Cooking food over an open fire
– an age-old tradition
People have been cooking food over an open fire for thousands of years. It is an integral part of our culture—it is in our genes—and has had a decisive influence on both our physical and mental development. Meals are much more than just food to us. They are moments and experiences that we share with our loved ones.
Cooking on a charcoal grill is quality time at its best. The result is delicious food, regardless of whether you are cooking meat or vegetables. When you use high-quality ingredients and master the basics, you can't go wrong. Here are a few tips for successful open-fire cooking.
Fire and embers
Firewood must be well dried and hard-grained to produce a good flame and smoke aroma. The moisture content of the wood must not exceed 20%, as damp wood has a low calorific value. (Pine should not be used, as it burns too quickly and its smoke gives a bitter taste.)
You can create a steady heat source by placing charcoal briquettes among the firewood.
If you are not using a charcoal pan or grill, let the wood and charcoal burn slowly to get a good embers for cooking. When you cook slowly and simmer, the risk of flare-ups is reduced and grilling is very easy to control.
Meat
Instead of relying on the given cooking times, it is worth getting a meat thermometer so you can monitor the internal temperature of the meat as it cooks. When the meat temperature is a couple of degrees below the desired degree of doneness, set the meat aside to rest. The internal temperature will continue to rise. Resting is just as important a step as cooking, so be patient. Your patience will be rewarded when you get melt-in-the-mouth meat on your plate!
During preparation, you can prevent the meat from drying out by brushing it with a seasoning sauce or marinade. The meat will remain juicy on the inside, and the surface will caramelize beautifully.
vegetables
Halved bell peppers, portobello mushrooms, zucchini, thick eggplant slices, romaine lettuce wedges, cauliflower florets, corn, asparagus, and spring vegetables are ideal for grilling over hot coals. Potatoes and leeks can also be cooked with their skins on over hot coals (this takes about 45 minutes). The skin of the vegetables protects the contents in a natural way, and it doesn't matter if the skin blackens or charred. Cut the vegetables in half, remove the juicy insides from the skin, and enjoy them seasoned with herbs and butter.
Remember safety:
Fire safety requires care and respect. Fires may only be lit in permitted areas and never during a forest fire warning. Forest fire warnings must be obeyed, no matter how skilled you are at handling fire. A safe place to light a fire is on sandy or gravelly ground. Collect stones and gravel to form the base of the fire and use larger stones to form a circle around it. Fires must not be lit on rocks or on top of peat or moss. Also, do not build an open fire near trees, stumps, or dry grass. Avoid building fires in windy weather. Also, make sure that there is always a bucket of water nearby to extinguish the fire.