Backyard cooking is oh so enjoyable and no one can deny it. Firing up the grill, summer or winter, makes an ever so tasty steak, fish fillet, tenderloin or whatever your passion is. The Backyard brick oven is becoming more and more popular every year that goes by and they are very sustainable and even versatile to make things interesting.
They are also a nice addition to your backyard to be a major talking point to guests and even family that comes over for the family barbeque. There are many styles and designs you can choose from to build your Backyard brick oven.
Basics of your Backyard brick oven
Your brick oven is a place you can cook superior foods and even perfect your skills at outdoor cooking. You will want to take pride in your work to build the best oven you can and take precautions to build it correctly. A bad build could cause a fire and improper cooking among other hazards.
Finding the ultimate spot for your backyard burner is one of the bigger questions, Some opt to build under a covered porch and others have theirs in a more open setting. Very, very rarely will you ever see them inside a house as the fumes, smoke and gases can be toxic and deadly. If vented properly with a well built chimney and a proper door, you can have a wood fired oven inside your home, but be very careful!
For most, lighting up the fire and tending to it is the best part and really very
enjoyable but to others it can be the biggest downside to cooking with an outdoor oven. Backyard brick ovens are associated with pizza cooking as the idea came from Italy and it will produce legendary pizzas but you really can cook almost anything!
The versatility of options for your Backyard brick oven
Cooking with your oven can produce foods of supreme quality and should be enjoyed with pride. The backyard brick oven has been built in many different countries and many different foods are cooked and created with these ovens. Some of these foods include but are not limited to:
- Roasted vegetables.
- Baked or grilled fish.
- Slow cooked meats.
- Flamed ribeye steak.
- Smoked and barbecued meats.
- Jacket potatoes.
- Freshly baked bread loaves.
- Focaccia and flatbreads.
- Hobo dinner (mixed foil packs)
The enclosure of the wood fired brick oven is ideal for smoking meats and you can slow cook or quick bake with these ovens, it just depends on how big your fire is and how hot you can get it.
Materials and assembly
For a Brick oven you will want the obvious choice. Fire brick. Anything else will deteriorate surprisingly fast and you will be stuck with a fire danger or need to rebuild. Flooring(base) will be concrete however and you can also chose to switch out the vent and arch brick with regular brick because it will not be taking the full heat of the oven. The flooring(base) will need to be able to absorb extreme temperatures because it will be where the cooking is done.
The design and style you will be using to build your oven will depend on the intended method of cooking and foods you will want to cook. Either the fire will be in the cooking chamber or it will be underneath. Don’t forget to get any permits you will need from your local jurisdiction.
Here is Forno Bravos website to get instructions and materials for building a wood fired brick oven of your own. I suggest using the Instructions from Forno Bravo because it is in depth, thorough and has all the danger and safety factors covered.
Safety while using open flame ovens
Some folk are more apprehensive to the wood fired ovens maybe because of fire safety concerns or the time it takes to heat up the oven and get things going. As far as the safety factor: If you use the right brick (fire brick) it will be considerably safe as they are made for the application. But if you choose to do so then gas fired ovens provide the convenience and cut the oven prep time easily in half.
In my very own opinion though, wood fired ovens are top notch. Nothing compares to the authentic woodsy and smoky taste of wood fired cooking. Do not close door completely as it will close off the fire from the oxygen it needs and cause the fire to explode. Do not use anything except untreated woods, hard woods or wood for burning. Do not use accelerants like lighter fluids or gasoline. Keep children and pets away from front of oven!
Cleaning and care
It may take some time and cooking for your oven to be seasoned to your liking. Constant use and care will put a ‘flavor’ into the oven that will also cook into your food giving it a unique flavor specifically to your oven.
When cleaning, use a wire brush or small grill scraper get the debris off. Do not use cleaners because that will put extremely unwanted smells and tastes into your food and could possibly make you sick.
You will want to keep that oh so tasty season in your oven. You want those natural oils from cooking foods in your oven but if there is excess oils you can use a wet rag to wipe it up. Especially large spills should be cleaned out.
Have fun!
Having fun and experimenting with your Backyard brick oven is highly suggested. Make a creation of your own or cook for a crowd! Just please remember the safety precautions and take good care of your oven. After all, you built it!
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