But-and-Ben Pie Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Easy one-pot dinner meal with Pobalno Chilies, Ground Beef, and Cheese. A no-fail beauty in your 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven.
Tag: Camp Recipe
Easy Dump-and-Bake Spanish Rice and Chicken Casserole Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Easy one-pot dinner meal with Pobalno Chilies, Ground Beef, and Cheese. A no-fail beauty in your 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven.
Chile Relleno Con Cerveza – Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Casserole Version
Chile Relleno Con Cerveza – Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Casserole Version
First of all, we will not be stuffing peppers. Though the Chile Relleno recipe is a Mexican dish that is described as a “green chili pepper stuffed with minced meat and coated with eggs,” (Wikipedia) we will not be actually “stuffing” chili peppers. This is the camp cast iron Dutch oven version and more-or-less the casserole version of the Chile Relleno recipe.
This is a very simple casserole dish that will bake very well in your 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven. My suggestion is to use the regular or shallow 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven to get that good and toasted top to this casserole recipe when we wrap this up at the end of the cook.
Here’s the short story: We’ll fire-roast our poblano chilies and then bag them up to sweat a bit while we prepare our beef and onions. Then, we’ll mix up our egg, beer, and seasoning blend. The bake will start by layering out the casserole and topping it with cheese. It’ll bake for about 30-45 minutes and give us that time to enjoy a beer and beauty of the great big outdoors.
The Cast Iron
This recipe will do very well in a 12-inch regular (shallow) camp cast iron Dutch oven. A 10-inch may work but I’d suggest a deep 10-inch Dutch oven.
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
- Bowl to hold the browned beef.
- Bowl to create the egg mixture.
- Gallon Sized Zipper Bag
- Parchment Paper
- Tongs to turn the chilies.
- Wooden Spatula
- Wooden Wok Shovel
- Meat Chopper
I didn’t include the list of in-camp Dutch oven supplies you’ll need for cooking in your camp cast iron Dutch ovens. The tools I listed her are recipe-specific. If you’d like me to list a full list here to include the Dutch oven-specific needs, let me know and I’ll start doing that from now on.
Ingredients:
6-8 Poblano Chilies (more is okay)
2 Pounds of Ground Beef
8 Large Eggs
1 Chopped Onion
3-6 Cloves of Minced Garlic
3 Cups of Colby Jack Cheese (divided)
2.25-4.5 Ounces of Drained, Sliced Olives
1 Can of Drained Fire Roasted Chopped Tomatoes
Sliced Mushrooms
1 Cup of a Mexican Lager (or another easy-drinking lager)
The Dry Ingredients
½ Cup of White Flour
¼ Cup of Cornmeal or Corn Flour
1 tsp Salt (more or less to taste)
1 tsp Pepper
1 TBL Smoked or Regular Paprika
1 tsp Cumin
Fresh Herbs
1-2 TBL of Chopped Oregano
1-2 TBL of Chopped Thyme
NOTE: Substitute 1-2 tsp of Oregano and Thyme if you don’t have fresh
Chili Powder for Dusting the top of the Dish
½ – 1 Tablespoon butter or oil (optional)
Substitute: You could substitute Anaheim peppers for the poblano chilies.
A note on the ground beef: I will brown one pound of ground beef at a time in the pot. I will use a 85/15 (15% fat) pound of ground beef and a leaner pound somewhere around 93/7 (7% fat). The first pound of ground beef will go straight in the pot and without oil. The fat from the higher percentage beef will render the fat for browning the second pound of beef. This is not a perfect science. Having some oil on hand for browning the beef and sautéing the onions and garlic is a good idea.
ALSO: Brown one pound at a time. If you put too much ground beef in that hot pot, the pot will cool and the beef will not steam off well enough to keep the moisture from building up. We want to brown and sear the beef and not end up boiling it in its own juices.
A note on the Poblano Chilies: After fire-roasting the chilies and putting them in the bag or container to sweat and soften, I usually just peel them and remove the stems, seeds, and placentas by hand.
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare and Measure all of the Ingredients:
- Wash the Poblano Chilies
- Shred and have 3 cups of Colby Jack Cheese at the ready.
- Set out 8 Large Eggs
- Chop 1 Onion
- Dice or Mince 3-6 Cloves of Garlic
- Open and drain the Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- Open and drain the Olives
- In a bowl, add the white flour, corn flour (or corn meal), cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper
- Prepare 1-2 Tablespoon of Fresh Oregano (or 1-2 teaspoon of Dry Oregano) and Prepare 1-2 Tablespoon of Fresh Thyme (or 1-2 teaspoon of Dry Thyme)
- Make sure your Mushrooms are Sliced and Ready
- Pull out the 2 Pounds of Ground Beef and have it at the Ready
- Measure out 1 cup of your Mexican lager beer
Step 2: Set a charcoal chimney full of briquettes to fire. This first cycle of briquettes are the ones we’ll use to fire-roast our chilies and sauté our beef and onions.
Step 3: Prepare the Egg Mixture
In the bowl, add the white flour, corn flour (or corn meal), cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper, add the herbs, and eight eggs. Blend very well to make sure all the ingredients are blended and there are no “flour bubbles” floating around.
Once the egg and all of the dry ingredients are blended, add the one cup of beer and mix in well.
Step 4: Blister and Roast the Pobalno Chilies.
Once the fire is hot and ready, add all the briquettes to a grill or fire pit with a grill. Top the grill’s grate with the poblano chilies. I usually use my hand to turn and position the chilies as they roast. We’re looking for a nice char on the skin. It’ll bubble and blister; that is PERFECT. Patience is the key here. They may end up looking burned but they are not (unless you actually burn them).
Just keep rotating the chilies to get all the sides of the chilies chard and roasted. This char will come off when we peel the chilies later. This process requires a bit of patience. We really want to take our time here and get a good roasted and smoky flavor. A good fire-roasted chili will peel easily and will also lay flat on top of our casserole when we add the fire-roasted chilies to the recipe.
Chef Tip: While roasting your Pobalno Chili, add a bit of barbecue wood or grill wood to the hot briquettes to give the chilies a smoky flavor. But, as anything: too much of a good thing ain’t good. Smoke-flavor is not like money; more smoke ain’t better.
