Easy Meals: Hobo Dinners

Yum yum yum! Just yum! I love hobo dinners because they are easy, tasty, and highly customizable. You can make hobo dinners, hobo side dishes, hobo breakfasts, even hobo desserts! When I was growing up we made these en masse for family get togethers. I decided to make one today, and show you what it's all about! First, cut a large sheet of aluminum foil and spray it with some non-stick spray or olive oil. Next, add your vegetation. 

I think that some kind of potatoes should always be included, but I am pretty well infatuated with potatoes to a level that is no longer healthy. This time all I had was one little sweet potato. So, a good amount of sliced potatoes to make a base, then some sliced carrots because they are delicious, some frozen peas, and a little frozen minced onion. Other tasty veggies to put in are green beans, summer squash, garlic, diced tomatoes, or asparagus. Just so happened that all I had on hand were peas and carrots. 

Season these up and prepare for the meat layer. I decided to go the cheater route with my seasoning. I used some garlic herb soup mix and black pepper. Any kind of soup mix will do, or you can just season with your favorite herbs and spices. You can use whatever kind of meat you desire, but hamburger patties and boneless chicken breasts seem to work out best. This time, I decided on a burger. 

Frozen or fresh, either will work. I had frozen, so that's what I used. Perch your meat on top of your veggie stack, and give that bad boy a dash of seasoning as well. Wrap up your little parcel tightly, and consider double wrapping for extra leak protection.

Place your foil pouch on a sheet pan and pop it in the oven at 450 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until the meat is cooked and the potatoes are tender.

Unwrap carefully when checking for doneness, as you may need to rewrap and continue cooking. If using a fresh burger or a chicken breast, it may not take quite this long to cook. I would say check it after 30 minutes. Now, while mine is cooking I should probably wash some dishes so I have a means of conveying food to my face...

Please note that this recipe can be adapted for use on a barbecue grill, or near the coals of your campfire. It can also be made up ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Willie's Super Secret Cheater Ribs

The first set of ingredients you will need are a rack of pork ribs, minced garlic, pineapple juice, balsamic vinegar, and your favorite rib rub, I like a rub that is heavy on brown sugar and has just a little heat.
 








Unwrap your ribs, and use a sharp knife to remove any really fatty bits. Flip the rack over and remove the membrane, if it is present, by peeling a bit up, grasping it with a paper towel, and peeling the entire sheet away.







Once your ribs are all trimmed up, rub liberally with your favorite rub, reserving a tablespoon or so for seasoning your braising sauce.

Combine 1 can pineapple juice, 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp. minced garlic, and reserved rub. This will be your sauce for braising the ribs in the oven.

Cut a sheet of aluminum foil long enough for you to wrap your ribs completely.







Wrap, pinch and seal all but one end of the foil.

Pour your newly made braising sauce in through the open end, and seal the foil tightly.











Place your wrapped and sauced ribs on a baking sheet and bake in your oven at 225 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.

Remove your braised ribs from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Very carefully turn your ribs so that one end is up.









Snip a hole in one corner of the foil on the upturned end. Pour the liquid into a heat-resistant vessel and cover.








Store your liquid and ribs in the refrigerator until the liquid is completely cooled. All of this can be done the day before your barbecue so that, on the big day, you wont be chained to your kitchen. Once the liquid is cool, you can remove the fat puck from the top. Discard the puck and reserve the liquid.






Empty the reserved liquid from braising your ribs into a medium sized saucepan. Don't be alarmed if it is a strange looking conglomerate of gelatin, liquid and meaty sediments. This is good. This is flavor.

To this you will add 1/3 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup honey, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, and a your favorite hot sauce to taste, I like a couple of dashes of Cholula. Whisk your ingredients together and heat over medium low heat, until reduced by half, about 30 minutes, stir every couple of minutes.








While your sauce simmers and reduces, light your charcoal and get your grill ready to receive the ribs.

Don't forget to check the sauce!











Cook your ribs on your grill, off of direct heat for 30-40 minutes.  Adding a couple chunks of apple wood will really add a lot of flavor.  Avoid using hickory or mesquite, as they tend to make pork sour if over smoked.







After the ribs are heated throughout and have a good color remove from the grill and make a loose fitting tent of foil to place over the ribs until the sauce is sufficiently reduced.

Slice your ribs, drizzle with delicious home made sauce, and enjoy with plenty of napkins on hand!