Fire Pit cooking

[bbqchef]

I'm doing an article on fire pit cooking... anyone have advice?

Thanks!

Mike

[Pam Gould]

HHmmmm..fire pit cooking..is that like cooking over an open fire? I have done it for 35 years.  Pam   .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.

[tekn50]

I use a deep cast iron frying pan, and a dutch oven.   Also put a grate on some rocks over some hot coals to grill.  I like you use some oak twigs, when I do that.

[spuds]

I used to cook on a grill over a rock pit with finger sized sticks found in the desert,cooked in roaring flaming fire.Only took a few minutes to do a steak.Beautiful bark and juiciness.

[Las Vegan Cajun]

A good old buddy of mine back in Arizona was famous for his steaks over a fire pit in his yard.  He would spend at least 2-3 hours getting the fire in the pit just right while telling war stories and consuming adult beverages.  Then the grate was placed over the pit and the steaks were grilled to perfection, some of the best steak dinners we have ever had was at his house out in the middle of the Arizona desert.

[smokeasaurus]

A good old buddy of mine back in Arizona was famous for his steaks over a fire pit in his yard.  He would spend at least 2-3 hours getting the fire in the pit just right while telling war stories and consuming adult beverages.  Then the grate was placed over the pit and the steaks were grilled to perfection, some of the best steak dinners we have ever had was at his house out in the middle of the Arizona desert.

Wish you could get him on the forum. Like to see some pics of his set-up........

[Pam Gould]

When camping over an open fire..the grate was a bread rack..they are hard to come  by now..they are all plastic..still use it today.  Pam   .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.

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[Las Vegan Cajun]

A good old buddy of mine back in Arizona was famous for his steaks over a fire pit in his yard.  He would spend at least 2-3 hours getting the fire in the pit just right while telling war stories and consuming adult beverages.  Then the grate was placed over the pit and the steaks were grilled to perfection, some of the best steak dinners we have ever had was at his house out in the middle of the Arizona desert.

Wish you could get him on the forum. Like to see some pics of his set-up........

I wish I could too, but we would have to resurrect him from his final resting place.  He went to BBQ Heaven many years ago but the memories of his steak cookouts at his house still live on.   

[Hub]

Years ago I used to frequent a steakhouse in the Arizona desert where they grilled steaks over a mesquite fire.  The grates spun on a pivot in the center so they could adjust the placement for "zones" of relative heat.  I watched the chef for about an hour.  He was cooking about twenty at a time, all of varying thicknesses, types, and to customer chosen degrees of doneness.  I ordered a 24 oz. Porterhouse, medium.  It came out perfectly cooked!  In addition to that pivoting grill, I decided that the greatest factor was the acquired skill of the chef in using it.

Too many years have passed for me to remember the name of the name of the place, but a little research might turn it up -- as I recall it was about 35 miles from Phoenix.

hub

[Las Vegan Cajun]

Years ago I used to frequent a steakhouse in the Arizona desert where they grilled steaks over a mesquite fire.  The grates spun on a pivot in the center so they could adjust the placement for "zones" of relative heat.  I watched the chef for about an hour.  He was cooking about twenty at a time, all of varying thicknesses, types, and to customer chosen degrees of doneness.  I ordered a 24 oz. Porterhouse, medium.  It came out perfectly cooked!  In addition to that pivoting grill, I decided that the greatest factor was the acquired skill of the chef in using it.

Too many years have passed for me to remember the name of the name of the place, but a little research might turn it up -- as I recall it was about 35 miles from Phoenix.

hub

If it was North of Phoenix that sounds like Crazy Ed's or else it could have been Pinnacle Peak.

[bbqchef]

I guess I was unclear. I'm not cooking on an open fire... been there, done that! I recently obtained a Camp Chef Del Rio fire pit that is propane fueled. And I got a tripod to suspend a cooking grate.



My question was how high above the pit to get a good cooking temperatures for burgers, steaks, veggies, etc. I know the height of the grill will dictate the temperature but was wondering if anyone had any more accurate suggestions. I'm also thinking using cast iron to do some cooking (skillets and Dutch ovens).

Thanks guys (and girls)!