Step 5: Create the Sweat Bag
An easy way to “sweat” the chilies is to use a gallon sized zipper bag. Insert a make-shift parchment paper bag or an actual paper bag into the zipper bag. The steam from the chilies will soften the skin and make them easier to peel.
Tear off a length of parchment paper twice as long at the zipper bag you are using. Fold the parchment paper in half and stick it in the zipper bag. Once the chilies are charred and blistered, place the chilies in this bag and zip up the bag. The hot chilies will steam and soften. The skins will come off easy, easy, easy.
Step 6: Set the Dutch Oven over the bed of HOT Charcoal Briquettes to Pre-Heat
After the chilies are bagged up, move the grill’s grate out of the way. Place your regular 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven over that bed of hot charcoal briquettes and let the pot preheat.
Once the pot is hot, add one of the two pounds of ground beef. Instead of breaking up the ground beef, sear and caramelize the meat in one piece; almost like a large hamburger patty. This will give the dish a better flavor (if you ask me). And…this will make it easier to get the ground beef out of the pot when it’s browned. It may not cook fully in the middle and that’s okay. We’ll be putting the casserole together later and the beef will cook just fine during the bake.
After the first pound of beef is browned, set it aside in a bowl and brown the second pound of ground beef. Set both aside for later.
Often, I will use this time to peel my chilies while browning the second pound of beef and while sauteing the onions and garlic.
While browning the second pound of ground beef, set 24-30 new briquettes to fire in the charcoal chimney. These are the briquettes we will bake the entire casserole with after we put everything together.
Step 7: Saute the Onions and the Garlic
You may need to add a bit of butter or oil to the pot if the pot seems too “dry” to saute the onions, garlic, and the mushrooms.
Check on your second batch of charcoal briquettes. You’ll need them in a moment. Is your ground beef ready to add back? What about your chilies? Are they peeled and ready to layer on the casserole?
Step 8: Add the Mushrooms and let them Cook a bit with the Onions and the Garlic.
While the mushrooms are softening up and cooking, make sure the chilies are peeled and the stems, placentas, and seeds are removed (you’ll never get all of the seeds out and that’s perfectly okay).
Also, make sure your ground beef is chopped and ready to add back to the pot.
Step 9: Return the Browned Ground Beef Back to the Dutch Oven
After adding the beef back to the Dutch oven, give everything a good mixing. Mix the ground beef in with the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Smooth everything out flat and level.
THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME YOU BLEND ANY OF THE INGREDIENTS. The rest of the ingredients will be layered.
Step 10: Spread (rather sprinkle) the chunks of tomato and sliced olives over the ground beef mixture in the pot.
Do not stir the tomato and olives in with the ground beef mixture.
Step 11: Spread 1 ½ Cups of shredded Colby Jack Cheese.
Spread 1 ½ Cups of shredded Colby Jack Cheese over the tomatoes and olives (over the ingredients in the pot). If you have already measured out three cups, just use ½ of the cheese you have prepared.
Step 12: Cover the Entire Dish with the Peeled and Prepared Pobalano Chilies
It’s usually a puzzle but definitely not to be an over-thought process. Just lay them out as you like. No worries.
Step 13: Pour over the Egg/Beer Mixture
Before adding the liquid egg and beer mixture to the recipe, give it another good scrambling. Most of the bits of ingredients will have “sunk” to the bottom of the bowl. Mix it up once more and then pour the mixture evenly over the chilies and other ingredients.
Take care and go slowly; don’t “wash away” any of the layers you have created by pouring over too fast.
Step 14: Cover the Entire Dish with the Remaining Cheese
Evenly spread the cheese over the entire dish. It will not look very “pretty” at this point but that’s okay; it’ll pretty-up in a bit.
Step 15: Dust the Entire Dish with some Chili Powder
Use a nice chili powder of your choice to “dust” the top of the last layer of cheese on your casserole. Remember: more is not always better.
Step 16: Bake your Casserole for 30-45 Minutes and Until the Dish is Cooked
Cover the pot with the lid and remove it from the heat (what heat is remaining). Remove all of the current briquettes. They are likely spent at this point.
Take the new batch of briquettes we started back in Step 4. Place eight briquettes in the pattern of your choice under the Dutch oven. Place sixteen briquettes on the top of the lid of the Dutch oven.
Briquette Count Tip: I use the times-two guideline when I heat the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Take the diameter of the Dutch Oven and multiply it times two:
12-inches X 2 = 24
We need to bake the dish. Use 1/3rd of the briquettes under the Dutch Oven and 2/3rds on the lid of the Dutch Oven. This will give you about a 350°F / 175°C temperature.
Step 17: Bake for 15 Minutes then Turn the Pot
Turn the lid of the Dutch oven 1/3rd of a turn in one direction and then the whole pot 1/3rd of a turn in the other direction. Then, let the dish bake for another 15 minutes.
Step 18: After Baking for 30 Minutes, Check the Recipe for Doneness
Give the dish a peek. Is it done? I will likely be fully set and baked. Give it a test to see. You could use a thermometer. Casseroles with egg and meat should be baked until the internal temperature of your casserole reaches 165°F / 74°C.
NOTE: We put chili powder over our dish and this will give the cheese an extra toasty appearance. Don’t be “tricked” by thinking the dish is done by the “toastiness” of the top layer of the casserole.
If the casserole is not done, then give the pot another turn like we did in Step 15, and bake for another 5-15 minutes more.
ENJOY!
Summary
And the recipe is now yours. This seems like a step-intensive recipe but really is easy, easy, easy. Most things can be prepared at home and packed to camp.
It’ll have a rich and smoky flavor with some heat to it. To me, poblano chiles are sort of variable as to the amount of heat they offer. I usually consider them to be mild to medium when deciding on the people I am cooking for. If you want a milder version, use anaheim peppers instead of poblano chiles.
You all enjoy this with a bit of avocado and sour cream.
I’ve not used bell peppers with this recipe. My guess is that the have a flesh that is a bit too thick to use with this recipe. However, I am thinking that if you did use bell peppers, you could omit the roasting steps and just slice them very thin. I bed the thinly sliced bell peppers would do great in Step 10.
CHEERS!
You all keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those glasses of that fermented barley pop.
We’ll see you next time.
