Cooking with Wood: What You Need to Know

If you enjoy cooking with wood, this practical guide offers everything you need to know.

20/07/2022

 

 

 

Cooking over a wood fire is a tradition as old as time. Long before barbecue grills were a thing, people used wood to start fires and cook their meat and vegetables. It is not as simple as chopping down just any tree and lighting a match. However, it is not at all complicated to cook with wood. Even though nowadays we have electric grills and gas barbecue fires, many people still prefer to cook with wood and they have every right to. Cooking with wood has numerous perks when it comes to the quality of food that comes out of that fire and how healthy it can be. If you are interested in trying out cooking with wood, here is everything you need to know.

 

Look for the Right Type of Wood

When it comes to cooking with wood, any natural wood could burn, but not just any wood would be suitable for cooking or smoking meat. To cook using wood, you should look for the hardwood types of logs or bark to ensure they would work for cooking. You can even try these kiln dried hardwood logs from Buy Firewood Direct to start your fire and have a natural barbecue. Different types of hardwood work differently depending on whether you want to cook your meat or smoke it. Fruit and nut wood is usually better for cooking, whereas using other types of hardwood with strong scents such as pine or redwood would be more suited for smoking the meat.

 

Understanding Different Wood Sizes

Getting hardwood to cook with is not simply about choosing the right type of wood alone. You should also consider the size and shape of the wood when you buy your supply. It all depends on the amount of food you plan to cook, what type of food it is, and how you plan to cook it. Different sizes and shapes of hardwood would offer you different results so you would need to consider that factor in advance.

 

Logs

If you have a large area of open space and you are planning to cook some meat using wood, then logs of hardwood might be your best option. The great thing about logs is that they are extremely efficient for starting open fires and if you use logs of nuts or fruits, then it would quickly cook the tender meat just as you would have it on any modern grill. It is important, however, to recognize that using logs of wood might be a bit challenging if you are only cooking with wood for the first time. Because of how large logs usually are, it might be best to only use them if you feel like you are experienced enough and would be capable of handling the open fire smoothly.

 

Chunks

Using wood chunks in cooking is one of the most popular methods known in cooking with fire. Chunks are relatively small in size and quite easy to handle, especially if you are planning to smoke the food rather than cook it with a flame. The great thing about them is that only a couple of chunks would suffice for the process so you would not have to carry around a ton of heavy blocks of wood.

 

Chips

If you are planning to cook something that normally would not take that long to cook, then using chips of wood might be your best option. Hardwood chips are pretty small and so they burn quickly. This makes them ideal for everyday cooking rather than massive gatherings or slow-cooking meat or other types of food.

 

Placing the Wood Correctly for a Fire

Many people think that when they are cooking with wood, all they would need to do is place the wood pieces randomly and simply set fire to them then place the food. That method might not be very effective when it comes to cooking or smoking meat. The best way to place wood correctly for a fire used in cooking is by arranging the wooden pieces into a pyramid shape then lighting them to start a fire. This would ensure that the fire becomes even and your food is cooked thoroughly. Even if the stack does not necessarily go too high into a large pyramid shape, the idea is to just arrange the wood pieces evenly rather than just putting them at random.

 

Ways you Can Use Wood for Cooking

There are different ways one can use firewood or hardwood for cooking. It does not always have to be only for providing flame to cook on. Hardwood pieces can be used in the production of different kinds of meats and foods with a different quality taste every time depending on how you decide to use it. Here are two of the most popular ways of using wood for cooking.

 

Fueling Source

When you set fire to hardwood pieces, they work as a fueling source for your fire as long as they keep on burning. You can keep adding wooden logs or chunks to the fire to keep it going for as long as you please but usually, a couple of pieces will keep on burning for a while. Using wood as a fueling source for cooking meat gives it a rich taste that you would not otherwise be able to get when you cook meat or other types of food over a regular stove flame or a grill.

 

Smoking Source

If you use hardwood along with a different fuelling source, you can then smoke your food with the wood rather than simply cooking it over an open fire. Smoking meat is in popular demand among many groups of people and it has a ton of health benefits that people always seek. You would normally need to use a smoker to place the wood in before igniting it using gas or charcoal to get the smoke started.

