Cooking Over an Open Fire: A General Guide
1. Use the Right Fuel
The first step to cooking over an open fire is to use the right fuel. Use only seasoned firewood that has dried well. Greenwood is difficult to light and the heat will be limited. Greenwood also smokes a lot and dies out easily. The moisture content of the wood must be 20 percent or lower. You can purchase moisture meters reasonably cheap if you’re unsure if your wood is dry enough. Over time, you’ll become familiar with wood that is good for burning as you gather it. Use hardwoods like hickory, elm, oak, or maple. Softwoods like pine are okay if they’re well-seasoned. Obviously, in a survival situation you will have to do the best you can with what you're given.
2. Set the Fire Correctly
There are a number of ways to start a fire, but here is the method I prefer. Starting the perfect fire makes for the perfect cooking conditions. You really don’t want to fail to light and get a good heat building. Start with paper, straw, and small dry twigs or thin bark. Light this small pile with matches or a lighter. Once it’s alight, add more small twigs. As the fire builds, gradually add bigger and bigger sticks. Once you have a good size fire, begin to add larger logs. You want to make sure the fire is burning well, but don’t add new logs too quickly after the previous one otherwise you’ll smother the fire and create a lot of smoke and little heat. Also, adding too many logs at once makes for a big fire that burns down quickly, and it may not hold enough heat in the coals.
3. Give Yourself Time
Cooking on an open fire is time-consuming. Unlike starting an oven and cooking, there is the prepping, fuel gathering, building the fire gradually, and reducing to coals to cook. Give yourself plenty of time and factor that in if you are cooking for other people. Start earlier than you think you need to. Cooking in the dark with a headlight isn’t the most fun. It’s hard to tell whether the food is cooked, burned, or raw.
4. Cook on the Coals, Not on Flames
One of the most common mistakes many people make is cooking on the fire too soon. This is especially so when you cook directly, like placing meat on a grill over the fire. You can be forgiven for thinking it’s good to cook on a flame because it’s often how fire-cooking is portrayed on television or movies. However, cooking on the flames will burn your food and leave it raw in the middle. Instead, wait until the flames have died down and you have a good bed of coals. This will give you a more even heat and allow you to cook your food to perfection.
5. Split The Fire for Cooking and Providing Heat
If you’re cooking for a long time, you may need to split the fire into two parts. One part will be for cooking, and the other will be for providing heat. This will help you maintain a consistent temperature and avoid burning your food.
6. Use Quality Cooking Equipment
When cooking over an open fire, it’s important to use quality cooking equipment. Invest in a good cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, or grill grate. These items will last a lifetime and make cooking over an open fire much easier.
7. Use Foil
Foil is a great tool for cooking over an open fire. You can wrap your food in foil and place it directly on the coals. This will help keep your food moist and prevent it from burning.
8. Cook on a Rock
If you don’t have a grill grate, you can cook directly on a rock. Just make sure the rock is clean and free of any debris. You can also use a flat rock as a griddle to cook pancakes, eggs, and other foods.
9. Other Ways to Cook During a Survival Situation
In a survival situation, you may not have access to an open fire. Here are some other ways to cook your food:
Solar Cooking: Use the sun’s energy to cook your food. You can use a solar oven or make your own using a cardboard box and aluminum foil.
Chemical Heating: Chemical heating packs are a great way to cook your food without a fire. Just add water to the pack and place your food inside.
Canned Heat: Canned
Here’s a few recipes to try at your next BBQ or Camp Weekend:
Campfire Lasagna: This is a crowd-pleasing favorite that will leave your guests impressed. It’s made with layers of pasta, meat sauce, and cheese, and cooked to perfection over an open flame .
Grilled Chicken Kabobs: These kabobs are easy to make and perfect for a summer barbecue. They’re made with chicken, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms, and can be cooked over an open flame or on a grill .
S’mores: No campfire is complete without s’mores! All you need are graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. Toast the marshmallows over an open flame and sandwich them between two graham crackers and a piece of chocolate .
For more ideas, check out these websites:
Food Network: This website has 14 delicious recipes that you can cook over a campfire.
Land O’Frost: This website has 16 surprising recipes that you can cook over a campfire.
The Survivalist Blog: This website has 55 delicious open flame recipes that you can try.