Website: https://beerandiron.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beerandiron
Twitter now called “X”: https://twitter.com/IronRecipes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironrecipes/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beerandironrecipes/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3jcMjHBuZ7C0x2TnssetrG
Chile Relleno Con Cerveza – Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Casserole Version
Easy one-pot dinner meal with Pobalno Chilies, Ground Beef, and Cheese. A no-fail beauty in your 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven.
Equipment
- Bowl to hold the browned beef.
- Bowl to create the egg mixture.
- Gallon-Sized Zipper Bag
- Parchment Paper
- Tongs to turn the chilies.
- Wooden Spatula
- Wooden Wok Shovel
- Meat Chopper
Ingredients
- 6-8 Poblano Chilies – more is okay
- 2 Pounds of Ground Beef
- 8 Large Eggs
- 1 Chopped Onion
- 3-6 Cloves Minced Garlic
- 3 Cups Colby Jack Cheese – Divided
- 2.25-4.5 Ounces Sliced Olives – Drained
- 1 Can of Fire Roasted Chopped Tomatoes – Drained
- 8 oz Sliced Mushrooms
- 1 Cup Mexican Lager – or another easy-drinking lager
Dry Ingredients
- ½ Cup White Flour
- ¼ Cup Cornmeal or Corn Flour
- 1 tsp Salt more or less to taste
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 TBL Smoked or Regular Paprika
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1-2 TBL Fresh Chopped Oregano – or 1-2 tsp dry
- 1-2 TBL Fresh Chopped Thyme – or 1-2 tsp dry
- Chili Powder for Dusting the top of the Dish
- ½ – 1 TBL Butter or Oil – optional
Instructions
- Set a charcoal chimney full of briquettes to fire – To Roast the Chilies and to Saute the Beef, Onions, Garlic, and Mushrooms
- Prepare the Egg Mixture – add the white flour, corn flour (or corn meal), cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper, add the herbs, and eight eggs. Blend very well. Add the one cup of beer and mix in well.
- Blister and Roast the Pobalno Chiles over the hot charcoal briquettes.
- Add the Roasted Pobalno Chiles to the Sweat Bag and let rest.
- Brown one pound of ground beef at a time – store the two pounds of browned ground beef in a container for later.
- Saute the Onions and the Garlic – You may need to add a bit of butter or oil to the pot if the pot seems too “dry” to saute the onions, garlic, and the mushrooms.
- While the second pound of ground beef is browning, set 24-30 charcoal briquettes to fire. We'll use these briquettes to bake the casserole later after we've put it together.
- While you are sauteing, peel the poblano chilies and remove the stems, seeds, and placenta. Some seeds remain.
- Once the Onions and the Garlic have cooked at bit, add the Mushrooms and let them Cook in a bit with the Onions and the Garlic.
- Return the Browned Ground Beef Back to the Dutch Oven – give everything a good mixing – There is no more mixing after this step – only layering.
- Spread (rather sprinkle) the chunks of tomato and sliced olives over the ground beef mixture in the pot.
- Spread 1 ½ Cups of shredded Colby Jack Cheese.
- Cover the Entire Dish with the Peeled and Prepared Pobalano Chilies
- Pour over the Egg/Beer Mixture
- Cover the Entire Dish with the Remaining Cheese
- Dust the Entire Dish with some Chili Powder
- Bake your Casserole for 30-45 Minutes and Until the Dish is Cooked – Turn the pot every 15 minutes and check for doneness after 30 minutes.
- Give the dish a peek. Is it done? I will likely be fully set and baked. Give it a test to see. You could use a thermometer. Casseroles with egg and meat should be baked until the internal temperature of your casserole reaches 165°F / 74°C.
Notes
A note on the ground beef: I will brown one pound of ground beef at a time in the pot. I will use a 85/15 (15% fat) pound of ground beef and a leaner pound somewhere around 93/7 (7% fat). The first pound of ground beef will go straight in the pot and without oil. The fat from the higher percentage beef will render the fat for browning the second pound of beef. This is not a perfect science. Having some oil on hand for browning the beef and sauteing the onions and garlic is a good idea.
ALSO: Brown one pound at a time. If you put too much ground beef in that hot pot, the pot will cool and the beef will not steam off well enough to keep the moisture from building up. We want to brown and sear the beef and not end up boiling it in its own juices.
A note on the Poblano Chilies: After fire-roasting the chilies and putting them in the bag or container to sweat and soften, I usually just peel them and remove the stems, seeds, and placentas by hand.
It’ll have a rich and smoky flavor with some heat to it. To me, poblano chiles are sort of variable as to the amount of heat they offer. I usually consider them to be mild to medium when deciding on the people I am cooking for. If you want a milder version, use anaheim peppers instead of poblano chiles.
You all enjoy this with a bit of avocado and sour cream.
Substitute: You could substitute anaheim peppers for the poblano chiles.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sausage and Tots Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe – Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Easy one-pot breakfast casserole recipe cooked in a camp cast iron Dutch oven.
Beer Berry Cobbler Recipe – Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Cobblery, fluffy, berry-ey, buttery, and lemony. Yes lemony. You’ll love the lemon liveliness of this Beer Berry Bake Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
Chicken Marbella Recipe – Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Chicken Marbella Recipe
The recipe was first published in The Silver Palate cookbook back in the late 70s or early 80s. The original author of this recipe was inspired by Spanish cuisine…maybe with a bit of North African as well. We’ll just consider it to be a multicultural dish. There’s a town in Southern Spain called Marbella.
Though I create this recipe often during the year in my home kitchen, I wanted to figure out a way to create this recipe in camp AND WITH BEER. I love camp recipes where I can pre-prepare many of the ingredients at home and pack them ready-to-go for cooking in camp. And here’s why: A lot of cast iron campers cook a lot of heat-and-go, pre-processed foods in their Dutch ovens. Many are looking to reduce the amount of in-camp preparation that is required for a from-scratch recipe. A recipe like this one is a pre-prepared recipe that can be packed into camp but is STILL a from-scratch recipe.
I do have recipes that uses processed foods such as tater tots, can of cream soups, and salsa. But I want most of my recipes to be from-scratch with these pre-processed foods being in-addition-to.
We are going to prepare and mix all our marinade ingredients. Then, we’ll store the chicken in a zipper bag of the marinade. In camp, we’ll brown our chicken. All the other ingredients (less the oil and brown sugar) ARE IN THE MARINADE!
Basically: Brown the chicken, dump in the marinade, and cook to doneness!
