Episode 1 

"What’s your favourite type of wood or charcoal to cook with, and why?"

This has to be American Oak, it is an extremely hard wood that gives a really good depth of flavor without being bitter. It burns gently for a very long time so you use less and it makes it much easier to maintain your temperature over long periods of cooking.

"How do you decide whether to use charcoal or wood for a particular dish?"

I will use charcoal for rapid cooking, a mix of charcoal and wood for rotisserie cooking and wood only for ‘low and slow’

"What’s the most memorable meal you’ve ever cooked over an open flame?" 

It would be MBS 10+ wagyu brisket, cooked super low for 14 hours. It was crazy how tender and juicy it came out, all the rendered fat I made into an espresso barbeque sauce. It was amazing albeit very rich.

"Can you share a tip for achieving the perfect char on a steak?"

 I can share a few; your minimum thickness of your steak should be 3-4cm. Your cast iron bars on your BBQ should be thick and heavy. Your BBQ must be very hot and clean before you place your steak on it. Only use oil for your first searing (no salt or pepper) move your steak in a clockwise rotation every 1 minute (this gives every part of the surface time on the bars) transfer to a rack or cooler part of the BBQ, cover both sides with a good splash of olive oil, season heavily. Rest for 7-8 minutes. Put back on the very hot grill for 30 seconds each side to form a crust. Slice and serve with lemon checks.

"What’s the biggest challenge when cooking with live fire, and how do you master it?" 

It’s all about temperature control so dryness of your wood, outside temperature, humidity & wind make a big difference. I use wood that I have stored outside under cover for a minimum of 3 months to ensure it is very dry. I keep a log in the smoker away from the flame so it is hot and ready to put straight on if the temperature drops and I will replace it with a fresh log. You need to continually watch the temperature and quality of smoke for the first 2 hours, after that you can check every 30mins to and hour. Use a meat thermometer, these are a must (I use a Bluetooth one from Amazon))

"If you could cook a meal over a campfire anywhere in the world, where would it be and what would you cook?" 

I suppose a remote part of an island like Rarotonga in the Pacific with a campfire on the beach cooking fresh seafood while watching the sunset with a nice, chilled glass of Rose’

"How do different woods and charcoals affect the flavour of your dishes?" 

It’s all about what flavour and intensity of the smoke you produce. For example Levantine cuisine uses a heavy charcoal smoke to give that intensity to their grilled proteins where as smoking a brisket you want a sweeter much less intense smoke as it is smoked over a longer period of time so Oak, Cherry, Apple and Maple wood are ideal for this method.

"What’s your go-to fire-building technique for consistent heat and smoke?"

I always start with a “raft’ to get a good fire base and it is fail-proof https://www.instructables.com/Building-a-Fire-With-Purchased-Wood/

"What’s the most unusual dish you’ve cooked using live fire, and how did it turn out?" 

I cooked Duck a l'orange in my wood fired pizza oven, the cooking of the duck was quite hard, and I had to watch it the whole time so not to burn the skin. I put whole oranges in with it to get that smokey flavor in the sauce, it turned out pretty good but room for improvement.

"If you had to choose one: grilling, smoking, or wood-fired baking—what would it be and why?" 

Hmmmm, tough question! I love them all… I would have to say smoking as it is the most technically challenging way to cook. If you smash out the perfect brisket you can’t beat that feeling of pride and watching your friends faces when they taste it is super satisfying.

"What makes Elite Horizon the best charcoal and wood supplier in the Middle East?" 

Two basic things, firstly customer service is top top top, secondly their product is unmatched here in the UAE