Wood You Like to Cook? A Guide for Cooking Over a Wood Fire

Trying new cooking techniques can be fun to explore new recipes and flavors. You should know a few things if you want to learn how to cook over a wood fire.  

Build a good fire

The first thing essential for cooking on a wood fire is knowing how to build a high-quality fire. You want to arrange the wood to burn more evenly, allowing a more even cooking space. 

Starting a fire may be difficult, and you may want to consider getting some fire-starting supplies (https://www.selfrelianceoutfitters.com/collections/fire-starting-kits) so that you don’t ruin your wood formations when you are trying to light them. 

Cooking equipment

When cooking over an open flame, you want to ensure that you have the proper equipment. Ordinary cookware can be blackened or ruined by an open flame. You should use cast iron pots, pans, or cookware that you don’t mind ruining. 

Many people who cook over a fire recommend not cooking directly on the flame. They instead use a grate to cover the fire.

A dutch oven specifically designed for outdoor and open flame cooking is a good idea if you often plan to cook over a wood fire. 

One of the easiest ways to cook on a wood fire is to wrap food in aluminum foil and place it in the coals of the fire. Having plenty of aluminum foil on hand is a good idea. 

Food preparation

If you plan to create your wood fire out in the wilderness on an outdoor adventure or camping trip, you may want to prepare most of the food at home. There are often not very many areas to use as a replacement for your counter space, and there is the risk of bugs landing on your food. Cutting up fruits, vegetables, and meats before you leave for your adventure can reduce cooking time and eliminate contamination risks. 

Putting out the fire

Forest fires are a massive problem in the summer months. If you plan a fire cookout, you must be prepared to help avoid a forest fire. Have supplies such as water and sand ready to put out your fire. Fire extinguishers are good to have on hand in case the fire gets out of control and spreads and to use when you are done. No matter what happens, you must ensure you put out the fire completely before leaving it unattended.

Along with having the equipment to put out a fire, you will also want to review fire safety to ensure you are doing all you can to prevent burns and out-of-control flames. 

Closing

Cooking over a wood fire can allow you to be more adventurous with your cooking and be a great way to enjoy the outdoors. You want to make sure you have the right equipment and are prepared with fire safety knowledge. Once you start cooking over an open flame in the great outdoors, you can quickly become an extraordinary campfire cook.