The Cast Iron
The recipe below considers the use of a 12-inch deep or 12-inch regular (shallow) Dutch oven. I use anywhere from 24-40 briquettes to sear and sauté. Then I bake this dish accordingly:
10-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 4 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 20-21 Briquettes – 14 on the top and 6-7 under the Dutch oven.
12-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 6 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 24 Briquettes – 16 on the top and 8 under the Dutch oven.
14-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 6-8 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 28 Briquettes – 18 on the top and 10 under the Dutch oven.
I would include 16-inch instructions but y’all with a 16-inch pot know what to do…well…what the heck:
16-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 8-10 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 32 Briquettes – 20-21 on the top and 11-12 under the Dutch oven.
And, if you are looking for dinner for two:
8-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 2 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 16 Briquettes – 10 on the top and 6 under the Dutch oven.
Adjusting the accordingly. However, I would not alter the ingredients from this recipe if you are preparing this meal in a 10-, 12-, or 14-inch Dutch oven. I may would only suggest using 8 ounces of beer instead of 12-oucnes if you are baking in the 10-inch Dutch oven.
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
When preparing for this recipe at home, you will need all the hand-dandy stuff a moderately well-equipped kitchen has.
- One-Gallon Zipper Bag
- Small Zipper Bag to store the Brown Sugar to Camp
- Cutting Board and a Knife
- Garlic Press
- Can Opener
In Camp, I would suggest:
- Tray for prepping the chicken
- Paper Towels to Dab the Chicken Dry
Before leaving for camp, I always go over an ingredients list and my supply list:
- Dutch Oven
- Lid Lifter
- Lid Stand
- Charcoal Chimney
- Leather/Insulated Grilling Gloves or Welding Gloves
- Longer Metal Tongs for Manipulating the Hot Briquettes
- Ash Shovel (Good for Scooping Hot Coals if Cooking in a Wood Fire)
- Charcoal Briquettes
- Lighter Fluid or Other to Aid in Getting the Fire Going
- “Clicker” (Long, Wand Lighter)
- Metal Tray, Baking Pan, or Other Metal Surface to Cook From (Optional)
- Cooking thermometers
- Can opener
- Straw Hand Brush (I use straw. It may burn (low risk) but it will not melt like plastic).
- Metal Bucket for Extinguishing Briquettes (and Old Dog Water Bowl is A-OK).
- Receptacle for Water (Washing, Extinguishing, Emergency)
- Fire Extinguisher
- Paper Towels
- Cooking Utensils
- Scraper for Cleaning Out
- Wash pan
- Recipes and Ingredients
- Cutting Board(s)
- Knife or Knives
- Plates or Cast Iron Fajita Skillets for Serving
- Serving Spoons, Forks, and Knives
- Wooden Spatula for Stirring and Scraping (Bring Two)
- Serving Spoon
- Left-Overs Containers
- Prep Table
- Garbage Receptacle
- Stool to Sit On
- Cooking Table
- Wind Shield
Ingredients:
- 4-8 ounces of Prunes, chopped
- 8-12 ounces of Beer
- 3.5 ounces of Capers with Liquid
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
- 4-5 ounces Olives, Sliced or Halved and drained
- 3.5 ounces of Capers with Liquid
- 6 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 6 Chicken thighs (or a combination of legs and thighs), Skin on and bone in
- 1-2 Tablespoons of oil
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar per piece of chicken.
The Prunes
I’ve found that most packs of prunes are about 8 ounces. I usually use the whole bag. If you don’t want to use that much, just use a cup of the chopped prunes. But, then again, what’s a cup of chopped prunes? You could get that whole 8 ounces in a cup if you really wanted to.
I use all 8 ounces.
If you are unsure, use 1 cup of chopped prunes. But, if you are like me on a camping trip…with a recipe meal plan that is sure to fill-up and slow-up your internal plumbing, a good dose of prunes in camp will do you good. And…you won’t even know you’re eating prunes. In case you didn’t know, not only am I a crackpot for the black pot, I am a Registered Nurse. Prunes are a go-to in times when we need a little help “clearing out the camp site.”
The Beer
Using the whole 12-ounces of beer will create more of a “watery” consistency to the final dish. The chicken will give up its broth and so will the other ingredients. And…that’s A-OK! I usually enjoy this recipe over rice or couscous. Sometimes, mashed potatoes. The sweetness of the recipe would go GREAT with some baked-then-mashed sweet potatoes or yams.
So, the beer does not need to be too hoppy (it does not need to be a bitter beer). I’d stick with a nice, sweeter porter or lager. An easy-drinker (for most).
Instructions
This is a Pack-and-Go Recipe
You will not believe how easy this one is to make. The ingredients need to marinate for a day or two. And, that’s perfect. All the cutting, chopping, mincing, mixing, and stuff will all be done at home, packaged up in one zipper bag, and hauled to camp.
Pre-Prepare at Home:
Step 1: Trim your chicken thighs a bit. We need the skin, but we don’t need all that much skin.
Step 2: Roughly chop the prunes. You could leave them whole, but I don’t. I coarsely chop the prunes into smaller pieces.
Step 3: Place the 6 (+/-) chicken thighs into the gallon-sized zipper bag.
Step 4: Prepare the Marinade – Add to the zipper bag of chicken. The chopped prunes, olives, 12 ounces of beer, the capers with the liquid, minced garlic, oregano, and the salt. Basically, add everything but the oil and brown sugar to that zipper bag. Mix the ingredients well. Cover the chicken with the marinade.
You could prepare the marinade in a side bowl, mix, and then pour in the bag with the chicken. Or, you could just add each ingredient into the bag of chicken then mix around in the bag. It’s all good…either way.
Step 5: Let the chicken rest in the marinade for a day or two in the cooler, ice chest, or refrigerator. If you are keeping the chicken stored in a container with other non-meat items, consider double-bagging the chicken.
In Camp and Ready to Cook. This recipe will end up being baked. We’ll need at least 24 briquettes to bake this recipe in the 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven.
Step 6: Set 24-40 briquettes to fire. Set the cast iron Dutch oven near by to warm as the briquettes fire up.
Step 7: While the briquettes are heating up, remove the chicken from the marinade and set on a paper towel-lined tray or other clean surface with the skin side up.
