Cooking on a CIRKO grill isn’t just about great food — it’s about gathering, sharing, and enjoying the primal experience of fire. Whether you’re searing steaks or slow-roasting veggies, this guide will help you master the art of plancha cooking on your wood-fired CIRKO.
🔥 What is a Plancha Grill?
A plancha grill is a flat, circular cooking surface placed over a live wood fire. Unlike traditional grills, a CIRKO plancha lets you cook with direct heat, indirect heat, or open flame — all on the same surface.
It’s simple, social, and incredibly versatile.
🔧 Getting Started: Fuel & Fire
🔥 Use the right wood
Only burn dry, seasoned hardwood like:
- Oak
- Maple
- Hickory
- Mesquite
- Pecan
- Apple
Avoid softwoods or treated wood — they burn too fast and can release unwanted chemicals.
✅ Pro tip: Split logs into smaller pieces for better fire control and faster heat-up time.
🔥 Charcoal option
You can also use lump charcoal for more consistent heat and faster ignition — but wood is what gives you that signature flavor and fire ambiance.
🔥 Pre-Cooking Preparation
1. Check the cooking surface
- Inspect for any rust or residue (you can remove rust with steel wool or a wire brush).
- Scrape the plate clean once it’s hot — leftover food will lift right off.
2. Oil the surface
- Use high smoke point oil: grapeseed, avocado, vegetable, or sunflower oil.
- Avoid olive oil — it burns too fast.
Our Oil Dispenser is your best friend here. Oil the surface evenly before cooking.
🌡️ Understand the Heat Zones
The CIRKO plancha naturally creates three heat zones:
| Zone | Location | Ideal for |
| High heat | Near the center | Searing steaks, chicken, burgers |
| Medium heat | Mid-ring | Veggies, seafood, skewers |
| Low heat | Outer edge | Warming, melting cheese, bread |
🔍 Use an infrared thermometer to measure temperatures — aim for 400–600°F near the center.
🍽️ Cooking Techniques
✅ Direct on the plancha
- Oil the spot you’ll use
- Place food directly on the surface
- Flip once, let it sear, and enjoy
✅ Cast iron cooking
- Perfect for paella, sauces, eggs, or breakfast
- Just place your skillet on the plancha — like an outdoor stovetop
✅ Cedar plank cooking
- For salmon or trout, soak your cedar plank and place it directly on the hot surface
- Add herbs, lemon, and let it slow-cook over gentle heat
✅ Grate over open flame
- Great for wood-char flavor (sausages, ribs, corn)
- Let flames die down a bit to avoid burning
🧽 Post-Cook Cleanup
- Scrape the surface clean while it’s still warm
- Push scraps into the fire pit
- Wipe down the plancha and apply a thin coat of oil to prevent rust
- Empty ashes safely after every cook (they stay hot longer than you think)
💡 Cooking Tips
- Rotate ingredients around the heat zones to control doneness
- Never pour oil directly onto flames
- Experiment with different woods (apple, mesquite, hickory) for custom flavor
- Season food just before or after — salt can draw out moisture too early
🧰 Essential Tools for CIRKO Cooking
- Metal spatula (get the CIRKO Spatula)
- Oil Dispenser Bottle (get the CIRKO Oil Dispenser)
- Weather cover (get the CIRKO Plancha Cover)
- Infrared thermometer
- Cast iron pan
- Scraper or grill brush
- Cedar planks (optional)
🎯 Final Thoughts: Cooking as an Experience
Cooking on a CIRKO isn’t about rushing. It’s about slowing down, connecting, and making the grill the center of your gathering. Once you’ve cooked over fire — with your friends around you and the smell of wood smoke in the air — you’ll never go back.
🔔 Ready to start your fire?