Rusty Fire Ring Grilling Grate

[strangiato]

Hi All,
We like to cook over the campfire, but as you all likely know, the built-in grating on many fire rings is rusty and disgusting. I have tried to use tin foil, but it's just not that easy to use because it floats on the updrafts, sticks to the meat, rips, and pulls off the grates when trying to flip.
It occurred to me while cooking a skirt steak over the fire for some nachos this weekend to look for a grill grate to set on top of the rusted grates. It would have to allow smoke and flame through to get that delicious taste, but have the bars close enough together or sit high enough above the rusted grates so that the meat could not hang through and touch the nastiness. I also don't want to use one that has it's own legs to sit above the fire, since after cooking dinner, I move the burning logs and coals into the front of the fire ring to continue with our evening fire. It might work if the legs are removable or collapsible.
Has anyone used anything like this? My first thought was to just buy some replacement grates for a backyard grill, but I wanted to ask if anyone has a favorite thing to use.

 

[Sjm9911]

The cast ones will rust also. Maybe a stainless steel one? But they will also be a mess to transport. I would go with heavy duty foil. Wrap it around the grate, spray with pam for sticking. I tryed whst you are attempting, but i didnt have the patience.

 

[strangiato]

The cast ones will rust also. Maybe a stainless steel one? But they will also be a mess to transport. I would go with heavy duty foil. Wrap it around the grate, spray with pam for sticking. I tryed whst you are attempting, but i didnt have the patience.

I was thinking some porcelain coated cast iron grates. Maybe I could find a plastic container that I could store them in to contain the mess while transporting. I'm sure I'd have to replace them periodically, just as I might in my grill at home.

 

[Sjm9911]

Porcelain coated might work, the difference is the grill at home gets used more. So oiled and cleaned more. Plus, its covered. When camping you might leave stuff out. I did vet the cast iron one, so definitely don't do that. Now it holds the corn, potatoes over the fire pit at home lol. Its doable. Just not for me.

 

[JiffyPopJunkie]

If you want to be frugal, just drive ANY neighborhood and look for a gas grill that someone put out to the curb and take the grates out of it. If it doesnt work out at the campsite, toss 'em! At least youll know what you want going forward

 

[strangiato]

If you want to be frugal, just drive ANY neighborhood and look for a gas grill that someone put out to the curb and take the grates out of it. If it doesnt work out at the campsite, toss 'em! At least youll know what you want going forward

That's a good idea! I see them all the time on the various marketplaces and Facebook yard sale groups for free for parts.

 

[Tom Jordan]

Yes. What you described is exactly what I do. I don’t recall where I got my grates; I’ve had them around for years (can you say, “pack rat”?). I have one that I just keep in a plastic garbage bag and it goes in the truck with other gear. At camp site, I can stick it on the grill. I use it for more than that. If I’m cooking on campfire coals, I will rake the coals between two pieces of firewood (bricks are better), then put my grate across that, laying on the firewood sticks. That allows me to put a pot, Dutch oven, or coffee pot over the coals. This has become more important since the National Forest Service has started putting in the tall fire rings where the cooking grill is 18 inches or so above the ground.

 

[strangiato]

I’ve had them around for years (can you say, “pack rat”?).

LOL, I don't consider it being a pack rat if you use them normally. Only if you keep them around and never use them. I also thought about using them in the fire as well. I assume that I would need to get fire bricks to make sure they don't break (or explode!) in the heat of the fire coals.

 

[Tom Jordan]

@strangiato , you just have no idea how long those sat in storage closets and garages before they got some real use. I have no memory of where I got them in the mid-1990’s. To be clear, I do not haul bricks camping, but have used them at home. I think my favorite use ever was one time when I needed some smoked brisket, but my grill was out of service. I dug a hole in the backyard, add charcoal, add bricks to hold grill grate (just whatever bricks are laying behind the tool shed), red oak for smoke, brisket, and cover it all with an old wheelbarrow turned upside down.

 

[Toxictom]

Our garbage transfer station has an area for dead appliances. I nabbed a grate out of an oven that I take along to put atop the fireplace grates.

 

[LongHammer]

Why not just get that fire hot and cook on it? Wipe it with oil start a raging fire and when you have coals cook. A little Iron oxide wont kill you.

 

[Snow]

Depending on the style of the fire pit, you may be able to buy a grill that fits it. Or use an old bbq grill or even an old oven rack.. I have used both the latter and still carry a bbq grill with us.. I did buy a cooking grill that was designed and built for our Provincial Park fire pits.

 

[strangiato]

So I ended up getting these. I decided that stainless steel would be the easiest to clean and maintain. Since I cooked on a Weber Kettle for many years at home, I am very used to it.

I used them for the first time this weekend - pics attached. Our fire ring did not have a built-in grill and was not conducive to cooking, so I used it on the provided charcoal grill instead. Unfortunately, we had not planned on that, so we had to stop at a grocery store to get charcoal. They did not have any lump charcoal, so I had to use briquettes, which I was a bit bummed about. I also did not have my chimney starter, so I had to use fatwood and fire starter. Pictured are the kebabs that we made, and I also used it for burgers another night. It worked out fairly well, so I am happy with them at this point.

 

[Jwwiff]

How about a cooking mat? I have used the solid ones before that I have used on the grill. They will leave the grill marks on the food but they retain the grease. This has both positive and negative characteristics - can cook over the fire without worrying about the grates and do retain some of the grease needed to cook effectively but the solid ones don’t have the same campfire taste as directly over the coals.

I have seen some that are perforated that would let the smoke up through and grease down through. I have not used that kind as of yet but they would also solve the same concerns about rusty grates.

 

[strangiato]

I'm not a fan of the mats, for the grease reason and because I want the meat to be kissed by flame and smoke. I have not seen the perforated ones, so that could work. Regardless, I have the stainless grates now, so I'm going to stick with that for now. I will definitely look into the perforated mats, though, as that seems easier to clean and store.