 

 

Be Familiar with Safety Rules

Cooking with wood is something that many generations have been doing over the years. It is quite simple and in some cases, more practical than any other way of cooking meats in particular. However, it is needless to say that when you are dealing with fire, there are bound to be some risks that you should be mindful of. When you are cooking with wood, make sure you follow all the safety precautions in place if you will be doing so in a public area or even on your property. You should make sure you are allowed to have a fire wherever you plan to cook with wood and make sure your fire remains small enough to not pose any dangers on your property or that of others. If you have any children, you should always supervise them carefully while the fire is still on and remember to extinguish the fire effectively after you are done with your cooking so that nobody gets hurt in case it starts again.

 

Tools to Use

Handling the fire that comes with cooking using wood is no easy task and not one that should be taken lightly. When you are cooking using wood and having to deal with the fire or smoke that comes out of it, you need to be sure you are using the right tools that would help you cook your food well without being at risk of harming yourself. There are numerous tools that one could choose from to use when cooking with wood. When investing in one or several of them, you should always be sure that they are of strong, durable quality that would be capable of handling extreme fires without getting damaged easily.

 

Pans

If you are planning on cooking a full meal with wood, then using a frying pan made of heavy metal might be the best option to use. Frying pans are very versatile in wood fires and would offer you control and flexibility when stirring your food. You can use a pan to cook different types of vegetables or meat according to your preference and the great thing is you would get the perks of cooking on wood while still making sure everything is cooked perfectly and thoroughly. Make sure you get a heavy metal pan with a metal handle, preferably a long one so you can handle the pan without risking getting any fire burns.

 

Skewers

Skewers are popular in use when it comes to campfires and cooking smaller items that would not necessarily need to long to be fully cooked. They are made of metal and shaped like a long pointy stick that goes through the food you want to cook or even toast in some cases. Skewers are used to cook things like marshmallows or small chunks of meat and vegetables quickly and easily. They would be practical to use during gatherings such as on campfire nights where everyone could join in together to cook their item of choice all while socializing with others.

 

Grill

Barbecuing is a great way to cook any kind of meat or even some kinds of vegetables. The smoky taste of meat accompanied by the richness in flavor that wood cooking adds to food can all be achieved when you use a grill to cook your food over the wood. A simple grid-shaped piece of metal that can be placed over the wood fire would be great for cooking meat in a barbecue and enjoying the delicious food that comes out. Metal grills that are uniquely made for use when cooking with wood are pretty easy to find and they are also pretty easy to use. All you would need to do is fix the apparatus on top of the wood, preferably before you set your fire so that you are not harmed, then place whatever food you want to grill on top of it.

 

Foil

Roasting some kinds of food over a wood fire using tin foil is another quick and easy way to cook with wood. If you are planning on roasting things like potatoes, which take their time to cook and become tender inside, then make sure you get tinfoil to cover it so that it does not burn from the outside without having been cooked. Foil creates an extra layer over foods that burn easily from the outside but take their time to cook thoroughly from the inside.

 

Pots

Using a pot when cooking with wood is one of the most practical ways to make food. Pots can be placed straight on top of the fire if they are topped with a lid to keep the food safe as it cooks. Using pots over the wood fire ensures all the food inside is cooked evenly and thoroughly. When investing in a pot, make sure you get one that is made of heavy metal which would endure the high heat. You should also make sure you prepare handles to carry the pot with after the food is cooked as it would be unbelievably hot to go anywhere near it without proper handles.

 

Cleaning the Aftermath

After you are finished cooking with fire, there are a few steps you should always take to clear out the space you used and avoid any accidents. You should start by making sure the fire pit you used is completely extinguished and that there is no chance of the fire restarting on its own after you leave. If you have used any stones, then try to spread them away from each other to help them cool off without reigniting the fire. Make sure you have a rubbish bag near you so you can place any garbage in it after use to ensure the place is clean for use another time or simply to clear out space.

Cooking with wood can be a really enjoyable experience. Many generations of people preferred using wood fire in cooking because of how good the food can taste when cooked that way. If you are considering cooking with wood, make sure you do some research before you start and invest in some durable tools to help you make great food. Remember that the fire is no joke, so make sure you are careful at all times when handling food around the fire pit and ensure you clear out the place effectively after use.