Start Project BriefFire, Fuel & Live Cooking · Cooking guide
Live-fire cooking becomes much easier when the cook stops treating the fire as one temperature. Flame, embers, steel, refractory mass and distance from the heat source all create different cooking zones.
Give the fire time to establish stable combustion and useful coals. Cooking over a newly lit smoky fire is different from cooking over a mature fire bed.
For plancha cooking, the steel surface usually develops hotter and cooler zones. Use that gradient deliberately for searing, cooking through, holding and finishing.
Direct flame gives fast intense heat. Glowing coals provide steadier radiant heat. A heavy steel plate spreads and stores heat, while a refractory oven stores energy in its walls and floor.
The cook should manage where the food sits relative to these heat sources instead of constantly adding fuel to chase temperature.
Small split pieces ignite quickly and can raise flame fast. Larger dry pieces extend the burn and coal bed. The right mix depends on the cooker and the stage of service.
Avoid overloading the firebox or centre fire simply to make the flame look dramatic; excessive flame can make temperature control harder.
Hospitality and event cooking need a shutdown plan just as much as an ignition plan. Fuel storage, hot surfaces, remaining coals, ash and guest access all need controlled handling after service finishes.
For covered or semi-enclosed cooking areas, heat, smoke, ventilation and clearances must be reviewed with the exact cooking system and shelter configuration.
Reference sources
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