For some reason, a meal tastes a lot better when you have to work a little for it. There are few things better than winding down around a fire and tasting the food that you’ve prepared and cooked outdoors.
It’s tricky to get it right, though. Sure, the food you eat when you’re camping doesn’t have to be gourmet to hit the spot, but what about cooking over a fire pit at your own home?
We’re going to take a look at some key tips on how to cook over a fire pit. Hopefully, the ideas below will allow you to start cooking meals outside and be impressed with how they taste.
Table of Contents
1. Account for Wind and Ash
The first thing we have to mention is that a gust of wind can sweep up and taint your entire meal.
Any time you’re cooking over a fire, be sure to come prepared with something to cover the pan you’re cooking with. Bugs, dust, and other debris can get into your food as well, so it’s best to find a way to cover things up.
2. Choose Wood Carefully
If you’re at your own home, you have some say over the kind of wood you use in the fire. You want something that will burn slowly with lasting heat.
Some wood burns up quickly and doesn’t give you time to cook food to completion. Ash, elm, oak, and hickory contain the best wood to use when cooking over a fire pit.
Hickory also has a great smell that might add something to the flavor.
3. Invest in a Grill
There are a lot of great camping or fire-cooking grills that won’t cost you too much. It’s possible to cook food in pots directly over the fire, but that leaves you open to a lot of hazards.
Logs can snap, things shift, and your food might flop out into the flames. Options like a cowboy grill can streamline your process and help you keep everything manageable.
4. Wait a While, Conserve Wood
A rookie mistake is to dump all of your wood on at the same time and think that the flames are ready because they’re high.
Campfires need a little time to heat up, even if they’re flaming. Wait until there are plenty of embers producing heat. That’s where the main heat source comes from.
Additionally, create a small space where the hot embers can work their magic. Contribute wood to that space only so that you can conserve it throughout the night.
5. Use Your Intuition
When it comes to cooking over a fire pit, you can’t be too picky with times and exact temperatures. It’s good to have a meat thermometer to ensure that you’re not going to get sick, but you can’t do too much beyond that.
You have to eyeball things a little bit to know when they’re done. Over time, you’ll develop the skill and be making tasty dishes consistently.
Planning on Cooking over a Fire Pit?
Cooking over a fire pit can be a little intimidating at first, but it’s well worth the effort. We’re here to help you learn more if you’re interested in expanding your skills a little bit.
Explore our site for more ideas and insights into camping, cooking, and much more.
Come and visit our pork butchers in store, or use our website to have pork delivered to your door.
