Backwoods - Cooking With Woods

The history of cooking would probably begin with its relationship to wood. Primitive men cooked with sticks over an open flame, then we progressed to fireplaces. Then the Industrial Revolution brought cast iron cooking stoves.

Now that everything have been modernized and have gas and electric ranges we probably rarely find ourselves cooking with wood. But if you do end up having to cook with wood, whether cooking over an open pit when camping or wanting to do something different when in front of a cozy fire, there are techniques to cooking with wood that will make a difference in your finished product.

When cooking with wood, it is the bed of hot coals or embers that you want to cook over, not flames. This requires starting a fire at least three hours before you plan to cook so that you can have plenty of hot coals or embers when the fire burns down.

The number of good, hot coals produced depends on the type of wood you burn. When people who make a habit of cooking over a wood fire were asked what type of wood is preferred for cooking, all answered the same way: fruit wood. It not only provide the best coals, but lets off a pleasant aroma while doing so. Other favored woods are hardwoods such as elm, ash, oak and hickory. Before using hickory it is important to remember that it will add a "hickory smoked" flavor to your food.

When cooking on an open fire, whether fireplace or fire pit, the cooking times are approximately the same as a conventional stove as long as you have a good bed of coals.

When cooking a piece of meat over wood it is important to note that different meats cook differently. For example, small pieces of meat such as poultry cook best over a fast, hot bed of coals with some flame still in them. If you cook a roast or pork you can get the meat close to the fire for the first few minutes, turning it to seal in the juices, and then move it away from the high heat so it can cook slowly over a gentler fire. The back of the fire is a good place for this. It is also a good area to place pots of soup or water since the heat is slow and gentle.

When cooking over an open wood fire you can even use the ashes. You can put potatoes in ashes and scatter hot coals over them. Wipe them with a damp cloth to remove ashes before serving.

If you wish to fry over an open fire, it is best to have a steady hardwood fire instead of a low fire or a bed of coals.

When cooking on a wood stove there are a few universal tips, even though all wood stoves are different.

The first thing to remember about wood stoves is that they all require patience and time to get to know them.

When building your fire, remember that hardwoods burn slowly and evenly. Softwood, such as pine, should not be used for anything more than kindling when starting a fire, as it burns too hot and too quickly. You should always keep a combination of dry and green wood on hand. The dry wood for cranking up the fire and the green wood for slowing it down some.

Some of the actual cooking on a wood stove is similar to cooking over a pit or in a modern oven. When you're making soups or casseroles it is best to allow them to simmer all day at the back of the stove, just as the best place for them over an open pit is in the rear also. When baking, if you want to brown your baked goods move them to the top of the oven. To slow cooking down, move the dish to the bottom of the oven.

Baking bread in a wood stove gives it a thicker crust. You can cook some things in the ash pit of a wood stove just as you can an open fire. Grease potatoes and then put them in to bake. Fish can be baked in here also if wrapped in several layers of foil before being placed in the ashes. Cooking with wood can be an enjoyable experience, whether in the outdoors or within the home. It requires a bit of patience, but the taste that comes from cooking over wood makes it all worth it.