We talked to a local wood-fired oven manufacturer to get the scoop on what to look for and what tasty treats to make.
What to consider
If you’re worried your backyard can’t accommodate a wood-fired oven, fear not. The ovens are custom and can be made to accommodate a variety of spaces. “Since we have the ability to design and build the entire outdoor living space with our partners at Bruns General Contracting, the size/layout/set-up is really determined when we start the initial design phase,” said Brian Swann, general manager and chef at Fire Pie Oven Company in Troy.
Even if you’re a pro at DIY, once your oven is designed and finished, installing it in your backyard is generally not a job for the homeowner. “We always recommend using a licensed contractor to install our ovens, fireplaces and fire pits,” Swann said. “We work closely with the contractors and are onsite for most of the installs to help answer questions about placement.”
Since these ovens reach temperatures of up to 900 degrees, it’s essential to have them installed as safely as possible. Don’t worry about a lengthy install process. Unless you’re having an entire outdoor living space built from scratch, install time is relatively short. Swann explained that the units are already assembled upon delivery and can be ready in a matter of a few hours.
So how much do these wood-fired ovens usually run? “The prices start around $7,000,” Swann said. Make sure you budget for expenses like contractors, too. If that sounds like too hefty a price tag, keep in mind that wood-fired ovens are safe for use year round and can even be taken with you if you move.
Anatomy of an oven
Each wood-fired oven is constructed entirely by hand. “We have a set model — small, medium or large,” said Zack DeCurtins, mason and product manager, also with Fire Pie Oven Company. “Then we have our architect design what the customer wants. We put that design in motion.”
“We build our ovens with a proprietary material on the inside that allows our ovens to keep the heat inside, creating a convection oven,” Swann said. “We use a refractory dome system and firebricks for the oven’s cooking surface. We use bricks, stones, stucco, stainless steel and copper for our accents, wraps, and roofing systems.”
Check out the heating system and firebricks when buying your oven — these are essential elements for perfectly wood-fired food. Be sure to decide what type of decorative touches you’d like, too. In many cases, these can be blended to your patio. “We can match the brick and stone on an existing patio,” DeCurtins said, adding that all the materials he uses are natural.
Cooking wood-fired
So, you’ve chosen your design and had your oven safely installed. Time for a celebratory cookout — after a quick safety demo, of course. Make sure your oven dealer or contractor offers to do a run through with you before the first time you cook.
Once you’re up to speed on safety, the sky is the limit on what you can make. Most people know about wood-fired pizza — and it is delicious — but “we tell our clients that our ovens are just like the one they have in their house, except there is no temperature control to set it to 350 degrees,” Swann said. So feel free to experiment beyond pizza to appetizers, desserts and more.
Just like with grills, wood-fired ovens need time to heat up, but once they do, food can be cooked lighting fast. “Pizzas can be baked sometimes in 90 seconds,” Swann said. “Our ovens are approved to cook pizza and bread right on the firebricks; everything else, we recommend using cast iron cookware. Lodge [brand] is our favorite.”
While pizza stones are popular, even for use on grills, if you’re a true foodie, wood-fired cooking takes food to the next level. What’s the advantage? “Hands down, flavor,” said Swann. “We use seasoned hard woods: oak, apple, hickory, pecan and cherry, and this gives food that awesome, one-of-a-kind, wood-fired flavor.”
Recipe
Is your mouth watering yet? Try this tasty appetizer.
Bacon- and crab-wrapped stuffed jalapenos
Courtesy of Brian Swann, general manager and chef, Fire Pie Oven Company.
24 whole Jalapenos
1/2 lb. of picked Fresh Jumbo Lump crab
1 lemon freshly squeezed (no seeds)
1/4 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
4 to 5 good dashes of hot sauce (I use Cholula)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 8 oz. freshly grated parmesan cheese
12 slices of thick sliced bacon cut in half
Toothpicks or skewers (soak in water for 30 minutes before baking)
Directions:
Wood Fired Oven Temperature, roughly 450 degrees
Slice open jalapenos and clean out seeds and membranes. (REMEMBER: Wear rubber gloves!)
Now add softened cream cheese , parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, lemon juice, hot sauce, and mix well.
Stuff crab and cheese mixture into cleaned jalapenos. Wrap 1/2 slice bacon around each one and secure with a toothpick.
Place on a Lodge flat-topped griddle or 12-inch Lodge Skillet for 10 to 12 minutes. (Cover for the first 7 minutes.)
Remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes.
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