Cookouts are a great time to spend outdoors and enjoy a mouthwatering meal. The smoky flavors and spices of the food create an appetizing outdoor dish. A warm dish made outside by firewood gives the food a distinctive and flavorful taste compared to indoor cooking.
Outdoor Cooking
Outdoor cooking is cooking food outside using a variety of heat sources that are available. There are various heating sources that can be used outdoors. Grilling is a common method of cooking outdoors in the states. Though grilling is very popular, there are other ways to cook food outside besides grilling.
Cookouts in the United States & Globally
American cookouts are popular throughout the country. Cookouts are common for special events and holiday celebrations. It can also be a nice time to cook out even during the colder season. Cooking near warm heat and enjoying hot meals can be fulfilling, especially during winter, though it may be more challenging to cook outside compared to summertime.
Many regions of the world practice outdoor cooking as part of tradition and culture. It is also a common method of preparing and cooking food in rural regions around the world. In the states, grilling and barbeque are the main styles of outdoor cooking, while many different parts of the world practice open fire cooking. The food is generally cooked over firewood. This style of cooking is popular in Asia, Africa, and South America.
- Asia: grilling over open fire, hot pot, and clay pot cooking
- Africa: stewing and braising, pot food, and braai (cooking over open fire)
- South America: churrasco (barbeque grill) and parrilla asado (a grill for cooking meat over open fire)
Reasons for Cookouts Globally
- The unique flavors of cooked food over an open fire add a distinctive taste to the food.
- The unity is one aspect of social cooking outdoors.
- The strong smell of spices and certain foods is best cooked outdoors than indoors, causing unpleasant smells in a tight home space.
- The open space the outdoors has to offer compared to limited space indoors or kitchen availability
- It is part of culture. Many countries around the world practice outdoor cooking as part of a daily lifestyle and experience.
Common Method for Outdoor Cooking
The use of the Dutch oven is a common way for outdoor cooking. A Dutch oven is a type of heavy round pot that is often made of cast iron. This type of pot is durable, which makes it an ideal cookware for outdoor cooking. In addition, it is a versatile pot used worldwide, especially outdoors, where the pot can hold a lot of food.
The Cookout Process
Cookout Cooking Equipment: Cast iron pot, large cooking spoon, firewood, concrete blocks, and homemade cement grill
Cookout Ingredients: Collard greens, white rice, dried beans, smoked sausage, sirloin roast pork, pork steaks, green onion, and red onion
Cookout Food Ingredients
Collard Greens
Vegetables are ideal side dishes to add to outdoor cooking. Collard greens are a versatile and healthy vegetable that pairs well with many southern dishes in the states. It is a popular side dish in southern cuisine, such as with chicken, cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. In various parts of Africa, collard greens are a common leafy green vegetable that is included in many different types of meals, such as in soups and stews. In Brazil, collard greens are a very popular leafy green. It is often served as a side dish for feijoada, a traditional Brazilian bean stew.
Canned, frozen, and bagged fresh collard greens are options for purchase, though the best option would be fresh collard greens when available at the market. Collard greens are great cooking vegetables that are available year-round in the states. For this cookout, I included fresh collard greens that I bought from my local supermarket.
Common Method for Outdoor Cooking
The use of the Dutch oven is a common way for outdoor cooking. A Dutch oven is a type of heavy round pot that is often made of cast iron. This type of pot is durable, which makes it an ideal cookware for outdoor cooking. In addition, it is a versatile pot used worldwide, especially outdoors, where the pot can hold a lot of food.
The Cookout Process
Cookout Cooking Equipment: Cast iron pot, large cooking spoon, firewood, concrete blocks, and homemade cement grill
Cookout Ingredients: Collard greens, white rice, dried beans, smoked sausage, sirloin roast pork, pork steaks, green onion, and red onion
Cookout Food Ingredients
Collard Greens
Vegetables are ideal side dishes to add to outdoor cooking. Collard greens are a versatile and healthy vegetable that pairs well with many southern dishes in the states. It is a popular side dish in southern cuisine, such as with chicken, cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. In various parts of Africa, collard greens are a common leafy green vegetable that is included in many different types of meals, such as in soups and stews. In Brazil, collard greens are a very popular leafy green. It is often served as a side dish for feijoada, a traditional Brazilian bean stew.
Canned, frozen, and bagged fresh collard greens are options for purchase, though the best option would be fresh collard greens when available at the market. Collard greens are great cooking vegetables that are available year-round in the states. For this cookout, I included fresh collard greens that I bought from my local supermarket.
I washed the collard greens, then rolled the collard greens into rolls for easier cutting. I then cut and sliced the collard greens into small pieces and put them in a container.
