Passport to Texas

Old time campfire cooking in Texas.

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Maybe you’ve thought about preparing Thanksgiving dinner at a state park. Outdoor cooking enthusiast, and boater education coordinator, Tim Spice has some suggestions.

67— I would pick a part that has a picnic table, fire pit, it may have a grill; so all you have to do is bring your fuel. So all those things are there ready for you. Then the other thing I would do is pick your favorite menu items – simple to prepare. You don’t want to do anything fancy, because that take a lot of work. Remember – the reason we’re going outdoors is to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family. And then, I like to prepare before I leave the house. Do all your measurements for your meal – whatever it is, measure it out, put it in a zip lock bag, and then put it in a nice ice chest so you’ve got it prepared by meal. Then, when you show up, you’ve got it all measured. All you do is throw it in the pot, mix it together and start cooking. And so, what are some of the vessels you use to cook in and with? For me, I love Dutch ovens. Dutch ovens can do anything your oven can do and anything a stew pot can do. But, if you want to go with the family and plan a little hike in the afternoon, Dutch oven would be the great way to go, whether it be a turkey – and they do make Dutch ovens big enough for a turkey – or a whole chicken, you can put that all in a one pot meal. Put it on the fire; and as you’re doing your little hike you come back and it’s ready to go.

Thanks, Tim.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.