Chef Tip: I suggest using a paper towel lining to let the excess moisture wick away from the bone side of the chicken. The brown sugar will be added to the skin side and do a good job “soaking” up any excess moisture.
Chef Tip: When you remove the chicken from the marinade, some of the prunes, garlic, and olives may piggy-back along. Some of these ingredients are okay. Don’t let too many tag along. We really only want the chicken in the pot while we are searing the chicken in the hot cast iron.
Step 8: Add about a teaspoon of brown sugar per piece of chicken but only on the skin side.
Step 9: Once the briquettes are done and ready, set the camp cast iron Dutch oven over a bed of hot charcoal briquettes and really heat that cast iron up to a wicked hot temperature.
Step 10: Add the oil to the pot and let it get very hot. You’ll see whips of smoke from the oil’s surface. Perfect. We need a hot pot that will sear that chicken very well. Six pieces of chicken to the 12-inch Dutch oven will really cool that pot down fast.
We need a really hot pot to get a good sear on so many pieces of chicken.
Step 11: Add the chicken to the pot skin side down. The brown sugar will likely have drawn some of the moisture from the chicken and have “stuck” to the chicken skin. Some of the sugar may fall off during transfer. Don’t worry about it; it’s okay.
You could sear in batches. Sear 3 pieces of the chicken on both sides and then the other three. I just do all six and let the broth steam off. If you find that your chicken “boiled” during your first attempt at this recipe, you may not have had the heat hot enough. No worries. It’ll still be delicious. But, next time consider searing in batches of three.
Step 12: Once the skin side is seared and browned, flip each piece over and sear the bone side of the chicken thighs. When both sides are browned, turn each piece skin-side-up.
Step 13: Once the chicken is seared and browned, remove the pot from the heat. Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the pot and over that chicken. Spread evenly over the chicken and between the pieces of chicken.
Step 14: Place the lid back on the pot and add 16-18 hot briquettes to the top. Place a ring of 8-10 hot briquettes to the bottom. Let the meal cook until the chicken reached 165°F / 75°C degrees at the bone and the juices flow clear.
Summary
And the recipe is now yours!
If you want to enjoy this recipe with some baked or mashed sweet potatoes or yams, follow the Beer and Iron Baked Sweet Taters in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. If you bake them just right, the skins will fall off easily. Then all you have to do is toss in a bit of butter and a bit of milk and mash away. Add a good bit of the mashed sweet potatoes to the bowl or plate, ladle over some of the juices and other goodies, then top with a chicken thigh or two.
This recipe also goes well over rice, couscous, or even some white mashed potatoes…those Yukon Golds are on the sweet side.
You all keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those glasses of that fermented barley pop.
We’ll see you next time.
Website: https://beerandiron.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beerandiron
Twitter now called “X”: https://twitter.com/IronRecipes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironrecipes/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beerandironrecipes/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3jcMjHBuZ7C0x2TnssetrG
Chicken Marbella – Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Prepare and mix all our marinade ingredients. Then, store the chicken in the zipper bag with the marinade for 1-3 days. In camp, brown the chicken. Then, add all of the other ingredients.Basically: Brown the chicken, dump in the marinade, and cook to doneness!
Equipment
- One-Gallon Zipper Bag
- Small Zipper Bag to store the Brown Sugar to Camp
- Cutting Board and a Knife
- Garlic Press
- Can Opener
- Tray for prepping the chicken
- Paper Towels to Dab the Chicken Dry
Ingredients
- 4-8 ounces Prunes chopped
- 8-12 ounces Beer
- 3.5 ounces Capers with Liquid
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
- 4-5 ounces Olives Sliced or Halved and drained
- 6 Cloves of Garlic Minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 6 Chicken thighs or a combination of legs and thighs, Skin on and bone in
- 1-2 Tablespoons Oil
- 1 teaspoon Brown sugar per piece of chicken. OPTIONAL
Instructions
Pre-Prepare at Home:
- Trim your chicken thighs a bit. We need the skin, but we don’t need all that much skin.
- Roughly chop the prunes. You could leave them whole, but I don’t. I coarsely chop the prunes into smaller pieces.
- Place the 6 (+/-) chicken thighs into the gallon-sized zipper bag.
- Prepare the Marinade – Add to the zipper bag of chicken. The chopped prunes, olives, 12 ounces of beer, the capers with the liquid, minced garlic, oregano, and the salt. Basically, add everything but the oil and brown sugar to that zipper bag. Mix the ingredients well. Cover the chicken with the marinade.
- Let the chicken rest in the marinade for a day or two in the cooler, ice chest, or refrigerator. If you are keeping the chicken stored in a container with other non-meat items, consider double-bagging the chicken.
In Camp and Ready to Cook. This recipe will end up being baked. We’ll need at least 24 briquettes to bake this recipe in the 12-inchcamp cast iron Dutch oven.
- Set 24-40 briquettes to fire. Set the cast iron Dutch oven near by to warm as the briquettes fire up.
- While the briquettes are heating up, remove the chicken from the marinade and set on a paper towel-lined tray or other clean surface with the skin side up.
- Add about a teaspoon of brown sugar per piece of chicken but only on the skin side.
- Once the briquettes are done and ready, set the camp cast iron Dutch oven over a bed of hot charcoal briquettes and really heat that cast iron up to a wicked hot temperature.
- Add the oil to the pot and let it get very hot. You’ll see whips of smoke from the oil’s surface. Perfect. We need a hot pot that will sear that chicken very well. Six pieces of chicken to the 12-inch Dutch oven will really cool that pot down fast. We need a really hot pot to get a good sear on so many pieces of chicken.
- Add the chicken to the pot skin side down. The brown sugar will likely have drawn some of the moisture from the chicken and have “stuck” to the chicken skin. Some of the sugar may fall off during transfer. Don’t worry about it; it’s okay.
- Once the skin side is seared and browned, flip each piece over and sear the bone side of the chicken thighs. When both sides are browned, turn each piece skin-side-up.
- Once the chicken is seared and browned, remove the pot from the heat. Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the pot and over that chicken. Spread evenly over the chicken and between the pieces of chicken.
- Place the lid back on the pot and add 16-18 hot briquettes to the top. Place a ring of 8-10 hot briquettes to the bottom. Let the meal cook until the chicken reached 165°F / 75°C degrees at the bone and the juices flow clear.
