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Building a Cooking Campfire By Brock Hileman The secret of gourmet cooking outdoors is to make two separate fires, a cooking campfire and the camp campfire. The obvious reason is for heat control. It’s difficult to cook on the same fire that the rest of the group is counting on for heat, clothes drying or just plain pyromania. You can accomplish both tasks with one pit; just make an extension for the cooking fire that puts the grill a foot or two away from the main fire. It can’t be stressed enough that heat control is the prime ingredient to successfully making a gourmet meal. After the fire is started feed it with wood that is close to the same size, ¾ inch diameter branches are perfect. Place the wood in a checkerboard pattern i.e. one layer has all branches running parallel to each other and the next layer is parallel to each other but perpendicular to the layer below. This provides for even airflow and consistent temperatures. Make the fire ring in a “U” shape with a few very tall rocks in the back and the opening at the front. This will allow air to flow from the front to the back and allows easy access for adding kindling as necessary. The tall rocks will reflect the heat at the back and channel the smoke. Don’t make the mistake of trying to cook in the flame, use the coals to cook with. When they are spread as described below there will be a selection of temperatures to work with. Be sure to include a cooking glove in your cooking gadget collection. A glove makes moving things around on the grill much safer and enjoyable and saves you from dropping morsels into the coals. Take extra time during the fire ring building to ensure the grill will have a strong and level foundation. Check the level by filling a pot with water and placing it on the grill before the fire is started. Pick rocks that are not likely to move and will hold the grill about 6 to eight inches above the ground. You can control the temperature by stacking or removing coals beneath it. I like to have the back of the grill hot enough to boil water and the front more of a simmering temperature. It will require some practice but soon you will be master of the fire.

Contributed by Brock on November 25, 2009, at 11:45 PM UTC.

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Discount Backpacking and Camping Gear Discount Backpacking and Camping Gear www.brockventures.com

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This intel was contributed by Brock Brock

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