Campfire Cooking
Cooking over fire is primal, satisfying, and a completely different skill to kitchen cooking. You're managing heat zones, dealing with smoke, and working with less control, which is exactly the point. Simple food tastes incredible over flames.
Atmospheric, minimal talking, extraordinary food over open fire. Pure inspiration.
Let the fire burn down to embers before cooking. Flames = soot on your food and uneven heat. Glowing coals = controlled, even heat.
A cast iron skillet is the only pan you need over a fire. It distributes heat evenly and is basically indestructible.
Foil packet meals (protein + veg + seasoning, sealed in heavy-duty foil) are the easiest campfire cooking method and require zero equipment beyond the foil.
Bring pre-mixed spice blends in small containers rather than individual spice jars. A good all-purpose: salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder.
Build your fire and let it burn down to a bed of hot embers (30-45 min)
Arrange embers to create heat zones: hot zone for searing, medium zone for cooking through
SKILLET METHOD: Place cast iron directly on embers or a grate. Preheat 5 minutes
Cook steaks, sausages, eggs, or one-pan meals directly in the skillet
FOIL PACKETS: Double-wrap ingredients in heavy-duty foil. Place directly on embers
Cook 15-20 min, turning once. Careful opening, steam is very hot
STICK COOKING: Sharpen a green stick. Thread sausages, bread dough, or marshmallows
Hold over embers, rotating slowly for even cooking
Let food rest off the fire before eating, campfire food retains heat longer than you'd think
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