Notes
Chef Tip: I suggest using a paper towel lining to let the excess moisture wick away from the bone side of the chicken. The brown sugar will be added to the skin side and do a good job “soaking” up any excess moisture.
Chef Tip: When you remove the chicken from the marinade, some of the prunes, garlic, and olives may piggy-back along. Some of these ingredients are okay. Don’t let too many tag along. We really only want the chicken in the pot while we are searing the chicken in the hot cast iron.
You could sear in batches. Sear 3 pieces of the chicken on both sides and then the other three. I just do all six and let the broth steam off. If you find that your chicken “boiled” during your first attempt at this recipe, you may not have had the heat hot enough. No worries. It’ll still be delicious. But, next time consider searing in batches of three.
If you want to enjoy this recipe with some baked or mashed sweet potatoes or yams, follow the Beer and Iron Baked Sweet Taters in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. If you bake them just right, the skins will fall off easily. Then all you have to do is toss in a bit of butter and a bit of milk and mash away. Add a good bit of the mashed sweet potatoes to the bowl or plate, ladle over some of the juices and other goodies, then top with a chicken thigh or two.
This recipe also goes well over rice, couscous, or even some white mashed potatoes…those Yukon Golds are on the sweet side.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Slumgullion Recipe – Pure Comfort Food Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
And easy 6-Ingredient Bread Recipe that will help learn how bread bakes in a camp cast iron Dutch oven. Easy to bake in the home oven as well.
Cantina Jack Chicken Recipe in a Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven
Tenderized and Brined Chicken Breasts rolled and centered with Pepper Jack Cheese, buttered, and corn flake-battered on a bed of vegetables all cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. This is a crowd-pleaser for sure.
Baked Chicken and Beer Rice Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Baked Chicken And Beer Rice Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
This recipe calls for a 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven. We will start off frying and end up baking this dish. To learn more about how to heat the camp cast iron Dutch oven, follow this link: https://beerandiron.com/2023/04/how-to-heat-camp-cast-iron-dutch-oven
You’ll be glad you did. OHHH…and there’s a video too…
This recipe can be prepared with either chicken breast meat or chicken thigh meat. I am going to present the simple recipe first. Then, farther down the article, I will go into detail.
For this recipe, I am using the 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven. We use a second 10-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven as a “warming pot” while we are searing the chicken. A second 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven works just as well.
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
- 12” Cast Iron Dutch oven (can use any size; just reduce to match your Dutch oven size)
- 10” or a 12” Cast Iron Dutch Oven – To be used as a warming pot for the chicken after it has been seared to golden brown. This is optional but suggested.
- Tongs to move the hot briquettes about
- Charcoal Chimney
- Lid Stand
- Lid Lifter
- Leather Gloves
- Knife and Cutting Board or Tray for the Fireside preps
- Tongs for cooking the chicken
- Wooden stir spoon
- Can opener – for all that is holy and good…don’t forget the can opener (we keep one on the key ring).
6-8 pieces of chicken
Oil (enough to pan fry/sear the chicken)
1 Green Bell Pepper; Chopped
3 Stalks Celery; Diced
1 Onion; Chopped
3-6 Cloves of Garlic; Minced
2 Cups White Rice
10 Ounce Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
10 Ounce Can Cream of Chicken Soup
8 Ounces / 1 Cup of Sour Cream
1+ Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Cans / Bottles of Beer (Enough for 20-24 Ounces)
1 Tablespoon Poultry Seasoning (or more)
2-3 Tablespoons of Cornstarch (or more)
(Salt and) Pepper to Taste
Chef Tip #1: We are going to cook the entire recipe in one 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven. However, I suggest you have TWO 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch ovens at the ready (or one 12-inch and a 10-inch). We will first sear and brown our chicken; the chicken will be hot but not fully cooked when we get to the “sauté the vegetables” step. So, what do we do with the chicken while we are sautéing the vegetables? I suggest you have a 2nd camp cast iron Dutch oven “near” the heat but not over or on the heat. This way the chicken can stay warm while we sauté the vegetables.
Note on the “prepared chicken:” I always brine my chicken in a beer and salt brine. If I am using chicken breast, I first tenderize the chicken breast meat and then brine for one hour before packing the chicken breast meat to camp. If I am using chicken thighs, I brine the thighs for about 3 hours before packing for camp. And, I usually brine at room temperature and refrigerate after I have removed the chicken from the brine.
Ready to Cook
Step 1: Preheat your 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven over 30-40 charcoal briquettes (or equivalent heat source). Keep a 2nd Dutch oven nearby (not on or over the heat but near the heat) as a warming pot (optional).
Step 2: Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the Dutch oven.
Step 3: Gather all your prepared ingredients and perform any fireside preparations. Set out your 6-8 pieces of prepared chicken on a cutting board or other surface and season with poultry seasoning first, then do a light dusting of cornstarch.
Step 4: Once the oil in the cast iron Dutch oven is hot and fry-ready (you’ll see wisps of smoke rising from the surface), pan fry 3-4 pieces at a time until golden brown on both sides. They do NOT have to be fully cooked at this point (better to remain a little raw). Store the pan-fried chicken in a separate Dutch oven to keep warm.
Chef Tip #2: Is your chicken searing with as much “enthusiasm” as your first batch? If you feel you may not have enough heat for sautéing the onions and garlic, set another batch of briquettes to fire to finish searing the chicken and sautéing the vegetables.
Chef Tip #3: Keep this in mind when adding chicken: the pot and oil are very hot, adding the chicken will cool it down; it’s an expectation. It’s supposed to do that. If you add too much chicken at one time, it will cool that pot too much and you will not get that good, golden sear. Take your time here. You can really add a lot of heat to the bottom of that camp cast iron Dutch oven. Really, really hot!
Chef Tip #4: When changing cooking types like we are here from frying to baking, start with a new, freshly prepared batch of briquettes for the next cooking type like when we start baking this dish.
Step 5: We are about to start baking and need to have a full, fresh set of charcoal briquettes ready. Start a new batch of charcoal briquettes for baking. Set 24 – 26 briquettes in the charcoal chimney and get them fired up.
Step 6: Remove any excess oil from the Dutch oven (a paper towel does quick work of this…don’t wipe…just pat the excess oil from the pan) and leave enough oil to sauté the onions and garlic. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sauté until translucent(ish).
Chef Tip #5: Save that oily paper towel; it makes a great fire starter.
