Open fire cooking techniques dominate 2026 culinary trends. Learn why properties like Faena are hiring for live-fire skills and how to develop this expertise.
Live fire changes everything: smoke, char, and primal cooking methods are reshaping fine dining menus from Faena Miami Beach to high-end properties across New York. This is a sophisticated culinary technique requiring precision, patience, and a deep understanding of heat, wood, and timing. Placement International connects culinary interns with properties embracing this trend, and hiring managers specifically request candidates with open-fire experience or a genuine interest in developing these skills.
The Francis Mallmann influence on modern kitchens
Francis Mallmann’s work at properties like Faena showcases how open flames create flavors impossible through conventional methods. Vegetables char and caramelize simultaneously, proteins develop crusts while remaining tender inside, and simple ingredients become extraordinary through fire mastery.
Mallmann's influence extends beyond his own kitchens. Chefs globally study his techniques and adapt them to local ingredients and dining styles. Properties opening in 2026 increasingly feature wood-fired cooking stations, custom-built grills, and dedicated positions for live-fire specialists.
This represents a deliberate shift away from molecular gastronomy's peak. Diners gravitate toward authentic, primal cooking methods that feel honest and connected to culinary history.
Why properties are hiring for live-fire skills
Open-fire cooking requires different expertise than conventional methods. You're managing variables that change constantly: wood type affects flavor, fire temperature fluctuates, weather impacts cooking times, and each piece of protein behaves differently over flames.
Properties value culinary interns who understand these nuances or demonstrate a willingness to learn them. It's not about grilling hamburgers. It's about coaxing perfect texture from octopus over smoldering logs, or understanding which woods complement lamb versus fish.
What makes live-fire cooking technically demanding:
- Temperature control without thermostats or precise controls
- Understanding different woods' flavor profiles and burning characteristics
- Managing multiple cooking zones at varying temperatures simultaneously
- Timing proteins that cook unevenly over open flames
- Safety protocols for working with open fire in professional kitchens
The culinary interns succeeding in these environments bring patience, observation skills, and respect for traditional techniques. They understand that mastering fire takes time. There's no shortcut to learning how coals behave or which woods pair with which proteins.
How to develop open-fire skills before your internship
Start simply.
Practice grilling at home or volunteer at restaurants using live fire; observe how different foods respond to direct flames versus indirect heat; note how smoke flavors change based on wood type and moisture content.
Study Mallmann's techniques through his books and available videos. Watch how he manages fire, positions food, and uses height adjustments to control cooking intensity. Notice his patience: live-fire cooking rewards observation over intervention.
Seek out properties already employing these methods. Many candidates through Placement International's network specifically request placements at restaurants featuring wood-fired cooking. These internships provide intensive learning impossible to replicate elsewhere.
Research wood types and their characteristics. Hickory creates a different smoke than applewood, while oak burns differently from cherry. Understanding these variables separates competent grillers from live-fire specialists.
Ways to build fire-cooking expertise:
- Take specialized courses in live-fire techniques
- Volunteer at restaurants with wood-burning ovens or grills
- Practice at home with simple charcoal setups
- Study indigenous and traditional cooking methods using fire
- Follow live-fire specialists on social media and analyze their techniques
Consider internships specifically at properties like Faena, where live-fire cooking defines the culinary program. These placements immerse you in techniques that luxury properties increasingly demand.
What this means for your culinary career
The open-fire trend represents more than a fad. It signals a broader movement toward authentic, technique-driven cooking that prioritizes ingredients and fundamental methods over complex equipment.
When you explore culinary placements through Placement International, mention any live-fire experience or genuine interest in developing these skills. Properties notice candidates who understand current trends and proactively build relevant expertise.
Your ability to work with fire demonstrates broader culinary understanding. It shows patience, attention to detail, respect for ingredients, and willingness to master challenging techniques. These qualities transfer across all kitchen positions.
The Future Burns Bright
Open-fire cooking dominates 2026 culinary conversations because it delivers what diners increasingly crave: authenticity, flavor, and connection to food's origins. Properties investing in these techniques need interns who appreciate the craft's complexity and commit to mastering it.
Technical precision matters, but so does understanding fire's primal appeal and respecting techniques humans have used for millennia. The chefs excelling in this trend combine modern culinary knowledge with ancient cooking wisdom.
Your culinary career benefits from embracing this movement now. The properties defining luxury dining in 2026 are already looking for candidates who understand that sometimes the oldest techniques create the most compelling modern experiences.
