Cooking Over an Open Fire: Tips and Tricks

Cooking Over an Open Fire: Tips and Tricks
5 July 2024
Cooking Over an Open Fire: Tips and Tricks

You’ve probably seen films set in the woods where a group of campers build an open fire and cook their food over the flames. How they assemble the fire isn’t always shown, so you might wonder how they’ve achieved this.


So, is it even possible to successfully cook over an open fire? Homefire wants to look at the subject and see how you can do this optimally, giving you the best food possible while keeping your fire safe and controlled.


How to Build an Open Fire


The assembly of an open fire is similar to other types of fires, but you must have the right equipment. An open fire can be in a fire pit built into your garden or an outdoor space, assuming you're permitted.


Find a space clear of debris to assemble your fire. Having no obstacles around the area is essential so your fire burns efficiently and is free of hazards. Wind can also be a factor in outdoor cooking because building and maintaining your fire will be tough.


You’ll need some kindling and firelighters. Place the firelighters under plenty of kindling and light the firelighters with a long-handled lighter, then wait for the first flames to appear.


After this, you can place your solid barbecue fuel source on the kindling and firelighters. We recommend using kiln-dried wood for the best approach to an open fire because the logs contain little moisture and can stack well without the structural support of a stove or fireplace.


A couple of extra barbecue tips would be to keep a bucket of water to hand so you can extinguish the embers at the end of the cook and build a circle of rocks around your logs to contain the flames.


How to Cook Over an Open Fire


We’d recommend using a grill that can sit over the open fire to mimic a barbecue so your food can rest on top of the flames and cook without you holding it with utensils; this will also allow you to turn them and rotate them for a more thorough cook. In addition, look for a Dutch oven stand, a skillet, a pot, or a cooking tripod for the best results.


Keep your food a far enough distance away from the flames that they don’t just sear the outside, as cooking directly over naked flames isn’t advised, but close enough that the inside will cook sufficiently - cut open a bit of your meat or use a meat thermometer to check the temperature inside and how well it has cooked.


Consider wrapping your food in aluminium foil so the surface of your food isn’t burned, making it less tasty.


If you’re adding extras onto your meal, like onions, peppers, or tomatoes, do the chopping at home; it’s far from an easy task to chop your vegetables out in the open without a suitable surface and would mean you’d need to bring a chopping board and knife with you. Instead, plan ahead and get a securely fastened bag full of these extras to ease the hassle.


For more tips on barbecue equipment for cooking, head to the Homefire website.

 

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