The Thomas brothers believe that cooking over embers brings ultimate flavour to your food, whether you\u2019re a meat-eater, vegetarian or vegan. And simple is always better; use the\u00a0best-quality ingredients you can find in your local area and you can\u2019t go wrong.<\/p>\n
James and Adam have been open-fire cooking for years, learning a few useful tricks along the way for getting the most out of your cook. Here are some tips to get you started.<\/p>\n
For more ideas on cooking delicious seasonal food \u2013 including hearty soups, great bakes and tasty salads \u2013 head over to our Countryfile recipes<\/a> section.<\/p>\n Ideally kiln-dried, but a well-seasoned hardwood such as oak, ash or beech works best and adds to the flavour.<\/p>\n There needs to be less than 20% moisture content in the wood or you\u2019ll lose too much heat because of the moisture. Pine logs will burn too fast and create a bitter-tasting smoke.<\/p>\n Mixing your wood with charcoal will also give you a great constant heat source. You\u2019re after sustainable lumpwood and not briquettes from your local garage. The chunkier and more log-shaped your charcoal is the better.<\/p>\n You may also like:<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Embers. You\u2019re aiming for slow, steady cooking, so be patient and wait for the wood to burn down to achieve a strong, constant heat to cook with. Once you have hot embers, it reduces the chance of flare ups and gives you more control of the grill.<\/p>\n Try grilling vegetables over embers as the star of the show. Spring greens, halved peppers, courgettes, thickly sliced aubergines, halved little Gem lettuce, cauliflower steaks, radishes, broad beans, asparagus, and peas in the pod all work well.<\/p>\n You can also try throwing onions, potatoes and leeks straight onto the hot coals, cooking them in their skins for 45 mins. Vegetable skins create natural protection for the soft flesh within so don\u2019t be put off by the charred outer layer. Once blackened, slice in half and remove the sweet, tender flesh from the outer layers, then toss it with parsley and butter.<\/p>\n There are lots of variables when it comes to bbq cooking, making it difficult to rely on set cooking times. Instead, \u00a0invest in a meat probe to keep an eye on the internal temperature of your food whilst it cooks.<\/p>\n Cook your meat until it\u2019s a couple of degrees below your final cooking temperature, then set aside to rest; the internal temperature will continue to rise. Resting is just as important as the cooking, so be patient and you\u2019ll be rewarded with beautiful melt-in-the-mouth meat.<\/p>\n To avoid your food drying out, remember to baste, glaze or mop with a tasty sauce or any leftover meat marinade, if used. You want your meat to be soft and moist inside with the beautiful charring and caramelisation from the bbq on the outside.<\/p>\n![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2022\/07\/The-Pit-Kitchen-fire-265a187.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C411"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>What is the best wood to use?<\/h2>\n
Should you cook over embers or flames?<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>How to cook vegetables on an open fire?<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>How to cook meat on an open fire?<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Basting food on an open fire<\/h2>\n
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