Cooking meat in Ark: Survival Evolved is one of the essential survival skills you need to master to keep your character healthy and strong. Whether you’re new to the game or just looking to improve your cooking game, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about cooking meat in Ark with easy steps and tips.
Why Cook Meat in Ark?
Raw meat might seem like a quick snack, but eating it can make your character sick and reduce your health. Cooking meat not only makes it safe to eat but also boosts its nutritional value, restoring more hunger and health points. Plus, cooked meat lasts longer before spoiling, making it a reliable food source on your adventures.
Step 1: Gather Raw Meat
To start cooking, you first need to collect raw meat. You can get raw meat by hunting animals and dinosaurs. Use weapons like spears, bows, or hatchets to kill creatures such as Dodos, Dilophosaurus, or Triceratops. Once defeated, harvest their bodies by hitting them with your tool to collect raw meat. Be careful not to use a hatchet if you want more meat, as it tends to prioritize hides over meat.
Step 2: Craft a Campfire
Cooking requires a fire source. Early in the game, the easiest way to cook meat is by crafting a campfire. You can unlock the campfire blueprint at Engram Tier 2. To craft it, gather:
– 12 pieces of thatch
– 1 flint
– 16 stones
Once crafted, place the campfire on the ground.
Step 3: Light Your Campfire
Add fuel to your campfire to get it going. You can use thatch or wood as fuel. Place the fuel inside the campfire’s inventory and then light the fire by interacting with it (press E on PC, Triangle on PlayStation, or Y on Xbox). The fire will burn for a while, allowing you to cook multiple pieces of meat.
Step 4: Cook the Meat
Now, place your raw meat into the campfire’s inventory. The cooking process will take about 20 seconds per piece of meat. After this time, your raw meat will transform into cooked meat, which you can then collect and eat safely.
Alternative Cooking Methods
While campfires are great early on, as you progress, you can use more advanced cooking tools:
– Industrial Grill: Cooks meat faster and can handle more food at once.
– Cooking Pot or Industrial Cooker: Used for more complex recipes, including kibble and special consumables, but also capable of cooking meat efficiently.
Tips for Cooking Meat Efficiently
– Use the right tool for harvesting: Using a Pick or Spear yields more meat than a Hatchet.
– Keep an eye on the fire: Don’t let the fire go out while cooking.
– Cook in batches: Place multiple pieces of raw meat in the fire to cook them simultaneously.
– Store cooked meat properly: Cooked meat spoils slower than raw meat but still has a limited shelf life. Keep it in refrigerators or preserving bins to extend freshness.
– Use cooked meat to tame creatures: Some dinosaurs prefer cooked meat for taming, making it a valuable resource beyond just feeding yourself.
What Happens If You Eat Raw Meat?
Eating raw meat reduces your hunger slightly but damages your health due to food poisoning. It’s best to avoid eating raw meat unless you’re desperate. Cooking meat is the safest and most beneficial option for survival.
Summary
Cooking meat in Ark: Survival Evolved is simple once you know the steps: gather raw meat by hunting, craft and light a campfire, then place the meat in the fire to cook. Cooked meat restores more hunger and health, lasts longer, and can even be used for taming. As you advance, explore other cooking methods like the industrial grill for faster and larger-scale cooking.
Cooking meat is a fundamental survival skill that will keep your character healthy and ready to face the dangers of Ark’s prehistoric world. Happy cooking and happy surviving!