It’s the time of year when it’s cooler in the evenings and many of us enjoy sitting around an open fire – roasting hot dogs, grilling hamburgers, etc.
If you are in charge of the fire, you want to get the fire going well before the guests arrive so there will be plenty of hot coals for cooking. When grilling, you will want the flames to die down so you can grill over the coals. Wrap some potatoes and some corn in aluminum foil and toss into the coals for your side dishes.
Grill as usual. The amount of time the burgers or steaks take will depend on how close the grate is to the coals.
Roasting hot dogs on a stick is very popular, especially with the kids. Again, roasting over the coals is ideal, but in the evening when the fire is blazing, just hold the dogs high enough above the flames to get the heat and not burn them so they cook inside and outside. When the dogs casings begin to expand and the juices start falling, you know you are going to be loving the taste.
I wanted to give you a important warning. DO NOT burn treated wood in your fire. There are poisonous chemicals inside the wood and they can be dangerous. There has been reports of people burning treated wood in their indoor fireplaces and having serious side effects. You certainly do not want to put anybody at risk by burning treated wood and cooking over it.
This is a great time of the year for sitting around the fire in the evening. I love the fall. Enjoy it.
