The MeatEater Outdoor Cookbook
by Steven Rinella (Author), Krista Ruane (With)
The MeatEater Outdoor Cookbook: Wild Game Recipes for the Grill, Smoker, Campstove, and Campfire brings Steven Rinella’s approach to wild food beyond the home kitchen and into the backyard, campground, and backcountry.
Featuring more than 100 recipes, this hardcover cookbook is designed for hunters, anglers, campers, grill enthusiasts, and anyone who enjoys preparing food outdoors.
In his earlier cookbooks, Rinella helped readers understand how to butcher, prepare, and cook wild fish and game with dependable results. In this collection, he turns his attention to open-air cooking and the methods that make meals prepared outdoors so memorable.
The book celebrates the full experience of wild food, from harvesting an animal or catching a fish to cooking and sharing the meal under an open sky.
More Than 100 Outdoor Recipes
The recipes range from straightforward camp meals to impressive dishes suitable for serving friends and family.
Readers will find preparations for wild game, freshwater and saltwater fish, shellfish, vegetables, fruit, and other ingredients that work well over flame, smoke, coals, or a portable campstove.
Featured recipes include:
- Stuffed Game Burgers Three Ways
- Bulgogi Backstrap Lettuce Wraps
- Hot-Smoked Trout
- Grilled Lobster with Kelp Butter
- Venison Stir-Fry with Cabbage
- Coal-Roasted Bananas
The variety makes the cookbook useful whether you are cooking meat from a recent hunt, fish from a day on the water, or a complete outdoor meal using ingredients from the grocery store.
Cooking for the Backyard, Campground, or Backcountry
Outdoor cooking changes depending on where the meal is being prepared.
A backyard cook may have access to a full grill, smoker, refrigeration, and a complete collection of tools. A car camper can bring cast iron cookware, coolers, and a larger supply of ingredients. A backpacker must think carefully about weight, fuel, preparation time, and cleanup.
To help readers choose the right recipes, the book identifies preparations suited to different settings, including:
- Backyard grilling and smoking
- Car camping and established campsites
- Backpacking and backcountry travel
This organization allows readers to find recipes that match the equipment, ingredients, and time available for each trip.
Grill, Smoke, Simmer, and Cook Over Coals
Each section focuses on a different outdoor cooking method and explains how to use it effectively.
Rinella covers grilling, smoking, cooking over live fire, working with hot coals, and preparing food on a campstove. The recipes demonstrate how different heat sources can affect flavor, texture, tenderness, and cooking time.
Readers can explore methods for quickly searing tender cuts, slowly smoking tougher pieces of meat, cooking fish without drying it out, and using coals to create steady, manageable heat.
The book also shows that outdoor cooking does not need to be complicated. Some of the most satisfying dishes rely on simple ingredients, thoughtful preparation, and proper control of the fire.
Build a Functional Outdoor Kitchen
Successful outdoor meals begin with organization and the right equipment.
In addition to recipes, Rinella explains how to create an outdoor cooking setup appropriate for the location. That may mean arranging a comfortable backyard workstation, packing an efficient camp kitchen, or carrying only the essentials into remote country.
The book discusses the tools and preparation needed for different styles of outdoor cooking, helping readers think through cookware, utensils, heat sources, food storage, and workspace.
A well-planned setup makes it easier to cook safely, keep ingredients organized, and enjoy the experience rather than struggling with missing gear.
Learn to Manage Fire and Heat
Cooking over a live fire requires different skills than turning a knob on a kitchen range.
Rinella introduces the fundamentals of building and maintaining a cooking fire, including how to create usable heat and how to recognize when flames or coals are ready for food.
Readers learn why fire management matters when grilling meat, smoking fish, roasting vegetables, or cooking directly over coals. Understanding heat levels and timing can help prevent burned exteriors, undercooked centers, dried-out game, and other common problems.
These techniques are useful for experienced outdoor cooks as well as readers preparing their first meal over an open fire.
Wild Game Recipes with Reliable Results
Wild meat often requires a different approach than conventional supermarket cuts.
Venison, elk, waterfowl, upland birds, small game, and wild fish can vary in tenderness, fat content, flavor, and ideal cooking method. Proper preparation helps preserve moisture and bring out the qualities of each ingredient.
Rinella’s recipes are intended to help cooks achieve dependable results while making the most of the animals and fish they bring home.
The cookbook combines practical instruction with creative flavors, giving readers ideas that move beyond basic grilled steaks while remaining approachable enough for everyday outdoor meals.
A Cookbook for Hunters, Anglers, and Camp Cooks
The MeatEater Outdoor Cookbook is well suited for:
- Hunters looking for new ways to prepare wild game
- Anglers seeking recipes for freshwater and saltwater fish
- Campers who want better meals at the campsite
- Backyard grill and smoker enthusiasts
- Backpackers searching for practical outdoor food ideas
- Fans of Steven Rinella and the MeatEater series
- Readers interested in wild foods and field-to-table cooking
- Anyone who believes a meal tastes better when prepared outdoors
From simple backcountry dishes to meals designed to impress a group of guests, the collection offers recipes for a wide range of skill levels and outdoor settings.
About the Author
Steven Rinella is an outdoorsman, hunter, author, wild-food advocate, and television and podcast personality known for helping broad audiences understand hunting, fishing, conservation, and the responsible use of wild resources.
He is the host of the television series and podcast MeatEater and the author of several books about hunting, outdoor life, and wild food, including The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook and Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars.
Rinella’s writing has appeared in publications such as Outside, Field & Stream, and The New Yorker. He is also a vocal supporter of conservation and the protection of public lands.
He lives in Bozeman, Montana, with his wife and their three children.
Number of Pages: 432
Dimensions: 1.2 x 10.2 x 8.42 IN
Illustrated: Yes
Publication Date: April 23, 2024
