Cooking Over Coals

Have you ever cooked over the coals and didn’t have the temperature right for your tin foil dinner or cobbler? You could check the temperature with your thermal gun… but since it’s usually not packed in the camping and backpacking gear, here is a tip that is found in the 1980 version of the Boy Scout Handbook that only involves your hands. Use extra caution to not burn yourself on this one.

Hold palm at place where food will go: over coals for broiling, in front of reflector oven for baking. Count “One-and-one”, “Two-and-two,” and so on, for seconds you can stand to hold your hand. Move your hand to find the temperature you want. Each count is a range of temperatures. See the chart for the full breakout.

This tip can also assist you in becoming the grill master at your next backyard BBQ.