Just about everything that is commonly cooked on a grill can be cooked on a fire pit; fire pit cooking can be done over an open fire or over a fire pit made of stone or brick. Some cooks choose to do fire pit cooking over charcoal, while others use certain types of wood. In either case, this type of cooking will be more efficient if the cooking is done over red coals rather than open flames, though cooking can be done over open flames if the cook is willing to pay close attention to the cooking foods.
Cooking over red coals rather than open flame ensures that the heat radiating toward the food is an even heat; open flames can be intense when they get close to the food, and less intense when they are far away from the food. Since flames tend to fluctuate in size, the heat will be uneven and can lead to either undercooked foods, overcooked foods, or unevenly cooked foods. Fire pit cooking is most effective when an even heat source is available, and the cook may need to move the food up or down in relation to the heat source to ensure the food gets cooked properly.
A grate, a spit or rotisserie, or even a tripod can be used for fire pit cooking. The method used will depend on the type of food being cooked. Baking can be done quite efficiently by hanging a Dutch oven from a tripod mounted over the fire pit. A Dutch oven is a great choice for baking because the cast iron distributes heat very evenly, and placing coals on the lid of the Dutch oven can ensure the food gets backed from all sides. The Dutch oven can also be placed directly in hot coals; this makes placing hot coals on top of the oven much easier as well.
The fuel used to start the fire in the fire pit will affect fire pit cooking as well. A fire can be started using wood, but the wood will need to be seasoned properly to ensure proper lighting and heat conduction. Charcoal can also be used; some charcoals are meant to be long-lasting and evenly heating. Charcoal must be lit by either using lighter fluid that can affect the taste of the food being cooked, or by using a charcoal chimney; the chimney will not add any flavors to the food, but it will take significantly longer to get the coals lit and heated using this method.
