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As we wrote about in our book, Radical Señora Era, my cooking skills haven’t always been good. It’s only after the pandemic, when I hit a 40something milestone and some health scares that I really learned how to cook an egg without burning my kitchen down.
An entire world opened up to me when I started to cook. Suddenly, I wasn’t relying on restaurant food all the time, food was fresher, I knew what went into everything I was eating, and learning new recipes really satisfied my creativity craving.
It’s been a few years since then, and I’ve been wanting to take it up to another level and learn new cooking skills, like how to grill outdoors like the people of Patagonia and the Andes.
One type of skill I have had my eye on has been open fire grilling, which is cooking food over an open flame outdoors, usually with wood or charcoal, where fire—not gas or electricity—is the primary heat source.
Patagonia–style open-flame grilling is slow, elemental cooking over wood fire, like meat and vegetables kissed by smoke, seasoned simply, and guided by patience (as in four hours!)
There are two people who I am following that are masters at this skill – one in Patagonia, and one in California.
One is Master Chef Francis Mallman, whom I initially caught on a now viral episode of Chef’s Table on Netflix. Mallman is an Argentine chef and fire-cooking icon known for his elemental, Patagonian-style approach—cooking whole animals and simple ingredients over open flame with equal parts ritual, restraint, and romance. (And by the way you can take a cooking class taught by Mallman over on the online class app YesChef)
A second well-respected outdoor cooking influencer is Anya, a sustainable food entrepreneur and former meat executive best known for popularizing regenerative, pasture-raised meat in the U.S., bridging old-world butchery with modern ethical food systems. She is also the founder of Belcampo Meat company, a very popular meat brand in San Francisco.
So how can you begin to cook like Patagonian or Northern California open-flame pros? Here’s what you need to get started:
@anyafernaldcooks Mushrooms and beef are a classic combination because they are so perfectly matched – the mushrooms bring out natural umami richness in the meat but they don’t bulk up the stew with loads of fiber. I grilled these grassfed picanhas just to get some nice searing and browning on the exterior (don’t worry about cooking the inside). That big flare up of smoke at the start of this video is me spraying a big of water onto the fire to calm it down as the fat from the Picanhas ignited and created too much red flame. Then I melted the mushrooms in a mix of olive oil and butter and added the chunked beef to the pot and covered with two opened bottles of wine that had been kicking around the kitchen for too long. I added thyme and rosemary and enough water to bring the liquid just up to the top of the meat and then simmered for 3 hours. This is of course very easy to do in an oven, if you choose to do it outside, you can keep the fire hot for the first hour and then just let the pot cook slowly as the fire dies down. I cooked this over oak logs in my @seaislandforge large kettle! #anyafernald #seaislandforge #campfirecooking #grassfedbeef #beefstew
1. Start with a simple fire, not a grill setup
You don’t need an asado cross or elaborate frame. Build a small wood fire (oak or hardwood), let it burn down to embers, and cook next to the fire, not directly in it. Patagonian cooking is about embers and patience.
2. Use cast iron for your first meals
A cast-iron skillet or griddle is the easiest entry point. It holds heat beautifully, forgives mistakes, and works perfectly over embers. It’s also very easy to clean. Start with vegetables, sausages, or thin cuts of meat.
3. Cook one thing at a time
Patagonian grilling is minimalist, so don’t try to juggle multiple dishes. Choose one ingredient, like steak, chicken thighs, mushrooms, or squash, and give it your full attention. This builds intuition fast.
4. Season simply (salt is the point)
Skip marinades and sauces at first. Use coarse salt, and olive oil. Then you’ll learn make things like chimichurri and never look back at supermarket bottles.
The goal is to taste the fire, the fat, and the ingredient itself—this is central to Patagonia–style cooking.
5. Let the fire set the pace
Forget timers, rushing, or getting things just right. Move food closer or farther from the heat instead of flipping constantly. If something takes longer than expected, it means that something good is happening.
Now for the fun part – all the gadgets you’ll need to get started. Start with a solid fire pit or grill setup and a good set of tools, then add specialty pieces (like roasting sticks or skewers) as you explore recipes and techniques over open flames.
Here are 10 great products to get started with outdoor fire-cooking and open-air grilling — from essential gear to tools that make grilling and campfire cooking easier and more fun:
Core Fire + Grill Setups
Barebones Cowboy Fire Pit Grill – Versatile fire pit with adjustable grill grate — excellent first step into open-air cooking.
Barebones Steel Round Portable Wood Fire Pit – A heavy-duty, wood-burning fire pit designed for both cooking and gathering, featuring an adjustable swivel grill grate for open-fire grilling, a deep bowl that burns for hours, and thoughtful safety details that make it family-friendly without sacrificing firepower.
Le Creuset Outdoor Campire Skillet – Designed to perfect seared steaks to perfect pancakes outdoors.
coucheta swivel Campire Grill – portable folding campfire grill, made from heavy-duty alloy steel for durability and heat resistance.
Williams Sonoma Lodge Chef Collection Seasoned Cast Iron – this product speaks for itself.
HENCKELS BBQ 4‑Piece Stainless Steel Grill Tool Set – High-quality basic grilling tools for turning, basting, and serving.
Cuisinart Deluxe 14‑Piece Grill Tool Set – Larger set if you want more utensils and grill accessories.
Betterwood Projects Fire‑Starting Kit – Handy fire-starting kit to help ignite your fire safely.
Fatwood Fire Starter Bundle – Natural fatwood sticks to quickly get your wood burning for cooking.
Tyler Florence: American Grill: 125 Recipes for Mastering Live Fire – this is more of the American style open flame cooking.
Optional Portable Grill
Camp Grill for 10 Skewers Portable Fire Pit Grill – Portable two-level charcoal grill great for skewers, veggies, and quick outdoor meals.
Happy cooking!