Whether you are cooking for your family, at a barbecue, camping or entertaining friends, it is fun and exciting to cook outside. It keeps the house cool and free of cooking smells while making meal prep easier and more enjoyable.
Cooking outdoors is also great if you find yourself without power for some time. Here are 4 Cool Ways to Cook Outside so you can get your meals on without the power!
- Cooking Over a Campfire
There is no better way to add some much-needed flavour to a dish than cooking it over a campfire. However, it’s important to know a few things before you start experimenting with fire cooking:
Just make sure you have the right fire. A good, clean-burning fire is only possible when you use dry, seasoned wood. Avoid stripping trees of green wood – it produces smoky, unhealthy fires.
- Cooking Over a Grill
If you like grilling meats, steak, hot dogs, chicken thighs, vegetables or fruit, chances are good that you’ve learned how to cook over a gas or charcoal grill. This type of cooking is quick and hot and provides a sear that gives food a distinctively robust, roasted and sometimes pleasantly charred flavour.
If you’re a beginner, it’s best to start with a chimney starter and lighter fluid. Alternatively, you can build a mound of charcoal in the bottom of your grill and rake it into position when it’s glowing red.
- Cooking Over a Combination Grill
Cooking over a combination grill can be a fun and relaxing way to enjoy your outdoor space. These grills combine the convenience of gas and the smoky flavours of charcoal.
Another benefit is that you don’t need to purchase both a gas and a charcoal grill separately, so you can save money in the long run. The best combo grills will also offer plenty of cooking space and a side door for adding charcoal. These will also have adjustable grates and a place for storing ash.
- Cooking Over a Solar Oven
Want to help the environment when cooking? Then using a solar oven is the best way to do that. You can roast, boil, steam, and stew your food in them without worrying about damaging and already damaged planet. For most people, a solar oven is easy to use. It only requires some basic skills and knowledge to make it work.
The components of a solar cooker include a set of reflectors, an insulated cooking pot, and a heat trap that absorbs the sun’s energy. All of these can be combined to make almost anything that you can bake, boil, steam, or roast in your normal oven, but they need to be well-insulated to capture enough heat to cook your meal.
Cook up a Storm
Cooking outside is full of delights, especially if you have at least a modicum of cooking skill to go with the equipment and accessori barbecue needed. As you can see above, you also have plenty of cool ways to get your cook-on in the outside world!
