Primitive recipes

What are some good dishes than you can cook with primitive tools and primitive foods, in case of a disaster?

 

I agree this is an area that needs to be explored. The first thing that comes to mind is a soup. It can be cooked over an open flame in various steel, iron, or aluminum containers. Soup can be different every meal depending on the vegetables one is able to forage. The second dish that comes to mind is meat. It can be cooked on an open fire using a spit or with an individual homemade "kebob" from a local branch. The question though is how many of us know how to skin an animal??

 

The earliest form of bread known to man, was actually crushed grains that had been mixed with water. After that it was left out in the sun for days until it was considered baked.

 

Do you know what is pemmican? It likely originates from North America. Native American and woodrunner scouts who spent a great deal of time on the go depended on having portable, high-energy, highly nutritious, and filling foods that would last for long periods of time. Often times pemmican was their food of choice. This amazing stuff is a dried mixture of meat, berries and rendered fat (also called suet or tallow). It is an invaluable survival food that when prepared properly using good pemmican recipes can last anywhere from several months to several years without refrigeration! Pemmican is a great asset to have with you while exploring the wilderness even today. Though most classic pemmican recipes require the use of meat and fat, it is also possible to make it vegetarian as well.

 

I consider overnight oats rather primitive. Stick grains in a jar with water, milk, juice or whatever else you have, toss in some fruit or nuts and let it sit overnight (in a preferably cool location) and enjoy it in the morning.
Mashing/mushing steamed grains and corn is also quite simplistic and brings out the nutrients while increasing digestibility. Sprouted grains and beans take a while of preparation, but they are nutrients and, aside from the wait, simple to grow.
Then, there's always animal protein on a stick and roasted over open flame.

 

The only primitive recipe that I know if roasting or broiling. As I had posted in another thread, I have sampled broiled potato on stone stone which was very good to my taste. With game, I had also tasted roasted bird on a stick. Although the meat of the bird is kind of tough, it is not only edible but palatable.

I have yet to sample the fish cooked in a bamboo cylinder which didn't need any seasoning but delicious according to my father-in-law who used to hunt in the mountain range in the nearby province. But he also said that a good hunter never runs out of salt. Aside from flavoring the food, salt is an agent of preservation. In case you have caught a big game, the excess meat can be preserved with salt. The same with fish, salted fish dried in the sun can last for weeks or even months.

 

You can use sea water as a soup base, then throw any vegetable and herbs in the pot. If you have time throw in animal protein. Pretty simple. The true primitive way was to set whatever you were cooking right on the coals. That was as good as it gets back then.

 

My grandfather taight my brother and me how to make 'hard tack'. Trust me it definitely lives up to its name, it is like hard as a rock. If i am not mistaken, this is a ration item that was utilized during wartime. You are able to keep this around, and it never goes bad. Easy to make: Mix together flour and water, then include salt (helps to dry it out). As it gets sticky start kneading it until it is all mixed. Roll out the dough until you have it to the thickness you want, then puncture it with a fork (helps release the moisture). Bake these in an oven at about 350 or so degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, flip and bake another 25 to 30 minutes. When you are ready to eat just add a liquid of your choice (softens the dough). This is not necessarily the best thing you will ever eat, but it is something if you need it.