You’ve got the barbecue set up as the summer approaches and you’ve bought a heap of wood to use for it; great choice because there’s nothing quite like the smell of a wood supply for a barbecue.
There are a few things you should be aware of, however, before proceeding with the barbecue. This article will look at some tips you can take on board before the guests arrive to get the most out of your food.
Can You Cook With Any Wood?
The type of wood you choose is often crucial to the scents and aromas that will linger on the wood for you to enjoy. A lot of people like the smoky flavours that come with burning kiln-dried wood from oak, cherry, or hickory varieties.
Heat Logs will burn more efficiently and stronger than kiln-dried wood generally, but can’t be used for barbecue cooking. There are other benefits to ultra-dry logs like this, however, like sustainability due to their composition and excess smoke not harming others.
It all depends on what you want to get from your barbecue. A barbecue should never be done inside, of course, and as long as you use properly seasoned or kiln-dried wood, there are many varieties of natural wood logs to use.
Hardwoods are often favoured by barbecue experts because they won’t produce smells that are considered as offensive as those that softwoods tend to give off.
Wood Cooking Techniques and Tips
Compared to gas barbecues, wood cooking is hands down a better option. The smoky flavours are delightful and add to your food. However, even smokeless heat logs hold benefits to cooking.
You mustn’t burn the outside of your meat without properly cooking the inside of it. While the odd larger flame will give your meat that great chargrilled effect, you have to make sure your meat is cooked thoroughly inside. For this reason, maintain an even heat across your combustion chamber at a slow rate for consistency. Using a food thermometer ensures you’re cooking the food at the desired temperature.
We’d always advise you to use flame-retardant gloves and a long-handled lighter so you don’t risk your safety when starting the fire. Light the firelighters and the kindling should start burning, then place enough wood across the pit. Spread the logs across the barbecue as evenly as possible so enough oxygen will flow between them.
Don’t suffocate your flames or your fire will die out quicker; move the logs around to keep a constant flow of heat heading upwards towards the grill so your food can be cooked properly.
We hope now that you’re ready for the barbecue season to begin. To make sure you’re stocked up on all the right wood, explore the Homefire range today.