Cooking with a Wood Fire
Our Co-Founder James is the Master when it comes to cooking with a wood fire, so we decided to ask him a few questions in the hopes to learn a few tricks for ourselves…
So, why should you cook with wood fire?
There is nothing as satisfying and ultimately rewarding then making a fire and watching it burn down patiently until you get the perfect coals. It taps into this primordial, ancient part of the human psyche. For millions of years fires has equaled warmth and food to the human race so that feeling runs deep.
Which species of wood is your favorite to use?
Maple for sure. I have my firewood custom cut to 21” inch logs which are much easier and efficient to burn when making coals.
Do different species create different flavors in the food?
I would say yes for sure when you are doing low temperature smokes like in traditional American BBQ. I prefer to grill in the Argentine style called Asado, which is open air grilling and at much higher heat. I would say the wood species doesn’t matter as much when you grill like this as long as it’s a good dry hardwood.
Why it is better than gas or standard charcoal?
Oh my god, where to begin here. Listen, gas is easy and convenient but it has none of the flavor and deep char you get from wood charcoal. Wood charcoal can be so much hotter than any standard gas grill and when you get that sublime smoky aroma and crust on your meats and veg, believe me you won’t be going back to gas. Standard charcoal briquettes plain suck and the ones with “gasoline” should be banned, sorry.
What type of wood works best?
I like any hardwood that is properly dried and sufficiently dense like maple or oak. Birch is pretty good and Ash is plentiful around where I live but it’s too soft and burns very hot initially but doesn’t make good coals and embers which is what you need.
What is your favorite thing to cook on a fire?
Oh man, there are so many things I love to cook. You will never ever beat grilling a perfectly aged and marbled steak. Ribeye is the best, when cut nice and thick. I think it’s all about the setting and the company. The best meals I’ve cooked with fire have been more about the company, the setting, the light and the temperature. When that all comes together in perfect harmony it can be magical.
Do you get all the wood you use from your own land?
I wish I did but sadly no. I have mainly Ash on my property and some Maple. Cutting trees and making firewood is a lot of work, so I cheat often and buy chords from my guy Dewayne.
How to make the perfect coals to grill the perfect steak:
Ingredients:
10-15 hardwood logs
Metal Grill and some stones to prop it up
Nice Grass-fed Steaks, preferably Ribeye or similar with good marbling. (1 lb of meat per person is safe)
Coarse Salt and Pepper
Step 1: Build a big fire with lots of logs, more than you think necessary or possibly safe.
Step 2: Take your steaks out of the fridge and let them warm up to room temp.
Step 3: Sit down around the fire and enjoy a beer or freshly made Dangarita.
When the fire has burned down and is red hot embers push the coals under the grill you set up on stones or in some other way. When the coals have a grey ash coating on them check the temperature by putting your hand very close to grill without getting burned. If you can hold it there for 1-2 seconds before it hurts the coals are the perfect temp. If you can’t get your hand that close it’s too hot. If you can keep your hand there for over 3 seconds it’s not hot enough so you’ll need more hot coals.
Step 4: Generously salt and pepper each side of the steaks and place them on the clean grill. Leave them there for approx. 5 mins without touching them. Very important! Grilled meat should only be touched 3 times: Placed on the grill, flipped, then removed.
Step 5: Flip the steaks when you see juices coming up on the raw side. Leave them for another 3 minutes then remove the steaks and place on a wooden cutting board.
Step 6: Let the steaks rest for about 5-10 mins before serving them. Why not sprinkle some nice salt flakes over the meat if you plan to slice then serve? Enjoy the grilled steak with what every you want to drink or accompany with. The simpler the better. My only advice is use quality grass-fed beef and be patient. You can’t rush good grilling. If you are the kind of person who’s impatient and has other things to do then I recommend you stick to your gas. Cooking with wood fire is a labor of love and if you take the time to respect and appreciate its fickle nature you, will be rewarded well - I promise.