Playing with smoke doesn’t just mean heat. In fact, some of the highest-level chefs are artisans who understand how live-fire interacts with ingredients to build depth of flavor in every dish that they prepare. Choosing your wood-fired grill will open up options that have been around since the beginning of cooking, but with modern quality that allows you to execute dishes you simply cannot on a gas burner. There are few things as tantalizing or unique as a perfectly cooked protein or vegetable over hot, dry flames and hardwood smoke.
Whether you’re looking to call yourself a pitmaster or wow your luxury home guests with high-end culinary creations, your wood-burning grill can handle searing, roasting and smoking — all in one cooking session. Here are our favorite dishes to prepare with professional performance.
Signature Dishes That Taste Better Over Fire
Wood smoke acts as a seasoning that cooks right into your food. If you have your eye on a commercial wood grill, here are just a few ideas to get your cookout started.
Whole Fish
Temperature control is everything when cooking with whole proteins like fish[cite: 12]. Whole fish must be cooked over high heat that’s hot enough to crisp the skin and prevent sticking. However, you don’t want to skip out on those radiant heating properties of hot embers to cook the inside of your protein.
To grill fish on your wood-burning grill:
- Start by stuffing the cavity with aromatics like citrus slices and rosemary or other hard herbs.
- Brush the skin with high-smoke-point oil like avocado or peanut.
- Place directly over the hottest part of your wood grill and cook for three to four minutes on each side.
The end result is juicy, flaky fish with a deep smoky flavor.
Ribs
Ribs are the hallmark of any barbecue master – even if you’re not cooking in your backyard. With the proper temperature and smoke control, you can achieve that coveted “bark” on the exterior and tender fall-off-the-bone meat on the inside.
- Instead of cooking directly over hot wood chips, simply move them to one side of the grill.
- Maintain your ideal temperature and allow smoke to envelop the meat for up to several hours.
This level of sophistication in flavor is what sets a true backyard pitmaster apart from the rest.
Vegetables
Asparagus, bell peppers, portobello mushrooms, onions, you name it: Veggies taste great when cooked over fire on your commercial wood grill.
Grill marks and smoky flavors cause the natural sugars in your vegetables to caramelize. This results in a delicious char on the outside while maintaining a soft interior. Toss with balsamic vinaigrette after the grill and enjoy as a complement to your meal, rather than an afterthought.
Chicken
Skin-on, bone-in chicken that’s butterflied or “spatchcocked” is ideal for wood-fire cooking. Removing the backbone and flattening out the bird allows for consistent heating on all sides.
Cooking over wood allows the fat under the skin to slowly render out. Bonus points if you soak your chicken in a brine overnight. Expect crispy, crunchy skin you’ll be proud to serve. Not to mention that smoky aroma you can’t get from indoor appliances.
Lamb Chops
Lamb chops are great on the conventional grill – but even better over your wood-burning grill. Marinated or not, searing high-quality lamb chops over high heat creates a mouth-watering crust on the outside and maintains a beautiful medium-rare center. And lamb’s natural gamey flavor is perfectly complemented by sweet hardwood smoke.
Oysters
Grab yourself a bag of fresh oysters from your local fish market and head to your backyard patio. Seriously, oysters are one of those foods that taste amazing straight from the shell, but even better when you grill them.
Place your oysters straight on the grill grates and cook until they pop open. Add a dollop of butter with fresh herbs or your favorite hot sauce. As the wood-fired grill heats up the butter, the natural juice in the oyster will steam it, giving you the perfect amount of char on the shell and broth.
Burgers
It doesn’t get more American than grilled hamburgers. But your burger will taste vastly different cooking over wood versus a flat-top grill. As the fat from the burger hits the hot wood chips below, you’ll get instant smoke that infuses into the meat. Don’t be afraid to go FAT on your burgers. Higher fat equals more flavor and won’t dry out as quickly over the wood fire.
Octopus
It’s time to give live-fire grilled octopus a chance. There is a two-step process to preparing octopus: slow braise, then hard sear.
The wood-burning grill is perfect for that last step — getting that charred, crunchy texture on the tentacles. You’ll bite into sweet, buttery meat that falls apart on the grill.
Lobsters
Cooking lobster on your wood-burning grill is simple. Like with fish, start by splitting open the lobster tail and cooking with the meat side down.
Think of smoke as another ingredient that complements the natural sweetness of lobster meat. During the last few minutes of cook time, baste with lemon garlic butter to serve something absolutely unforgettable.
Salmon and Pineapple
The fats from fresh-caught salmon are phenomenally complemented by smoke. Pineapple, on the other hand, takes on a whole new flavor profile when heated over hardwood flames. Together, they make the perfect sweet and savory dish on your grill:
- Slice your pineapple into thick rings or pineapple wedges.
- Season your salmon with sea salt and cracked pepper.
- Place pineapple on the grill first. (It can withstand longer than salmon.)
- Add salmon, skin side down, until the skin is crispy and the meat is opaque.
Using fruit on your grill is a great way to experiment with tasty flavors. Finish cooking above hot wood chips for a professional touch.
Call On Aztec Grill | Your Commercial Wood Fire Expert
At Aztec Grill, we pride ourselves on providing the wood-burning grill you need. Built with high-quality stainless steel using a “built-for-life” approach, our commercial wood-burning grills can handle just about anything you throw at them.
Our patented airflow system allows you to cook over the fire like a conventional gas grill. Our grill technology is designed to evenly distribute heat throughout the grill so you can focus on creating award-winning dishes and never have to worry about heat loss again. Contact us today to learn more about our commercial grills.