Cook over a Campfire

Step 1: Before you go

Always check with the ranger station for any special fire regulations or bans, and be sure the cooking method you plan to use meets local restrictions in your area.
 

Step 2: Select the location

Be mindful to avoid strong wind that can cause sparks to be carried to other combustible matter.  Build fires in designated campfire rings or select an open and clear area that is at least 8-10 feet from any brush, logs, tents, standing trees or wooden structures.
 

Step 3: Build the campfire ring

The best place to build a fire is within an existing fire ring in a well-placed campsite. If there are no designated pits, use rocky or sandy sites only. Avoid organic soils and duff, and places where the fire could damage plants or other natural features. Remove and scatter the ashes before filling in and camouflaging the pit.   

Step 4: Lay the kindling

Select dead and down wood, which burns easily and leaves less impact.  Fill the fire area with tinder or small twigs, wood shavings, dry leaves or grass, dry needles or bark.  Then, from the ground up, layer kindling or small twigs 1  around or less on top of the tinder.  The entire fire area should be covered evenly with the kindling stack.  Light the bottom layer of tinder to start the fire, but be sure the match you use is extinguished.  Keep a bucket of water and a shovel near the fire area for emergencies.
 

Step 5: Build the fire

Never leave your campfire unattended, and always keep small children away from the campfire area.  Once the kindling is lit and the fire is in full blaze, slowly add larger pieces of wood.  If possible, firewood should be hardwood and relatively the same size.  Do not remove branches or bark from any dead or living standing tree.  Remember to keep your stack of wood upwind and away from the fire.  Distribute the wood evenly in the campfire ring, not just in the center.

Step 6: Grade the coals

The size of the fire should not exceed 3 feet in height or in diameter.  The best cooking fire is small and hot.  Once the flames subside and you re left with mostly white coalsæwhich give off a steady, even heatæuse a stick to push the coals to the center, then fan the coals towards the outside of the campfire ring to create a sloping mound.  This will generate the  High,   Medium  and  Low  settings.

Step 7: Cooking

To cook, place a grill over the fire and rest it on the rocks/campfire ring, or with some recipes, the cookware can be placed directly on the coals.  Always follow the manufacturer s instructions closely when using cookware, and never put your food directly in the flames because it will be burned on the outside and raw on the inside.  As the fire diminishes, use a tool to turn the rocks inward to get the most heat.

Step 8: Putting out the fire

After you re finished cooking, be sure the fire is completely extinguished, and the coals or wood are cold before you leave.  If you feel any warmth with your bare hand in the ashes, the fire is not out.  Remember to always keep the campsite beautiful. Pack out any campfire litter. For more information on how to minimize campfire impact while enjoying the great outdoors, please visit Leave No Trace.

Grilling Basics

Nothing says summer to me quite like grilling outdoors for the first time. And while we usually grill burgers and chicken breasts, this year I’m also looking forward to grilling some salmon outdoors (and maybe trying this salad again!)

Clean

But before we start cooking, let’s first make sure the grill is nice and clean. After all, it’s been sitting either outside or in your garage for a while now. Hot, soapy water is your best bet if you’re not sure. Start by taking off the grill racks and scrubbing them down. Steel wool should do the trick if a sponge isn’t enough. Then be sure to wash out the basin of the grill as best you can, first removing any old charcoal or paying close attention to the burners if it’s a gas grill. Finally, wipe down the outside of the grill and check to make sure the air space above it is clean (if it’s under an eave, you don’t want a spider web right above, for example). (A big thanks to Service Magic’s weekly “snaps” in inspiring this week’s issue!)

Make Pretty

Looking for ways to improve the overall appearance of your grill? You can find retro-looking garbage cans to hold extra charcoal and keep it dry, or you can line a wicker hamper with a heavy duty garbage bag to do the same. Invest in high quality grill utensils (and if they happen to be cute too, then that’s okay!). Check out the likes of Home Depot, Williams Sonoma, etc.

Happy grilling!