roasting meat over a camp fire

Today, tried roasting half a chicken over a camp fire. the outside was getting burn. but when I checked, the inside of the thigh was still raw. how far from the flames does the meat have to be, or are you suppose to roast over the coals?. As you can probably figure out, I'm new to this. would like to get the hang of this. Thanks

You do not cook over flames....only coals.....and low and slow or the meat gets dry an tough.

By "low" I mean low temperature.....

High heat causes proteins to shrink or contract before fat and collagen can melt ....This makes meat tough...

You don't want flame only hot coals. Takes a little getting used to. I would recommend starting with beef it tends to be easier to cook and generally so long as you don't absolutely burn it it will still be fairly tasty. Cooking in general is about temperature control and the same is true over a fire. Temperature control is just a bit more challenging. If you've ever used a charcoal grill it very similar.

Cooking in general is about temperature control

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This is true about everything you're cooking.... :thumbsup:

Most people get in a hurry, and think more heat is better.........

I once saw a guy cook hamburgers on a grill, it sat 3 feet off the ground ....The flames where another 2 feet higher and was hot enough to warp the grill......The worst part was he used all the plastic and Styrofoam packaging along with trash to start the fire, and some waste oil to get it going.... :barf:

thanks for the replies. tomorrow is small game. will see if I get anything. will give it another go.

will try again with coals. tomorrow will see if I get any small game. If not, will stop at the provision (grocery) store and bring some beef home. thanks for responding

frontierman01 said:

Today, tried roasting half a chicken over a camp fire. the outside was getting burn. but when I checked, the inside of the thigh was still raw. how far from the flames does the meat have to be, or are you suppose to roast over the coals?. As you can probably figure out, I'm new to this. would like to get the hang of this. Thanks

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Flames for boiling and coals for baking, roasting & frying. You will need to adjust the distance from the heat or the intensity of your fire to cook through without burning.

With chicken, leave the skin on and roast whole - the chickens I've cooked took 2-3 hours. They were suspended from a tripod NEXT to the fire (in this specific case, radiant heat from flames cooks the chicken indirectly) and dangled from a string tied to skewers pushed through the chicken. I'd give the bird a spin every so often and swap ends to cook evenly.

Like this but with just one bird...

Yup, coals only.

Flames for boiling and coals for baking, roasting & frying.

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And old Boy Scout motto;
"Flames to boil, coals to broil"

When tending a wood fire for cooking it is all about the kind of wood, size of wood and how you need the heat.
There is a learning curve.
I guess I'm lucky because our Boy Scout leader back in the 70's after demonstrating many times about open pit cooking,, had a rule;
"You cooked it, you eat it!"
So ya kinda figured it out pretty quick.

I cook over a wood fire nearly all the time, but usually a closed pit. I get the fire going and sear the outside of the meat, then move it too the "cool side" and shut the pit lid, leaving the meat cook in the smoke. Did 12 pounds of chicken breasts last night. I use chunks of oak 3x3's and 3x5's cut offs from the skid making operation at the local saw mill. Just picked up a 55 gallon drum full tonight. I put the container full in the barn or shed and let it dry for several months before using. Been doing it so long, I can get fire to coals in about 5 minutes

You are right on. :metoo:

A Dutch oven works fantastic for cooking a whole bird over a fire.....You don't get crispy skin but the meat is superb. lay it on a bed of sliced onions, surround it with potatoes and carrots and pour in about half a beer...

Dutch ovens have one big advantage over an open fire....They work in rain and wind.

yup and if you seal the top with ring of dough its like a little pressure cooked and cooks things much faster and contents very tender.

As has been said by many others, use coals not flames to cook. You never cook over the main fire because you cannot control your heat that way. Place your cooking utensil, pot, grill or whatever, off to one side of the main fire and rake coals under it to cook. You control your heat by adding coals or removing coals. When I have cooked a chicken over coals, I have both a grill and a wire basket to put my chicken in. I either cut up the chicken into parts or cut it down the back and lay it out flat. It is easier to evenly cook a piece of meat if it is not so thick. Try to make the meat, chicken or whatever a more even thickness and it will cook more evenly. When cooking steaks, how much heat you need will depend on how you want your meat cooked. If you like it blood raw in the middle like my wife did, you use more heat and sear the steak on the outside and just enough heat penetrates to the middle to gently warm it. On the other hand, if you prefer your steak well done, you need to cook it more slowly so that the heat penetrates to the center without burning the outside. It is all about using coals, adding or taking away to control the heat.

What every one said above. Cooking over a fire is a slow process. Every thing takes about twice as long as over a stove in a house. On game be very careful. Small game needs to be heated through. You don’t want medium rare tree rat or bunny. Chicken is about the easiest thing to screw up on a grill. A whole bird is easier to roast over a fire.
Avoid rubs and bbq sauces. These burn easy and are a skill in them selfs to use ... you need to master the basics first. Then grilling is just the stat of fire cooking.
Lastly buy lump charcoale not the bricketts. Or build a fire from hard wood and let it cook down to coals.

Very good advice.
Here's a link that show you how to estimate the temp. by using your hand to feel the heat.

How to Check the Temperature of Your Grill
https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/grilling/grill-temperature

I would like to thank everyone for their responses. just gotta practice more. Is there a way that I can respond without quoting someone?

Just click on the Reply button to the lower right of any post. It shows your reply to that particular post or can be used to make a general reply....

Black Hand said:

Just click on the Reply button to the lower right of any post. It shows your reply to that particular post or can be used to make a general reply....

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Judging by his post above yours, I'd say that's exactly what he did....

I think perhaps he means something different... :hmm:

colorado clyde said:

Black Hand said:

Just click on the Reply button to the lower right of any post. It shows your reply to that particular post or can be used to make a general reply....

Click to expand...

Judging by his post above yours, I'd say that's exactly what he did....

I think perhaps he means something different... :hmm:

Click to expand...

Perhaps...
Responding to:

frontierman01 said:

Is there a way that I can respond without quoting someone?

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