Fire pits can be a great addition to any backyard. Whether it is for roasting marshmallows, making s'mores, keeping warm, cooking, or just sitting around the fire entertaining friends and family, there are many reasons to build a pit or purchase a kit. One great option for a fire pit grill is to get an attachment and grill over the fire.
The first question you should ask yourself is which fuel should you use, wood or charcoal? Wood has the benefits of adding extra flavor to your meats and vegetables. Barbeques and smokers take advantage of these different flavors when smoking food over wood chips. A fire pit may not be the same but there are still certain flavors you can pick up from wood. Charcoal is cheaper in many areas and is generally ready to cook more quickly. Unless you want an open flame, you generally have to wait for the wood to cook down into hot ashes rather than flames. Charcoal gets to this point more quickly.
In addition to wood or charcoal you could consider propane as your fuel. Just be aware that the hookup can get tricky with propane. That makes it almost impossible for people to make a fire pit themselves and the kits for propane hookups can be a bit more expensive. The advantage of propane is it can be ready for grilling very quickly and is cleaner burning than wood or charcoal.
In addition to throwing a thick steak over grill grates you could cook using a rotisserie or tripod. Adding the rotisserie to your repertoire allows more variety, looks interesting while you and your guests are in the backyard, and can allow meats that like slower cooking to cook more evenly. A rotisserie chicken or even homemade gyro taste great over an open flame.
Before buying, building, or using a firepit always think about safety first. Consider small children or pets playing nearby, have a fire extinguisher handy, and make sure everything is sturdy. Remember that around fire it is easy to get hurt if people are not paying attention and it is easy to ruin food if your grill or rotisserie attachments are not sturdy enough to hold your food.
Cooking with a fire pit grill can be a great way to entertain guests, enjoy the outdoors more often, and enjoy foods cooked over an open flame. Just remember to consider your fuel, what attachments to get, and always think about safety before building your pit from a kit or buying one.