Once I was ready to cook outside, I added the collard greens to the cast iron pot and then filled it halfway with water. The pot of collard greens was ready for the outdoor cooking.
Rice
Rice is a food dish that easily pairs with a number of dishes. It is a popular food staple consumed worldwide. It is known to be healthy, easily available, affordable, can be prepared in various ways, and it is a tasty side dish. Rice can also be cooked outdoors; campfire is one way, cooking rice over a campfire or a grill.
For the rice, I used white rice. White rice is a popular rice not only in the states but in Latin and Asian cultures. It is a delicious rice with a nice texture and flavor. Other rice options that are great for cooking include long-grain rice and brown rice.
The rice is prepared the same way I would cook it indoors, except for this cook day, this rice is being prepared to be cooked outdoors. I used a saucepan and added the rice, then filled it halfway with water. The rice was ready for the cookout.
Rice
Rice is a food dish that easily pairs with a number of dishes. It is a popular food staple consumed worldwide. It is known to be healthy, easily available, affordable, can be prepared in various ways, and it is a tasty side dish. Rice can also be cooked outdoors; campfire is one way, cooking rice over a campfire or a grill.
For the rice, I used white rice. White rice is a popular rice not only in the states but in Latin and Asian cultures. It is a delicious rice with a nice texture and flavor. Other rice options that are great for cooking include long-grain rice and brown rice.
The rice is prepared the same way I would cook it indoors, except for this cook day, this rice is being prepared to be cooked outdoors. I used a saucepan and added the rice, then filled it halfway with water. The rice was ready for the cookout.
Beans and Meats
Different types of meats and beans are popular food ingredients to cook outdoors. Cooking beans and an assortment of meats gives the food a nice smokey flavor that you could not really get from indoor cooking. Beans are a healthy and versatile dish that can be cooked in various ways. Beans are great to add to cookout meals. They can be cooked in different ways outdoors, such as in a cast iron pot and over a campfire; this is a popular cooking method for camping. Like beans, meats can also be cooked in various ways outdoors.
Grilling is by far probably the most common and popular way of cooking meat in the states. Other methods include meat on skewers over an open fire and pan-searing (frying meat on a cast iron skillet on a grill or other outdoor cooking tool). The use of a Dutch oven is a popular method for cooking beans and meats worldwide. Cooking both beans and meat slowly outdoors is a common cooking technique used in many cultures, such as in Africa, where it is commonly practiced, especially for stews.
Beans
For this cookout, I wanted to combine both the beans and all the meats, similar to a stew. This would allow both beans and meats to cook together, creating a flavorful meat-bean dish.
Beans are often soaked overnight prior to cooking; this helps with cooking time and the texture of the beans. Though many find soaking beans in water not necessary, quick-soaking beans would work as well. This is a matter of preference; overnight soaking seems to be a popular method, and it is one that I often do before cooking beans. For the beans, I used packaged dried beans. I soaked the beans in water in a cast iron pot overnight.
Beans and Meats
Different types of meats and beans are popular food ingredients to cook outdoors. Cooking beans and an assortment of meats gives the food a nice smokey flavor that you could not really get from indoor cooking. Beans are a healthy and versatile dish that can be cooked in various ways. Beans are great to add to cookout meals. They can be cooked in different ways outdoors, such as in a cast iron pot and over a campfire; this is a popular cooking method for camping. Like beans, meats can also be cooked in various ways outdoors.
Grilling is by far probably the most common and popular way of cooking meat in the states. Other methods include meat on skewers over an open fire and pan-searing (frying meat on a cast iron skillet on a grill or other outdoor cooking tool). The use of a Dutch oven is a popular method for cooking beans and meats worldwide. Cooking both beans and meat slowly outdoors is a common cooking technique used in many cultures, such as in Africa, where it is commonly practiced, especially for stews.
Beans
For this cookout, I wanted to combine both the beans and all the meats, similar to a stew. This would allow both beans and meats to cook together, creating a flavorful meat-bean dish.
Beans are often soaked overnight prior to cooking; this helps with cooking time and the texture of the beans. Though many find soaking beans in water not necessary, quick-soaking beans would work as well. This is a matter of preference; overnight soaking seems to be a popular method, and it is one that I often do before cooking beans. For the beans, I used packaged dried beans. I soaked the beans in water in a cast iron pot overnight.
Meats
For the meats, I used two types of meats: smoked sausage and pork. This is an option, as you can add other meats like beef. There were specials at my grocery store for pork. I bought pork steaks and a premium pork sirloin roast. It's great to look to get specials at grocery stores that help with budget cooking.
