Wood Fire Cooking

My family and I love camping and this year we committed ourselves to doing more cooking over a wood fire. The things that I like about cooking over a wood fire are; one, it’s an excuse to get the fire going earlier in the day and two, it gives the campfire greater purpose than just a centerpiece to set chairs around and maybe roast a few s’mores.

A couple of things to consider when cooking over a wood fire:

Timing. It’s important to get your fire started an hour or two before you actually want to eat, because you need time to create some good hot coals. Ideally, you don’t want to be cooking over large flames.

Wood. It’s also really important to use good hardwoods for your fire. Most nut woods or fruitwoods will do. I actually prefer using oak, which is very prevalent here in Iowa.

When it comes to tools, here are a couple good ones to have on hand:

Grill Brush. You’ll want to have a good grill brush to clean the fire pit grate off, if you plan to cook directly on the grate. A balled-up piece of tin foil will do the trick if you don’t have a grill brush.

Cast Iron Cookware. While I do cook directly on the grate sometimes, I recommend getting some quality cast iron cookware. A good beginner set would include a cast iron griddle and a medium sized pan. The griddle works great for cooking steaks, chops, chicken or patties. I like the pan for sautéing or cooking vegetables. Another option for cooking vegetables is to wrap them in tin foil. This method actually works really well for vegetables, such as broccoli or cauliflower. If you seal the tin foil pouch up tightly, you’ll know your broccoli or cauliflower are done because the tin foil pouch will expand like a balloon. Don’t leave them on too long otherwise you’ll end up with mushy vegetables.

PRO TIP. When you’re done using your fire for cooking, throw a couple logs of cedar on it to help deter insects, such as gnats or mosquitos.