I will not lie – I am always terrified of not cooking some meats well enough and making my fellow campers sick! So I usually stick to meats that it is ok if I under cook (I.e. beef)
But a few years ago (before pandemic), I took my mom and sister to a cooking class for fun at Sur La Table (R.I.P. Walnut Creek Sur La Table). The chef that day told us about his favorite tool – the ThermaPen! Learning about this product gave me the guts to finally try out cooking raw chicken while camping. No one wants to eat it raw and it can easily be dried out by overcooking. But never fear with the ThermaPen! It can literally get the temp down to the .01!
The Marinade –
- 1 1/2 lbs of tomatillos
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 jalapeños (I omitted for the trip because one camper could not handle heat. Adjust to the temp level of your fellow campers!)
- 2 Anaheim or Poblano peppers
- 1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
- Black Pepper
- Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend til smooth
- Pour marinade over sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts (1/4 – 1/2 lb per person) in a ziplock bag
- Freeze in freezer until camping trip
Chile Verde Chicken & Rice
- 4 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
- Bag of mix seasoning of garlic powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, salt & pepper
- Onion, yellow or white, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup rice
- 32 Oz chicken broth
- 1 can corn
- 1 can black beans, optional
- Queso Fresca cheese
- Avocado, optional
- Thaw chicken (if frozen)
- Add a bit of oil to cast iron pan and add sliced marinated chicken once heated
- Heat on one side for about 5 minutes and flip
- Heat another 5 minute and then use Thermapen to test see temperature. If at 165 degrees continue. If you don’t have the Thermapen, to be safe, heat chicken on both sides 8-10 minutes each
- Remove cooked chicken
- Heat cast iron again with 2 tbsp oil and add chopped onions. Stir a few minutes and then add garlic. Stir for a couple more minutes
- Add rice and stir for 1 minute, slightly browning
- Add chicken broth, cooked chicken, beans, corn, and extra verde (if have)
- Bring to a simmer, top with aluminum foil
- Cook for 30 minutes
- Uncover and add queso cheese. Recover with foil and cook for another 15 minutes or until rice is cooked
- Topped with avocado (if wanted!) and more cheese (do not deny yourself!)
Cooking with Campfire 