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Beef Pilaf in a Cauldron over a Campfire

What's better than a main course cooked over an open fire? Beef pilaf in a cauldron over a campfire is a wonderfully delicious Central Asian dish with a hint of woodsmoke. Make this showstopper at your next cookout and treat your family and friends!

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Beef pilaf in a cauldron over a campfire
Beef pilaf in a cauldron over a campfire Beef pilaf in a cauldron over a campfire
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Composition / ingredients

Servings:
Translation table of volumetric measures
Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe
By weight of the composition:
Proteins 29 % 11 g
Fats 21 % 8 g
Carbohydrates 50 % 19 g
192 kcal
GI: 16 / 84 / 0

Cooking method

  1. Step 1:

    Step 1

    How do you make beef pilaf over a campfire? And what meat is best? The tastiest pilaf comes from lamb, veal, or beef. For this recipe I used tender young beef (rib meat).

  2. Step 2:

    Step 2

    Peel the carrots and onions and rinse them in clean water.

  3. Step 3:

    Step 3

    Break one head of garlic into cloves and peel them. Leave the other two heads whole—just pull off the loose outer skin and wash them well.

  4. Step 4:

    Step 4

    Light the fire and set the cauldron over it to heat up.

  5. Step 5:

    Step 5

    Meanwhile, rinse the meat, pat it dry with paper towels, and cut it into medium-sized pieces.

  6. Step 6:

    Step 6

    Pour neutral vegetable oil into the cauldron and wait until it's good and hot. Using a slotted spoon, splash the hot oil up the sides of the cauldron (be careful not to burn yourself!).

  7. Step 7:

    Step 7

    Drop one whole onion into the oil to fry.

  8. Step 8:

    Step 8

    Once the onion turns golden, lift it out of the cauldron with the slotted spoon.

  9. Step 9:

    Step 9

    Add the meat to the cauldron and fry it until golden brown, stirring now and then so it doesn't scorch. Keep the fire at full blast the whole time.

  10. Step 10:

    Step 10

    Pour a little water into the cauldron to braise the meat.

  11. Step 11:

    Step 11

    Wait for it to come to a boil and skim off any foam with a large spoon. Lightly salt the meat, cover the cauldron, and simmer over medium heat until the beef is nearly tender. The time depends on how young the animal was and which cut you're using.

  12. Step 12:

    Step 12

    Prep everything else for the pilaf. Cut the remaining onion into small pieces. Cut the carrots into batons, and cut the peeled large garlic cloves into 2–4 pieces each.

  13. Step 13:

    Step 13

    This time my meat was ready in 40 minutes, but sometimes it takes a bit longer (an hour to an hour and a half). If the meat is done but there's still a lot of liquid in the cauldron, take off the lid, feed the fire underneath, and cook off the excess.

  14. Step 14:

    Step 14

    Add the chopped vegetables to the cauldron with the meat.

  15. Step 15:

    Step 15

    Add the cumin. At this point you can also add dried barberries or a pilaf seasoning blend, to taste.

  16. Step 16:

    Step 16

    Stir everything well and cook for about 10–15 minutes (until the carrots are nearly tender).

  17. Step 17:

    Step 17

    Rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear.

  18. Step 18:

    Step 18

    Add the rice to the cauldron and spread it in an even layer. Sprinkle a little salt over the top.

  19. Step 19:

    Step 19

    Nestle the two whole garlic heads into the middle and pour in enough water to cover the rice by about two finger-widths.

  20. Step 20:

    Step 20

    Cover and cook over medium heat for 10–15 minutes (depending on the type of rice).

  21. Step 21:

    Step 21

    Gently fold the finished pilaf to mix.

  22. Step 22:

    Step 22

    Serve it up!

  • Which rice is best for a perfect pilaf? For this dish, fluffy long-grain varieties like basmati or jasmine are recommended. I used short-grain rice here, but that's just personal preference. If you're making pilaf for the first time, I'd still suggest long-grain rice so you don't end up with a porridge instead of pilaf. Enjoy!

Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish

  • Onion - 41  kcal/100g
  • Rendered beef fat - 871  kcal/100g
  • Fatty beef - 171  kcal/100g
  • Lean beef - 158  kcal/100g
  • Beef brisket - 217  kcal/100g
  • Beef sirloin - 380  kcal/100g
  • Beef lean roast - 200  kcal/100g
  • Beef shoulder - 137  kcal/100g
  • Beef ribs - 233  kcal/100g
  • Beef round - 104  kcal/100g
  • Oxtail - 184  kcal/100g
  • Boiled ham - 269  kcal/100g
  • Corned beef - 216  kcal/100g
  • Raw wild rice - 353  kcal/100g
  • Raw brown rice - 360  kcal/100g
  • Boiled brown rice - 119  kcal/100g
  • Raw enriched white rice - 363  kcal/100g
  • Boiled enriched white rice - 109  kcal/100g
  • Raw parboiled long-grain white rice - 369  kcal/100g
  • Boiled parboiled long-grain white rice - 106  kcal/100g
  • Dry instant rice - 374  kcal/100g
  • Instant rice, ready to eat - 109  kcal/100g
  • Rice - 344  kcal/100g
  • Carrots - 33  kcal/100g
  • Dried carrots - 275  kcal/100g
  • Boiled carrots - 25  kcal/100g
  • Garlic - 143  kcal/100g
  • Cumin - 112  kcal/100g
  • Vegetable oil - 873  kcal/100g
  • Salt - 0  kcal/100g

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