Step 7: Add your chopped green bell pepper, diced celery, and rice. Stir it all about for a few minutes to sauté and deglaze that pot.
Step 8: Add the can of Cream of Mushroom Soup, the can of Cream of Chicken Soup. Fill both cans with beer (20 ounces of beer) and pour the beer in the pot. Then, add the Sour Cream and a tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce.
NOTE: You can just add all 24 ounces of beer.
Chef Tip #6: If you are struggling with your rice’s “doneness,” you may have not added enough liquid to the pot in the first place. This often happens when you are “measuring” the beer in the empty cream of chicken soup can. WATCH THE HEAD (foam)! Make sure you are adding TWO FULL cans of beer and not a can of beer with a head on it.
Step 9: Make sure all the ingredients except for the chicken are thoroughly blended. Then taste for saltiness. Add salt and pepper only if you need to. Your chicken has been brined and should be perfectly salty. Take a taste of the mixture in the pot and add salt and pepper as you enjoy a dish to taste. You may need to add some pepper but the soups that you added may have enough salt to “carry” this recipe.
Step 10: If you added salt and/or pepper, thoroughly blend the mixture again. Make sure there are no grains of rice stuck to the sides of the Dutch oven. Any grains of rice outside the liquid will not cook. Level off all the ingredients in the pot at this point.
Step 11: Add the chicken to the top and let the chicken rest on the top of the mixture. If, while sitting in the warming pot, any broth was created by the “waiting” chicken (the container or the Dutch oven you held the chicken in), pour that into the pot with the chicken and rice; just pour it in on the top; don’t worry about mixing it in.
Step 12: Place the Dutch oven lid on the pot. Start with a fresh set of 24 charcoal briquettes. Arrange them for baking. Place 8 briquettes under the oven and 16 on the lid. Turn the pot and then the lid every 10 minutes.
Step 13: Let the recipe cook until the chicken is 165°F / 75°C and the rice is completely cooked. If the rice is going to be underdone, it will be the rice closest to the top. Add beer and keep cooking if the rice needs more time.
Chef Tip #7: Cooking rice in a camp cast iron Dutch oven is kinda tricky. Noodles are as well. Here’s my suggestion for this recipe: When the chicken is almost done (around 135°F − 57°C or so), open the lid and remove some of the rice at the very top. Is the rice done? Yes? Perfect! Then let the chicken continue to cook to 165°F / 75°C. If not, add a bit of beer, broth, or water to the pot…just a bit…and then check again when the chicken reaches 165°F / 75°C. Yes? Perfect! But, what if not? Then, add a bit more liquid and remove the heat from the top of the Dutch oven. Leave the heat on the bottom. Keep checking until the rice is done.
NOTE: Only add liquid if the rice is not done AND the mixture has dried.
Step 14: Remove the pot from the heat and serve the chicken and rice hot straight from the camp cast iron Dutch oven.
The Details
Now you know how to cook this recipe, but I am sure there are some questions. The rest of this article will answer those questions. And, if not, feel free to send me a message / email and we’ll get that answer over to you lickety-split.
You can use either chicken breast or chicken thighs with this recipe.
Chicken Breast
You will need 3-4 chicken breasts that we will cut in half after we tenderize and brine the chicken.
First and foremost, you’ll do well by first tenderizing and then brining your chicken breasts at home and in preparation for this recipe. Yes, you can have the chicken straight from the package in camp and it will work A-OK. But, I will suggest…with a bit of encouragement mixed in there…that you tenderize and brine before heading out. Here are two links:
How to Tenderize Chicken Breast: https://beerandiron.com/2022/12/how-to-tenderize-chicken-breasts
How to Brine using the cold method (NOTE: Only brine tenderized chicken breast for about 1 hour): https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken
Once your chicken breasts are tenderized and have been in the brine for about 1 hour, remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel.
Then, pour the brine out of the zipper bag and place a few dry paper towels in the same zipper bag.
Cut the chicken breast perpendicular. You’ll have two about-equal sized pieces from each chicken breast that are around the size of the palm of your hand.
Place the 6-8 halves in the bag with the paper towels and zipper up the bags. Refrigerate until you are ready to create this recipe.
Chicken Thighs
This version is a bit easier to create. We’ll prepare 6-8 chicken thighs for this recipe.
We don’t tenderize our chicken thighs. Bone-in and Skin-on chicken thigh are my preference even over and beyond the chicken breast version. Brining is optional, but will definitely enhance the flavor of this recipe.
Brine the chicken thighs. These chicken thighs are not tenderized and will do well in the brine for about 3-4 hours.
Remove the chicken thighs from the brine and onto a cutting board. Pat them dry with a few paper towels. Trim the excess fat and excess skin from each chicken thigh but leave most of the skin in place.
After pouring out the brine from the zipper bag, place a few paper towels in the bag and store the thighs in the bag and refrigerate until you are ready to cook.
Pre-Prepare the Remaining Ingredients
Now that we have either the chicken breast or the chicken thighs ready to go, let’s get the rest of the ingredients ready.
First, pre-prepare at home the following ingredients and store them in separate containers in the refrigerator or the ice chest until you are ready to cook.
3-6 Cloves Garlic; Minced
1 Onion; Chopped
I suggest double-bagging the garlic and onions in the same container.
1 Green Bell Pepper Chopped
3 Stalks Celery; Diced
Next, measure out 2 cups of white rice and store in a container to make ready for cooking time.
Gather together:
10 oz Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
10 oz Can Cream of Chicken Soup
8 oz Container of Sour Cream
Bottle of Worcestershire Sauce
2 12-ounce cans/bottles of beer (we’ll only really need about 20 ounces).
Some Poultry Seasoning (we’re going to need about a tablespoon).
Container of oil for pan frying the chicken.
Small container with about 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch.
And, don’t forget to bring some salt and pepper.
