you cook it....
Tandoori Chicken, Chana Dal, and Pilau Rice
Tandoori Chicken
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This one is a no brainer. Buy a tandoori spice paste or mix and follow the directions. I like to use Patak’s brand as it’s not too spicy, but there are other brands that are just as good such as Neera’s. You can find it at most Whole Food Markets, Indian specialty groceries, or other International grocery stores. Here’s a link to their website, so you can get a visual on the product They also have a store finder. I like to use sheep or goat yogurt for a more authentic flavor. Let it marinate for at least two hours or better yet, marinate it before leaving home and put it in a Ziplock bag in your cooler. Grill it up over the fire and you will have one juicy, flavorful piece of chicken.
Serves 4 Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 20-30 min
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1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
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½ cup Patak’s Tandoori paste
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1 cup plain yogurt
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Juice of ½ lemon
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Fresh cilantro, rough chopped for garnish
Remove the skin from all the chicken pieces and cut the breasts in half. If using just breasts, cut them in half. Score each piece of chicken 3 times cutting into the flesh about ½ inch. This will allow the marinade to penetrate the meat faster.
Add the Tandoori paste, yogurt, and lemon juice to a gallon sized plastic storage bag. Use a spoon to mix it together. The marinade is bright red. This is part of the uniqueness of the dish.
Add the chicken pieces, seal the bag, and squish it all around to cover the chicken pieces with the marinade. Allow to marinate in your cooler for at least 2 hours. I like to do this right after breakfast is over or before I leave home, so it has a good 5-6 hours to marinate. Remember food safety and handling and be sure to clean the cutting board, the knife, and your hands well after cutting raw chicken on it. Double bagging is a good idea to prevent water from getting in the bag from melting ice.
Build a fire in the fire pit or grill. Grill the chicken pieces over a medium fire until the pieces are cooked through. This will take about 20-30 minutes.
Serve with Chana Dal and Pilau Rice and garnish with fresh cilantro and a lemon wedge.
Chana Dal
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Dal in the Indian language is a dried split pulse or legume such as lentils, chickpeas, or mung beans. Chana Dal specifically is split, hulled, and polished baby chickpeas. You can find them at an Indian specialty grocery, most Whole Foods Markets, or other health food grocery stores. Often they are in the bulk section. They are delicious stewed with Indian spices and vegetables and make a great accompaniment to any Indian meal. Serve with Pilau Rice as a protein rich vegetarian dish or as a side for Tandoori Chicken.
Serves 3-4 people Prep time: 5-10 min Cook time 1 hr
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1 tbsp butter or oil
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½ cup onion, small dice, about ¼ large onion
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½ cup zucchini, medium dice
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½ cup red pepper, medium dice
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1 tbsp jalapeno minced
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1 tbsp fresh ginger minced
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1 tbsp garlic minced
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1 cup chana dal
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½ tsp ground turmeric
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½ tsp ground cumin
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¾ tsp ground coriander
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3 1/2-4 cups water
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½ tsp garam masala
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1 tbsp lemon juice, juice of about ½ lemon
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½ tsp salt
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Pepper, a few twists of the pepper mill or to taste
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Rough chopped, fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Add butter or oil to a medium sized pot set over a medium flame on your camp stove. Once the butter is melted or the oil heated, add the onion, zucchini, and red pepper. Sauté until wilted and just starting to caramelize, about 4-5 minutes. Add jalapeno, ginger, and garlic and sauté a minute longer. Add the chana dal, turmeric, cumin, and coriander. Stir to coat the beans with the vegetables and spices. Add 3 cups of water, bring to a simmer, and cook covered stirring occasionally. If the mixture gets too dry add a little more water. It should be a fairly soupy consistency while cooking.
Cook until beans are tender and beginning to fall apart and thicken the stew about 1 hour. Add garam masala, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning
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Serve with Pilau Rice and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves
Pilau Rice
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This is the Indian way of saying Rice Pilaf. This recipe is super simple, just be sure to use Basmati Rice. It has a special flavor all it’s own that is the perfect accompaniment to all curries. Cardamon pods are an aromatic spice that is often used in Indian cuisine. You may be more familiar with the ground version, which is often used in baking. The whole spices can be found at most Whole Foods Markets, Indian specialty grocery stores, or anywhere that sells bulk or specialty spices.
Serves 3-4 Prep time: 1 min Cook time: 10-30 min
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1 cup white or brown Basmati Rice
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1 ½ -2 cups water
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1 cinnamon stick
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6 whole cloves
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6 whole cardamom pods
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A pinch of salt
Follow the directions on the rice package. White rice is usually 1 ½ water to 1 c rice and brown rice is usually 2 cups water to 1 cup rice. Add all ingredients to a saucepan with a lid, bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer and cook with the lid on until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked and fluffy. White basmati cooks quickly and will probably take around ten minutes. Brown rice takes longer, probably around 30 min. I sometimes have to add more water to the brown rice. Taste it and check for doneness and add a little more water if necessary. Allow to sit off the flame for at least five minutes to allow the rice to steam. Remove the whole spices before serving. They usually float to the top and side of the pan, so they are easy to remove with a fork or spoon.
Serve with your favorite curries.
One of the best things about Big Bend State Park is the dark sky. Being miles from any city, it offers amazing views of the stars, planets, and Milky Way. Here's a shot of the Big Dipper rising above our campsite at Tascate. Pretty amazing, indeed!!