Kabobs, roasted tomatoes, rotisserie chicken, herb potatoes and skillet vegetables can make a backyard fire-pit meal. Use only a fire pit and cooking accessories the manufacturer permits for food preparation; adding a grate does not make every decorative fire feature suitable for cooking.
Prepare the fire and food safely
Follow the equipment’s clearance, fuel and cooking instructions and local fire restrictions. Keep children away from the hot equipment, use heat-resistant gloves and long tools, and never leave the fire unattended. Do not burn painted, treated or unknown scrap wood; EPA’s wood-burning guidance explains unsuitable fuels.
Keep raw meat chilled and separate from ready-to-eat food. Use a clean plate and utensils for cooked food. Cooking times over coals vary with heat, wind, food size and grate height; a browned surface is not proof that the center is safe.
Use a thermometer. USDA’s grilling guidance sets minimum temperatures of 165°F (74°C) for poultry, 160°F (71°C) for ground beef, pork, lamb and veal, and 145°F (63°C) plus a three-minute rest for whole cuts of those meats. FoodSafety.gov lists 145°F (63°C) for fish. Check the thickest part without touching bone or the skewer.
Image Source: Pixabay
What to Cook in a Backyard Fire Pit:
Campfire Kabobs
Recipe source: Mark Hougardy
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of meat (use your favorite tender cut of meat, poultry or fish)
- 1 small onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 small zucchinis
- 12 button mushrooms
- ½ pound of green beans
- Choice of seasonings
Equipment:
- Skewers as needed (if using wood skewers, soak in water first)
- Aluminum foil
- Cutting knife
- Cutting board
- A cooking-compatible fire pit and grate with an approved fuel
- Food thermometer, long tongs and heat-resistant gloves
Directions:
Cut the meat into several chunks 1 to 2 inches thick. You can season the meat with olive oil and thyme in advance, then refrigerate it in a sealed container. Keep it chilled until cooking, using an adequately iced cooler if a refrigerator is not nearby.
Work on the green beans. This will allow them to cook while the kabobs are being assembled. Make an aluminum foil pocket. Place the green beans inside with some olive oil with some slices of onion for flavoring. Crimp the pocket together and place on the grate over of the coals. Turn every few minutes over the coals as needed. The packet might need a full 25 minutes to cook. The packet can be placed directly on the coals if they need to cook faster.
Next, prepare the kabobs. Cut the veggies into chunks about the same size as the button mushrooms. Use any order you wish but one suggested order is meat, onion, mushroom, peppers and zucchinis. The sturdy zucchinis and peppers make good end pieces. Leave small spaces between pieces so they can cook evenly.
At dinnertime, the coals from the fire were spread over a one-foot square base. The kabobs were placed on a grate about 8 inches above the coals. Treat the original recipe’s approximately 15-minute cooking time as an estimate only. Turn the skewers as needed and check several pieces with a thermometer against the temperature guidance above. Consider cooking meat and vegetables on separate skewers so each can finish at its own pace. A cooking-compatible smaller grate over the main grate can keep small pieces from falling through. This helps with cleaning and to keep food from falling into the fire.
Image Source: Pixabay
Grilled Tomatoes
Recipe source: Reserve America
Tomatoes wrinkle beautifully over an open flame. You don’t have to eat them plain either; roasted tomatoes are delicious in a number of campfire meals, especially when smothered over pasta.
- Tomato sauce: Rub your whole tomatoes with olive oil and place them on the grate of your backyard fire pit. Turn them frequently to give each side an even cook. Once finished, let cool and give them a rough chop. Add the chunks into low sodium vegetable or chicken broth. Toss in Italian seasoning, garlic and fresh basil for a light, roasted tomato sauce.
Campfire Chicken with Fire-Roasted Potatoes and Sauteed Veggies
Recipe source: Bal Arneson
Campfire Chicken Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- One 5-pound whole chicken
Fire-Roasted Herb Potato Ingredients:
- 16 baby potatoes (red or Yukon Gold will also work)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 tablespoons butter, cubed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauteed Veggie Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 4 ounces baby portobellos, sliced
Equipment:
- A campfire or barbecue rotisserie
- Butcher’s twine
Campfire Chicken Directions:
Prepare a campfire and let it burn down to coals. Set up a camping rotisserie about 15 to 18 inches over the coals. (Alternatively, preheat a grill fitted with a rotisserie to medium heat.)
In a small bowl, combine the cumin, paprika, turmeric, cardamom, salt and pepper. Mix to blend. Rub the chicken on all sides with the spice mixture. Truss the chicken with butcher’s twine.
Mount the chicken on the rotisserie and cook, turning slowly and constantly, until the thickest breast and the innermost thigh and wing areas each reach at least 165°F (74°C), avoiding bone with the probe. The original recipe estimates about 1 1/2 hours, but actual time will vary. Add small logs to the fire, one at a time, to maintain heat during cooking; keep the new logs around the margins of the fire so the chicken doesn’t come into direct contact with the flames. Periodically rake the coals to evenly distribute the heat under the chicken. Once the chicken is done, remove it from the rotisserie and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Fire-Roasted Herb Potato Directions:
Prepare a campfire and let it burn down to coals (if you haven’t already). Set a grill grate over the backyard fire pit. (Alternatively, preheat a grill to medium heat.)
Lay two pieces of aluminum foil, about 18 inches in length, on top of each other. Place the potatoes in the center of the foil. Scatter the garlic, thyme, rosemary and butter over the potatoes, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Fold the edges of the foil up and around the potatoes, and seal them together to create a pouch. Transfer the pouch to the grill and cook until the potatoes are tender and browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Use heat-resistant gloves and open the pouch away from your face to avoid escaping steam. Check tenderness and turn the potatoes carefully; larger potatoes may take substantially longer.
Sauteed Veggie Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over a campfire grill grate. (Alternatively, place on a burner over medium-high heat.) Add the fennel and mustard seeds and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the garlic, eggplant, onion, red pepper, zucchini and portobellos, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
Serve with campfire chicken with fire-roasted potatoes and sauteed veggies on the side.
Cook’s Note:
The chicken can also be roasted in the oven: use a complete oven-roasting recipe with a specified oven temperature, and verify at least 165°F (74°C) in the breast, innermost thigh and wing areas. The cooking time alone is not a safety check.
Summing Up
As you can see, there are so many fun things that you can cook outdoors using a backyard fire pit. We hope that these recipes have inspired you to create something delicious. If so, don’t forget to share your experience with us in the comments below!
Image Source: Pixabay