Website: https://beerandiron.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beerandiron
Twitter now called “X”: https://twitter.com/IronRecipes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironrecipes/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beerandironrecipes/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3jcMjHBuZ7C0x2TnssetrG
Baked Chicken & Beer Rice – Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Use either Chicken Breast, Bone-in / Skin-on Chicken Thighs, or Skinless / Boneless Chicken Thighs…in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
Ingredients
- 8 Pieces Chicken – (6-8 Pieces of Chicken – Brined)
- 1 Green Bell Pepper – (Chopped)
- 3 Stalks of Celery – (Diced)
- 1 Onion – (Chopped)
- 3 Cloves of Garlic – (3-6 Cloves; Minced)
- 2 Cups White Rice
- 10 Ounces Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 10 Ounces Cream of Chicken Soup
- 8 Ounces Sour Cream
- 24 Ounces Beer – (20-24 Ounces of Beer – Mild Lager)
- 1 Tablespoon Poultry Seasoning – (1-Plus Tablespoons)
- 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch – (3-Plus Tablespoons)
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce – (1-Plus Tablespoons)
- Salt and Pepper – (To Taste)
Instructions
- Preheat your 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven over 30-40 charcoal briquettes (or equivalent heat source). Keep a 2nd Dutch oven nearby (not on or over the heat but near the heat) as a warming pot (optional).
- Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Gather all your prepared ingredients and perform any fireside preparations. Set out your 6-8 pieces of prepared chicken on a cutting board or other surface and season with poultry seasoning first, then do a light dusting of cornstarch.
- Once the oil in the cast iron Dutch oven is hot and fry-ready (you’ll see wisps of smoke rising from the surface), pan fry 3-4 pieces at a time until golden brown on both sides. They do NOT have to be fully cooked at this point (better to remain a little raw). Store the pan fried chicken in a separate Dutch oven to keep warm.
- We are about to start baking and need to have a full, fresh set of charcoal briquettes ready. Start a new batch of charcoal briquettes for baking. Set 24 – 26 briquettes in the charcoal chimney and get them fired up.
- Remove any excess oil from the Dutch oven (a paper towel does quick work of this…don’t wipe…just pat the excess oil from the pan) and leave enough oil to saute the onions and garlic. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sauté until translucent(ish).
- Add your chopped green bell pepper, diced celery, and rice. Stir it all about for a few minutes to sauté and deglaze that pot.
- Add the can of Cream of Mushroom Soup, the can of Cream of Chicken Soup. Fill both cans with beer (20 ounces of beer) and pour the beer in the pot. Then, add the Sour Cream and a tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce.
- Make sure all the ingredients except for the chicken are thoroughly blended. Then taste for saltiness. Add salt and pepper only if you need to. Your chicken has been brined and should be perfectly salty. Take a taste of the mixture in the pot and add salt and pepper as you enjoy a dish to taste. You may need to add some pepper but the soups that you added may have enough salt to “carry” this recipe.
- If you added salt and/or pepper, thoroughly blend the mixture again. Make sure there are no grains of rice stuck to the sides of the Dutch oven. Any grains of rice outside the liquid will not cook. Level off all the ingredients in the pot at this point.
- Add the chicken to the top and let the chicken rest on the top of the mixture. If, while sitting in the warming pot, any broth was created by the “waiting” chicken (the container or the Dutch oven you held the chicken in, pour that into the pot with the chicken and rice; just pour it in on the top; don’t worry about mixing it in.
- Place the Dutch oven lid on the pot. Start with a fresh set of 24 charcoal briquettes. Arrange them for baking. Place 8 briquettes under the oven and 16 on the lid. Turn the pot and then the lid every 10 minutes.
- Let the recipe cook until the chicken is 165°F / 75°C and the rice is completely cooked. If the rice is going to be underdone, it will be the rice closest to the top. Add beer and keep cooking if the rice needs more time.
- Remove the pot from the heat and serve the chicken and rice hot straight from the camp cast iron Dutch oven.
Notes
Chef Tip #1: We are going to cook the entire recipe in one 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven. However, I suggest you have TWO 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch ovens at the ready (or one 12-inch and a 10-inch). We will first sear and brown our chicken; the chicken will be hot but not fully cooked when we get to the “sauté the vegetables” step. So, what do we do with the chicken while we are sautéing the vegetables? I suggest you have a 2nd camp cast iron Dutch oven “near” the heat but not over or on the heat. This way the chicken can stay warm while we sauté the vegetables.
Note on the “prepared chicken:” I always brine my chicken in a beer and salt brine. If I am using chicken breast, I first tenderize the chicken breast meat and then brine for one hour before packing the chicken breast meat to camp. If I am using chicken thighs, I brine the thighs for about 3 hours before packing for camp. And, I usually brine at room temperature and refrigerate after I have removed the chicken from the brine.
Chef Tip #2: Is your chicken searing with as much “enthusiasm” as your first batch? If you feel you may not have enough heat for sautéing the onions and garlic, set another batch of briquettes to fire to finish searing the chicken and sautéing the vegetables.
Chef Tip #3: Keep this in mind when adding chicken. The pot and oil are very hot, adding the chicken will cool it down; it’s an expectation. It’s supposed to do that. If you add too much chicken at one time, it will cool that pot too much and you will not get that good, golden sear. Take your time here. You can really add a lot of heat to the bottom of that camp cast iron Dutch oven. Really, really hot!
Chef Tip #4: When changing cooking types like we are here from frying to baking, start with a new, freshly prepared batch of briquettes for the next cooking type like when we start baking this dish.
Chef Tip #5: Save that oily paper towel; it makes a great fire starter.
Chef Tip #6: If you are struggling with your rice’s “doneness,” you may have not added enough liquid to the pot in the first place. This often happens when you are “measuring” the beer in the empty cream of chicken soup can. WATCH THE HEAD (foam)! Make sure you are adding TWO FULL cans of beer and not a can of beer with a head on it.
Chef Tip #7: Cooking rice in a camp cast iron Dutch oven is kinda tricky. Noodles are as well. Here’s my suggestion for this recipe: When the chicken is almost done (around 135°F − 57°C or so), open the lid and remove some of the rice at the very top. Is the rice done? Yes? Perfect! Then let the chicken continue to cook to 165°F / 75°C. If not, add a bit of beer, broth, or water to the pot…just a bit…and then check again when the chicken reaches 165°F / 75°C. Yes? Perfect! But, what if not? Then, add a bit more liquid and remove the heat from the top of the Dutch oven. Leave the heat on the bottom. Keep checking until the rice is done.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Butter and Cream Biscuit Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Pillows of the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. An easy recipe for having homemade biscuits in camp. We’ll use Half & Half in our example. This recipe will work with Buttermilk, Kefir, Old Milk, and even Beer and Milk.
Recent Comments