It is quite difficult to discover where not

only the word barbecue came from

but also the method of cooking.

Possibly the Caribbean with European

connections but the original word was

barabicu which roughly translated

means "sacred fire pit".

The word barbecue can also mean an

outside event where people get together

either in the evening or during the day.

Americans generally refer to these type

of gatherings as "cookouts" unless

a barbecue is actually being served.

In America competitions for barbecuing

start in April and run straight though

to September with huge entries and

teams which vie with each other

to produce the best barbecue food.

Teams enter from all over the United

States bringing with them their own

favourite woods, sauces and

cooking styles.

There are several different sorts of

techniques used when barbecuing foods:

Smoking; Baking; Braising; Grilling

and Slow Cooking.

When food is grilled on the barbecue

it is generally cooked in the open air for

a short amount of time at a high heat.

Smoking is a long and slow process

and the food is kept under cover the

whole time to allow the smoke to

flavour the food.

If you are Baking your food generally a

type of oven is used and the cooking time

is shorter than Smoking but certainly

longer than Grilling.

Braising gives a moister texture to

the food as you also have a pot filled with

a stock of some sort flavouring the food

which again is cooked over a long period.

We now have over sixteen different

species of wood - each one will give

your food a unique flavour.

If you are not sure about what sort of

wood to use then try one of our One Kilo

Boxes of Slices which gives you just

enough for a couple of barbecues.

They also make a great gift for

the barbecue enthusiast.

All of our wood comes in

convenient sized boxes from

1 kilo to 10 kilos.

Perfect for trying different flavours

from all the species we have available.

Barbecuing with Firewood

Frequently Asked Questions

How much wood do I use?

For two people – three logs of wood

were used in a round barbecue with a

diameter of twelve inches (30cm)

and a depth of four inches (10cm).

When do I know the fire is

ready for cooking?

The heat of the fire can be estimated roughly

by holding your open hand, palm down,

six inches to eight inches

(15cm–20cm) above the coals.

Count the number of seconds you can keep your

hand there before having to pull it away …

Cool Fire: 6 to 8 seconds

Medium Fire: 4 to 6 seconds

Hot Fire: 3 to 4 seconds

Very Hot Fire: 2 to 3 seconds

How long before the fire is

ready to cook on?

This is not a very scientific way but who

cares … our experts’ measuring tool for

knowing when the fire is ready is known as:

“A Six Beer Fire”

 - meaning that after drinking the sixth beer

the fire must be ready to barbecue!

(We tried this method and had a really good

time but couldn’t remember what the

food tasted like!!)

Why use firewood

instead of charcoal?

Admittedly when using firewood you do need to

allow more time for the coals to be ready for

cooking but you are more than compensated

when you taste the food, especially if you are

using our firewood’s from around the World

– each species imparts its’ own unique and

special flavourings – try it –

you won’t be disappointed.

Telephone: 01555-880000

Mobile: 07858-933275

Email: info@druidswood.co.uk

Web Site by: Magnolia Osram

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