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In keeping with my self sufficient mind set, I haven't bought charcoal or propane for the grill for a few years now. Since I'm cutting firewood for the fireplace in the house and the wood stove in the barn it only made sense to add a bit more to cook with. Considering that commercial charcoal is made from various hardwoods (the same stuff we heat with) but then adds binders (glue for a lack of a better example) and accelerants and charges crazy prices for small bags of the stuff. Instead of using that stuff (Oh and I gave up starter fluid more than 20 years ago, can't stand the taste it imparts to food) I just pick out some Oak, Hickory and Cherry, make kindling sized pieces and some larger chunks and set them aside for cooking.

Building a fire sometimes, just for the practice, I use my flint and steel. Other times I use either a couple of matches or if I'm feeling lazy I just grab the propane torch. Outside of ignition source the fire is laid about the same way every time. A couple double hands full of the smallest driest sticks I can find ( I keep a mineral feed bucket full on hand) form a base layer, then kindling sized pieces are placed in a loose pyramid shape over the sticks, leaving room for a burning grass bundle to start the fire (flint and steel) or a loose wad of newspaper (match lit method). Then add larger pieces as the smaller stuff catches fire and starts to burn.

I thought of making this post a little late in the process, but tonight's steaks were cooked over a wood fire lit with a flint and steel.





Ready to spread it out a bit and put the grates in place...then close up the grill and let it come up to temp.










So that's how I do it, hopefully I've inspired some to learn primitive ways of cooking, and perhaps even fire starting.

Looks delicious! I often use a commercial Match light type of charcoal to get my fire going, but then I almost always add some wood for the actual cook fire. Nothing tastes so good!

I do think that using that supper fire for fire starting practice is a great idea. I have never tried it that way. In the future I will.

Looks good, if I'm in a hurry I use the gas grill but otherwise it's the charcoal grill for most everything. I do buy charcoal but I should just switch to wood since we have a bunch of it laying around going to sawdust.

Hubby does most of the grilling. But, if I'm at the farm and want to grill, I use wood. If I'm just doing hotdogs, I'll just use some of the white pine that grows along the road. But if I'm doing something else, I'll use cherry or oak. Potatoes wrapped in foil and cooked in the coals taste great!

I used to save all of my fruit wood prunings for grilling. Some of them impart delicious flavors.

If switching away from charcoal use Oak as the main fuel for the fire (really any hardwood that is plentiful) then use less dried fruit or nut wood to add a smokey flavor to your liking. The greener the wood the more smoke flavor, and less fruit or nut flavor is imparted.

Good tips Keith, thanks.

Very interesting and delicious looking! I love to grill. I'd do it more often, but my husband tends to hover over me, making sure I'm "doing it right," so that turns me off of it sometimes if he's home.

We use charcoal for now, but I agree, it doesn't quite taste as good as food cooked on a real fire.