I am interested in starting to cook with wood but really do not want to spend a lot of money at least not until I find out it is something I really want to do. I was hoping some people on the forum could give me some ideas on how to this. I have a good supply of wood so that is not the issue but I am looking for a simple and inexpensive way to do it without burning or blowing myself up.
cheap ways of cooking with wood
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LarryWolfe
Chef Extraordinaire
What will you be cooking on? Are you planning on grilling, bbqing or a combination?
I would say a combination. Right now I have nothing but a fire pit that is about 26 inches around and plenty of wood available. I am starting from scratch and just looking for some ideas on either using my firepit or maybe even buying a wood grill but I am having trouble finding them. Most are pellet grills. Any ideas on where to find a grill or grill/smoker combo that uses wood and charcoal and not just charcoal
Helen_Paradise
Head Chef
Is it oak, hickory, mesquite, or something else?
Nick Prochilo
Chef Extraordinaire
Just put a grate over your fire pit and cook! Set the height with some bricks or blocks and let her rip!
Well sounds like a good plan to me. Neighbor lady we had down at Austin used to cook from a hole in the ground with an ice box grate over the top. Tasted real similar to bbq. When she got done she washed the grate and put it back in her ice box.
bbquzz
Master Chef
Check out The Cowgirl's site, she is great with primitive cooking.
boar_d_laze
Senior Cook
- Joined
- May 14, 2007
- Messages
- 334
Cheapest way is a home made "open pit." You can go from grill to smoking by raising the grate blocking it up with bricks or other blocks. Everyone's already told you that.
You want to cook over coals, not freshly lit wood. Good idea to make your pit big enough to have one area for burning wood down to coals and another for cooking. Ideally you keep the fire hot and fresh, by raking fresh coals into the cooking part of the pit every so often. Worth repeating that you control temp by raising and lowering the grate -- you won't have too much control at the actual fire level unless you get cute with venting.
Speaking of which, don't forget to allow for air flow in the fire areas.
Larger barrel cookers can handle fireplace size splits, so can a CB940X. CB940X = One hell of a nice unit, and not too expensive. The problem is that you can't get a hell of a lot of distance between the fire and the cooking grates, and a wood fire is HOT. Doable... but requires paying attention and some work arounds.
Department of Best for Last: There are some fairly well made "Santa Maria" style open pits at reasonable prices. Take a look at Santa Maria Grills.
You want to cook over coals, not freshly lit wood. Good idea to make your pit big enough to have one area for burning wood down to coals and another for cooking. Ideally you keep the fire hot and fresh, by raking fresh coals into the cooking part of the pit every so often. Worth repeating that you control temp by raising and lowering the grate -- you won't have too much control at the actual fire level unless you get cute with venting.
Speaking of which, don't forget to allow for air flow in the fire areas.
Larger barrel cookers can handle fireplace size splits, so can a CB940X. CB940X = One hell of a nice unit, and not too expensive. The problem is that you can't get a hell of a lot of distance between the fire and the cooking grates, and a wood fire is HOT. Doable... but requires paying attention and some work arounds.
Department of Best for Last: There are some fairly well made "Santa Maria" style open pits at reasonable prices. Take a look at Santa Maria Grills.
I have been thinking about doing my grilling with wood and have thought of something I have never thought of before, and that is chainsaw oil. I have never thought about it before and it may be no issue if you really get your fire down to coals. However, I wonder if the oil from the chain could put a bad flavor, or even something bad for the health on the wood?
Anyway, I recently saw a long pruning blade for a reciprocating saw, or Sawzall as some of us call it. I am thinking of buying one of these blades and trimming the ends off of my longer pieces of wood. I am also thinking of using the same blade to cut slices of the same wood to put on the gasser as well.
Anyway, I recently saw a long pruning blade for a reciprocating saw, or Sawzall as some of us call it. I am thinking of buying one of these blades and trimming the ends off of my longer pieces of wood. I am also thinking of using the same blade to cut slices of the same wood to put on the gasser as well.
Nick Prochilo
Chef Extraordinaire
Use EVOO in the chainsaw. That should work!
Nick Prochilo
Chef Extraordinaire
Don't waste it. We're only cooking food here!bigwheel said:
Captain Morgan
Chef Extraordinaire
I'd like to get my hands on a XXX Virgin Greek.
Crabnbass
Senior Cook
- Joined
- May 28, 2010
- Messages
- 157
East Texas here I come!
Hey now don't go rushing into anything rash. If you hang around in E. Texas you also need to like bbq offsetted with pine wood and eating grits. Dont even get me started on Pittsburgh Hotlinks. That aint in PA. They are so nasty the Rotty wouldn't eat em. Must be some kind of franchise deal with original Elgin Hot Guts is all I can figger. Them E. Texas Monkey Farmers seem to love all that kinda stuff. The good thing which comes out of E. Texas is I 30..or heard somebody say that one time. Not sure why I 20 dont count. Now Tyler Belles and Kilgore Rangerettes aint too shabby.
From what I hear about shonuff deep east TX---you know down there around Jasper---that there are family trees that don't fork. There may even be a few folks there that are the first generation of their family to walk upright. Now I am from Nawtheast TX and we have some pretty normal folks here.
Now those Pittsburg Hot Links----those things are nothing but tubes of guts. Since Pittsburg is famous for Pilgrim's Pride Chicken those things may just be made out of chicken fat.
Now those Pittsburg Hot Links----those things are nothing but tubes of guts. Since Pittsburg is famous for Pilgrim's Pride Chicken those things may just be made out of chicken fat.
