Meals cooked over fire pits range from simple hamburgers to savory roasts however whether simple or complex one can expect a savory meal.
It is vital to have all the necessary tools gathered in advance when cooking over an open fire pit. Campers know all to well about fire pit cooking and assemble a “chuck box.” This is simply a container large enough to hold all the necessities to cook over a fire. If you intend on cooking over a fire frequently, consider assembling your own chuck box.
Fire management tools: These items need to be at the cooking area constantly whether it is in the yard or a campsite abroad.
• Grill or grate cooking surface
• Oven Mitts
• Hot Coal/Ash Shovel
• Long tongs to stoke and adjust pit coals
• Spray bottle filled with fresh water.
• Aluminum Foil
Preparation and Cooking tools: These will vary depending on where you are cooking. For campers all items need to be part of the chuck box whereas backyard pits require only the actual tools needed for cooking the meal.
• Food preparation tools – Mixing bowls, cutting board, paring knife, large chef knife, and a serrated knife
• Grill or grate, meat thermometer
• Long handled utensils – solid spoon, slotted spoon, meat fork, strong tongs, spatula, and a ladle.
• Pots and Pans – Heavy sauce pot, saute pan, and Dutch oven
Now that all the tools are gathered, and the fire is prepared get cooking!
An easy, common main course to serve is hamburgers. Always rub your grill or grate with a bit of oil before placing over the fire pit to insure food will not stick. Select lean cuts of ground beef for two main reasons. First and most important, lean cuts of beef are a great deal healthier. Secondly, a low fat content will decrease the chance of the burgers catching fire.
Spicy southwestern burgers – Combine the following seasonings with one pound of ground beef: one teaspoon of chili powder, a dusting of garlic powder and onion powder, and a half cup of your favorite salsa. Allow to rest for thirty minutes or so and then form your hamburger patties. Place patties on the oiled grill. Rotate the patties once the raw color has dissipated from the edges. Wait a few minutes more, turn over each patty with a spatula. Final cooking time will depend upon personal preference. One final tip, never stab meat cooking over a fire pit, it will loose juice and flavor. One pound of lean ground beef will produce up to six delicious Southwestern style main course burgers.
