I love cooking outdoors! However, summertime cookouts can fall into a routine of burgers and hot dogs. I have been dreaming about Mesquite Baked Chicken & Apples for awhile, but I’ve been putting it off because it has been so hot lately. Ultimately, my craving for adventure won. So, here it is!
Mesquite Baked Chicken & Apples for Outdoor Cooking
Let me apologize for not having any equipment recommendations to share with you. My outdoor baterie du cuisine is cobbled together of odd bits of iron that I found around the ranch. The grill belongs to the hubs, the massive 20 qt (20lt) Dutch oven belonged to my late cuñado (brother in law) God bless him. The fork I bought for $5 in New Orleans about 3 years ago.
I regret not dressing fancier while I made Mesquite Baked Chicken & Apples, but it’s 98°F (38°C) in the shade. If you ever doubt that gold and silver metal are the best conductors of heat on the planet, try cooking over a live fire in the summertime. Your fancy jewelry will char your overheated skin.
How I Cook Over Live Fire
Perhaps there are easier ways to cook over live fire than working with a large fire and a small fire simultaneously. But this is the way that I manage live fire. Stoke one big fire and then have a practical fire on the side that you can adjust by adding or subtracting embers. For me, it’s the best way to stay in control of what I am cooking. The grocery store is 40 miles away, so there is no room for culinary mistakes at the ranch. And yes, I did this in one take.
Obviously the one thing missing from this video is an ice chest of cold beer. Ah well…an ice chest would have been one more thing to carry. And since most of my work is selfie-produced, it seemed like a sad scene – me drinking a beer alone. But I will make Mesquite Baked Chicken & Apples for the family soon, and beer will definietly figure into our plans.
You can round out this meal with a big salad and maybe some cornbread or tortillas. A fiery hot salsa would be good too, especially on the apples. BTW I am using Opal apples (http://www.opalapples.com/) for this recipe which have the right balance of tart and sweet.
Most impressive to prepare this dish, especially alone and in the heat. Live fire won’t work where I live but I think the chicken with apples sounds like a good combination, even if cooked indoors.
Thank you it was a delicious dish! thanks for watching!
MG