In today's world, you'll find many people getting away from civilization and choosing to go camping. Spending hours outdoors often means you'll need to cook your meals over an open fire (or more). However, when it comes to grilling steaks over an open flame, many people may have concerns about whether it's a healthy choice.
In this article, we will tell you how to safely and healthily cook steaks over an open flame.
Make sure you have the right tools for the job:
- Use hardwood like oak, hickory, or mesquite for your fire.
- Fire pit grate or basic grill grates.
- Long-handled heat-resistant tongs.
- A coal rake for adding coals to your fire.
- Seasonings for your steaks.
Tip: A good rule of thumb is to place the cooking grate about six inches above the fire.
Build the right campfire:
Please note that the type of wood you choose will impact the flavor of your food. Hardwood is the best choice for longer-burning red hot coals, providing both an extended burn time and excellent flavor to your food. Ensure you select dry wood, as wood with high moisture content tends to produce more smoke and incomplete combustion of coals.
Size:
When cooking, ensure that the fire is large enough to create an even layer of hot coals directly below the grill grate while leaving a small space for a small fire that can be used to add more charcoal when needed.
Temperature:
One of the challenges of cooking over an open flame is maintaining the right and consistent temperature. Some areas of the grill grates may be hotter than others, so to ensure your steak cooks evenly, move it around the grill as needed. If you experience flare-ups (due to fat dripping onto hot coals), move the steak to a different area of the grill until the flames subside to avoid charring the surface of the steak.
As you gain more experience cooking over an open flame, you will gradually master more techniques and tricks.
Ensure the steak reaches a safe internal temperature:
Unless you're a barbecue master, the best way to cook a steak to perfection is by using a meat thermometer, which can save your steak from the mistakes related to meat thickness and how many cocktails you had earlier!
Using a wireless meat thermometer is the best option. It eliminates the hassle of cables, so you don't have to worry about high flame temperatures melting the wires. Armeator One, for example, can withstand ambient temperatures of up to 932°F/500℃, which is 300°F more than similar products. After inserting the thermometer into your steak, you can confidently grill it over a campfire.
This thermometer supports a wireless range of 229 ft, so you can leave the campfire to do other things without missing the steak's temperature.
Rules for cooking meat:
Even if all the experts tell you otherwise, I allow you to take a look under your steak to prevent it from burning. But I beg you not to flip it over again and again.
If you're using a meat thermometer and your steak is thick, choose an internal temperature of 120°F; it will continue to cook a bit during the resting period.
If you notice the outside of the steak starting to blacken, move the meat to the indirect heat area on the grill.
