Matteo Cooks - Fire & Flavor

Fire & Flavor: Cooking with Heat and Respect

Ciao Ragazzi. Fire is the first ingredient. Before salt, before oil, before anything else, there is heat. You can have the best meat, the freshest fish, the ripest vegetables—but without fire, without knowing how to control it, they are nothing. Fire is not just about cooking. It is about transformation.

The Char: The Kiss of the Flame

In Mexico, they know this. A good piece of meat is cooked over open flames, kissed by smoke, given time. Asada, al pastor, barbacoa—none of these exist without fire. But it is not just about burning. It is about control. Too much and you destroy. Too little and you waste. The right amount and something magical happens. The outside chars, the inside stays tender. You taste the fire, but the fire does not take over.

Wood, Coal, Smoke: Choosing the Right Heat

In Rome, we cook with wood. In Mexico, we do the same. Mesquite, oak, charcoal—each one has its own voice. A mesquite fire burns hot, fast, gives you that deep, earthy smoke. Charcoal is steady, controlled, perfect for slow roasting. Learn the fire you cook with. Learn its language. You do not command it. You listen to it.

The Simplicity of Fire-Cooked Food

A good steak, a whole fish, a basket of vegetables—it does not need much. Salt, maybe some oil, maybe a squeeze of lime at the end. The fire does the work. This is where people make mistakes. They think more is better. More seasoning, more marinade, more sauce. No. If your fire is right, if your ingredients are good, you do not need to hide anything.

Patience: The Most Important Ingredient

A hot pan is not the same as a flame. A gas burner is not the same as charcoal. Cooking over fire takes time. You must wait. Let the coals burn down. Let the wood turn to embers. If you rush, you lose. The best food—like the best things in life—comes to those who wait.

Cooking Like You Mean It

Fire is not gentle. It is not predictable. But that is why it is beautiful. You stand over the heat, you feel it on your face, you listen to the crackle, you watch the flames dance. This is cooking at its most honest. No tricks, no machines, no shortcuts. Just fire and flavor.

This is how food should be. Simple. But never easy.