In Good Taste: Derek Wolf, Over the Fire Cooking

For social media entrepreneur Derek Wolf, it was love at first sight when he happened upon a Netflix documentary of a South American chef and his adventures in cooking with fire. What got him completely hooked was the first meal he cooked over an open fire: a Porter Road skirt steak with homemade chimichurri sauce. Not long after, he started documenting his journey on Instagram with @overthefirecooking. He eventually left the corporate world, and his part-time pleasure became his full-time profession. Less than four years later, Derek has gained more than 1.5 million followers, traveled all over the world and collaborated with brands like Weber and Guinness. One very popular venture is his line of spice blends with Spiceology, including two new collections — one South American-inspired and the other a series of beer-infused barbecue rubs — out just in time for grilling season. Derek shares his passion for Over the Fire Cooking and inspires home cooks with new recipes and tutorials each week. Now, he shares what life is like when he’s not in front of the camera.

CREATIVE PROCESS

I have kept a long, running list of over 250-plus recipes that I write in my mind from being inspired while I travel, cook with other cooks or just create while I am in the process of cooking. Most of them stem from the idea of a main protein using one of the five major flavor profiles (salty, sour, sweet, bitter and umami). I then try to balance that flavor with a sauce or side that is complementary. I also love to read cookbooks cover to cover. All types of cookbooks inspire me, especially from being able to get into the mind of the chef/cook. I love learning about cooking and strive to create simple and approachable recipes that people can do over fire.

JOB PERKS

Mostly being able to collaborate with some amazing people! Before COVID, I was able to go to multiple different cooking festivals and co-create food recipes with chefs from around the world. My favorite memory was going out to Dublin, Ireland, for an event called The Big Grill Festival. While I was there, I got to collaborate on a burger with Chef John Relihan. It was a double-stacked burger with bacon, cheese, chimichurri and sliced picanha. We loved it so much that we featured it in his restaurant and in my new cookbook! It was quite the hit, and now, people come every spring to try it in Dublin.

JOB CHALLENGES

The hardest part is how much time and energy it takes to run a social media-based business. Most people think that all I do is sit in my backyard and cook all day, then casually post those videos onto social. There is a lot of planning, prepping, licensing, writing, scheduling and coordinating done behind the scenes. In fact, my cooking time is only 15 percent of my week! My wife and I spend 50 percent of our time writing, editing, scheduling and monitoring the socials. The other tough part is that social media does not turn off (weekends and holidays are our biggest times). So, finding time for ourselves without work takes coordination.

EAT LOCAL

My wife and I are obsessed with Lockeland Table! The menu by Chef Hal Holden-Bache is amazing, especially the wood-fired pizza. We love going there for some delicious personal-sized pizzas cooked right next to the flames. It also has a magnificent atmosphere that really exudes old-school Nashville. We try to go there as often as we can.

INDULGENCES

Having lived a period of my life in El Paso, Texas, I am fully obsessed with Mexican/New Mexican cuisine. I love making chorizo tacos at home with cilantro, onion, lime juice and homemade guacamole. Pair that with some homemade hatch chile queso, and that is our average Friday night dinner! I am also a huge bourbon collector. I have collected well over 100-plus bottles and try to keep my collection growing. There is not a lot that is better than a glass of Buffalo Trace neat on a weekend night.

CAREER PATH

I started the page in September 2016 and quit my job the following June. We were not even making any money off of Over the Fire Cooking, but I saw the opportunity and wanted to at least try. Luckily, my wife was comfortable in her career in order to support both of us. I quit my job, and my wife and I decided to try Over the Fire Cooking for one whole year with quantified goals that the business had to meet. Within six months of quitting, we had already hit all those goals! She quit her job last June and is full-time with me at Over the Fire Cooking.

IN THE WORKS

I have my first cookbook, Food by Fire, launching on April 27. It is an intro into the world of fire cooking utilizing various cooking techniques, fire building styles and flavor profiles. We are so excited to get it out there.

FAVORITE CHEF

Honestly, Chef Steven Raichlen has been a major influence of mine for the past four years. He really pushes the boundaries of fire cooking while also giving amazing, detailed explanations on how to cook. He is the godfather of fire cooking to me, and I would love the opportunity to cook alongside him at some point.

FUTURE PLANS

There are so many things that we have planned for 2021! I am already in development for two brand new seasoning lines coming out this year. While I can’t reveal everything about those lines, I will say that they are top-shelf! I have also been in meetings pitching another cookbook that we are hoping to come out summer of 2022. Stay tuned, as there is so much going on this year and next we are stoked to share.