I open each package of meat, then cut the sausage into round slices and the pork into big pieces. I added the cut meat into the soaked beans of water. Then I added additional water, filling the cast iron pot of water. The soaked beans were under the meats in the pot.
Green Onion & Red Onion
Adding vegetables to beans and meats creates a healthier meal and can improve the flavor of the dish. Onions were the only vegetable I added. Other types of vegetables can be added, such as broccoli, peppers, or potatoes.
Meats
I added pieces of cut green onion and red onion. I did not combine the beans, meats, and onions yet. I let the meat soak in water with the beans and onion for a few minutes prior to cooking outside.
Once the meats, beans, and onion soaked in the water for a few minutes, I removed some of the water. This was done so water would not spill from the pot while it was carried outside for the cookout.
The Cookout
The collard greens, rice, beans, and meats were ready for the cookout this day. On the ground, I added firewood in between concrete blocks.
The Cookout
The collard greens, rice, beans, and meats were ready for the cookout this day. On the ground, I added firewood in between concrete blocks.
Collard Greens
The firewood was heated prior to the cast iron pot of collard greens being placed on the wood. Once the firewood was heated, the pot of collard greens was placed over the firewood.
Collard Greens
The firewood was heated prior to the cast iron pot of collard greens being placed on the wood. Once the firewood was heated, the pot of collard greens was placed over the firewood.
The water boiled as the collard greens slowly began to cook. Cooking the collard greens did not take very long. I gently stirred the collard greens occasionally with a cooking spoon to make sure they would be cooked thoroughly.
Rice
The rice was cooked on a grill with firewood. For the rice, I added firewood to the homemade cement grill, then heated it and waited for the grill to heat up.
Once the grill was heated, I added the saucepan of rice and covered it with a lid on the grill.
The grill heated up quickly. The water began to boil, and the rice slowly began to cook. The rice did not take very long to cook.
Meats and Beans
The process of cooking the beans and meat generally takes longer than indoor cooking, but I find the food flavors of outdoor cooking delicious. I added additional water to the pot of meats and beans. Once heated, the pot of beans and meats was added to the firewood.
As the meats and beans were cooking, I covered the pot with a lid. This helps to cook the food faster. Meats and beans can take a while to cook outside. This process can take between an hour and an hour and a half.
The meats, beans, and cut onion were gradually cooking as the water boiled.
I occasionally stirred the meats, beans, and onion with a kitchen spoon. This helped to evenly distribute the pot ingredients.
Tomato Paste
Once the meats and beans were cooking, I decided to add tomato paste to the pot of meats and beans. The main reason for adding tomato paste to the meats and beans was for color. Other reasons are for added texture and flavor. Tomato paste can help to thicken the meats and beans dish. In addition, it provides a tasty tomato flavor to the food.
Cooked Food
Collard Greens
The collard greens cooked in a short amount of time. It took about 15 minutes for the collard greens to cook compared to indoor cooking of fresh collard greens, which is about the same amount of time.
I removed the collard greens from the cast iron pot and put them into a colander. Under the colander, I put a plastic container. This helped to hold the water that seeped through the colander.
Rice
The rice was fully cooked. Within 15 minutes the rice was ready. The rice did not take very long to cook outside. The time it took the rice to cook outside is similar to rice cooking indoors. The indoor and outdoor rice flavor and taste are distinctive, though.
Cooked Meats and Beans with Onions
Once the meats, beans, and onion were fully cooked, I let it cool outside. I then brought the pot back into the kitchen and let the pot fully cool down and allowed the ingredients to fully marinate.
Collard Greens, Rice, Beans & Meats Dish
This is the dish of cooked collard greens, rice, beans, and meats. The food was fresh with a nice smokey flavor. This meal was delicious and had some good health benefits, making this an appetizing, nutritious meal.
As the meats and beans were cooking, I covered the pot with a lid. This helps to cook the food faster. Meats and beans can take a while to cook outside. This process can take between an hour and an hour and a half.
The meats, beans, and cut onion were gradually cooking as the water boiled.
Rice
Summary
Cookouts are enjoyable experiences, though they need to be done with safety in mind. There are advantages to cooking indoors; one main reason is it is generally much faster. Cooking outside generally takes more time for the food to cook. In addition, it does take work setting up and making sure everything is prepped and ready for safe cooking outdoors. Make sure to make enough time and not rush during open fire cooking.
Each cookout can be different, creating new tasty dishes. Cookouts are great to spend time outdoors and experience fresh, smokey, flavorful outdoor dishes. It's best to be safe and not rush but enjoy the experience of food and life.
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