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If you’ve never cooked on a public grill in a park, you’re missing out. Whether it’s Prospect Park in Brooklyn, a random gas station in Texas, or the coastline in Santa Barbara, public grills, while often overlooked, are ubiquitous, easy to use, and remain excellent places to grab a group of friends, chill outside, and enjoy some great food cooked over fire.
If you’ve ever been a little unsure about how to use a public grill — or even if you should use one — well then keep reading. We hope that you feel inspired to grab some burgers, hot dogs, and fajitas, and get outside and grill at a public park, this year, and every year.
Public grills are perfect when you want to gather without needing to host, because you’re not hosting - you’re just there. You don’t need a backyard, you don’t need fancy equipment, you don’t even need to clean your apartment. Anyone can stop by, nobody feels they are crashing, and cleanup is easy.
Generally, grilling, and grilling in public places is safe, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
When you’re grilling, you’re working with fire, and so you want to be conscious of fire risk in the area. Always check for fire warnings before lighting up, especially high risk locations like Southern California. If the risk is high, it’s best to hold off that day.
However, the most common concern when grilling in public places is dirty or unsanitary grates. You don’t know who was there cooking what (or doing what) before you. Instead of cleaning the grates with all of the brute force you have, one way to keep from getting sweaty within minutes of hitting the grill is to bring a great cast iron pan along. We typically throw a Field Skillet right on top of the grates. It’s an easy way to ensure your food isn’t making contact with any foreign substances, while also giving you more searing power and greater versatility
One more thing to keep in mind: If you cook on cast iron over a grill, your pan will get ripping hot. Thankfully, we make a great pair of oven mitts so you can move your skillet around safely.
Before you head out, go online! Many public parks with grills that are popular require permits or reservations ahead of time. Make sure you don’t need one — or that you have one — before you leave.
Once that’s sorted, your packing list should be straightforward and simple.
Charcoal. Regular briquettes or lump charcoal both work well. One bag should last about 2 to 3 hours of grilling or enough for 6 hungry people. Pack accordingly.
Fire Starters. Newspaper, matches, or these handy charcoal fire starters (these are all great alternatives to lighter fluid).
Tongs + Spatula + Oven Mitts. All to ensure you don’t burn yourself.
Prep Tools + Serving Gear. Reusable plates, a cutting board, paper towels.
Food. Keep this part simple: marinated skirt steaks, sausages, corn, asparagus, burgers.
A Field Cast Iron Skillet. Light, durable, and ideal for anything from seared meat to sizzling onions.
You’ve got all your gear, your grill, and you’ve maybe even cleaned the grates. Here’s a quick step by step guide on how to get a fire going:
Clean out the old ash. If the last person didn’t you’ll need to. Maybe bring a paper bag and a bench scraper, or another flat utensil to scrap the ashes into the bag, just in case.
Set the grate to the highest setting. If the grill is adjustable, this will ensure your fire has more room to build.
Pile the charcoal into a pyramid or mound. Add a full layer of charcoal, tuck fire starters or crumpled newspaper underneath. Add more charcoal as needed later on.
Light from the bottom. Heat rises!
Wait for white ash to form on all of the briquettes. This will take about 20 minutes.
Spread the coals and let the grates (and your skillet) get hot for five more minutes. Flick a droplet of water onto the pan — if it immediately sizzles, you’re ready.
While you wait, relax. Pour a drink, turn on music, and enjoy the downtime. This preheat stage helps clean the grill and gives your charcoal time to settle into perfect cooking heat.
Grilling in a public park isn’t that different from cooking at home. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Use Heat Zones. The direct heat zone is going to be right over the coals—make sure you’re using that to get a sear. The indirect zone is going to be around the edges. If you’re cooking buns or hot dogs for a longer period of time, or just keeping things warm, this is where you’ll want to keep your food.
Share the Grill. Public grilling is social — if others are waiting, offer to share the space, and maybe a hot dog, too.
Bring a Cast Iron Lid. Even though public grills can’t close, a cast iron lid will help you melt cheese on your burgers, and it will help get internal meat temperatures higher, faster.
This is the part of your cookout that will require the least amount of effort, but is arguably the most important. You’ll want to put the fire out when you’re beginning to think about packing up and heading home. If you’re in a rush, pour some water into the ashes, and give it a stir. Then pour more water in, and make sure everything is as cool as possible.
Many public parks, like the ones in New York, have red barrels where you can properly dispose of ash, matches, and charcoal. Do not dump these items in the regular trash bins — it might start a fire when mixed with typical garbage. If there isn’t a red barrel-esque bin, we highly recommend bringing an aluminum tray or metal tin to put your ashes into. If the charcoal is additive free, add it to your compost. If it’s not, wait a few days for it to cool completely and then add it to the regular trash.
