How to Build a Backyard Cooking Fire
Fire is the original stove. To move from a campfire to a cooking surface, you must prioritize heat control and the safety of your surroundings.
Check your clearance and your wood.
Clear a ten-foot circle of all dry grass or leaves. Use only seasoned hardwood like oak, hickory, or fruit woods; pine or sappy woods will leave soot on your food and impart a harsh flavor.
- Heavy-duty landscape bricks or fire stones
- Steel grill grate
- Shovel
- Metal rake
- Leather work gloves
What goes in.
- 1 stackSeasoned hardwood logs
- 1 bundleDry kindling (small sticks or split pine)
- handfulDried wood shavings or birch bark
Coal Management
Your heat source is the coals, not the flame. Start your fire early to build a glowing red bed at least three inches deep before you attempt to place your grate.
The method.
Lay the perimeter
Arrange two rows of fire bricks in a circle or square, leaving a gap on the side facing the wind to encourage oxygen flow.
Build the structure
Stack your logs in a pyramid or criss-cross pattern inside the ring. Place your kindling and fire starters in the center.
Ignite
Light the center. Let the logs burn down until they collapse into a uniform, glowing mass of red coals.
Level the heat
Use your rake to spread the embers evenly across the pit. If one side is hotter, push more coals there; if you need a cool zone, push the coals to one side.
Set the grate
Place your steel grate over the embers. It should sit at least six inches above the coal bed to prevent flare-ups and charring.
Other turns to take.
The Two-Zone Setup
Keep high-heat coals on one side for searing and no coals on the other for resting or slow-cooking.
Dutch Oven Pit
Dig a slight depression in the center of your pit to nestle a cast-iron pot directly into the glowing embers.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose within arm's reach at all times.
Wait for the wood to turn into white-gray ash on the edges before placing food on the grate.
If your fire is too hot, spread the coals thinner with a shovel to dissipate the intensity.
The ones that keep coming up.
How do I know the fire is ready?
When the flames have died down and the wood is glowing red without thick black smoke.
Can I use charcoal?
Yes, charcoal provides a more predictable heat, but hardwood provides a more complex scent and flavor profile.
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