Campfire Cooking: the Bow Hunter

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All work and no play? Not the chefs in Jackson. They appreciate the outdoor opportunities Jackson Hole has to offer as much (if not more) as its visitors do. Find out what keeps these chefs busy on their weekends, and how they stay fueled for the adventures. This week, we talked backcountry cooking with Topher Strittmatter, executive chef at The Handle Bar.elk grazing

Fall activity: bow hunting

Location: public wilderness areas in northwest Wyoming

Bow hunting elk requires Topher Strittmatter to head into the wilderness for days at a time. He packs light to keep up with elk herds, opting for the functionality of an ultralight camp stove and freeze-dried meals (often to the dismay of his palate). These meals, like the chicken teriyaki and meat lasagna, maximize calories for covering a lot of miles. For daytime snacks, he keeps Grizzly Bars on hand from Kate’s Real Food. This local product is a delicious way to get some energy on the move! After a successful hunting trip, Strittmatter will marinate his Wyoming elk meat and dehydrate it at home to bring out on his next excursions — lightweight and protein-packed.elk enchilada

Sam Simma

Raised in the land of casseroles and deep fried cheese curds, Sam Simma left rural Wisconsin for the mountains of Wyoming in summer 2012. Her appetite for adventure is the only thing that rivals her passion for food. She has always used writing to document and critique her travel and dining experiences. Her warmest memories among family and friends have been associated with the food that was at the center of the occasion. From staging cooking shows with siblings to perfecting turtle brownies with her dad, today Sam enjoys connecting people over food by hosting cookie decorating parties, wine pairing nights, and Midwest-inspired potlucks. A dessert fanatic, she has come to impress friends and family with key lime pies, Oreo bon bons, and Snickers ice cream cakes that are far simpler than they could ever imagine. Shhh! Don’t tell.

Tom Evans