A New Way to Learn Barbecue that Focuses on Fire, Not Recipes
Foundations in Fire introduces a different path for grillers ready to level up
For a lot of backyard grillers, there’s a learning curve to barbecue that seems to be common: follow a recipe, adjust a vent, hope for the best—and repeat. The hope is that eventually it will all come together.
But what happens when those results don’t translate from one cook to the next?
That frustration is exactly what led Chef Mike Belobradic to rethink how people learn live-fire cooking in the first place.
“Most people learn what to do, not why it works,” he says. “So when something changes—the grill, the weather, the fuel—they’re left to guess again, or watch another video.”
That insight became the foundation for Northern Barbecue™, a new barbecue learning framework built around the mechanics of fire itself. Instead of focusing on regional styles or step-by-step techniques, it breaks live-fire cooking down into the core variables that actually drive results: airflow, heat transfer, fuel behaviour, distance, and timing—along with cooking some great food along the way.
The approach is now being introduced through Foundations in Fire, a new online barbecue course designed for charcoal and live-fire cooks who want more consistency—and more control—at the grill.
Why This Approach Stands Out
Barbecue culture is rich with tradition, but it can also be overwhelming. From Texas brisket to Argentine asado to Japanese yakitori, each style comes with its own rules, techniques, and equipment.
Belobradic’s approach flips that on its head.
“I spent years looking at how different cultures cook over fire,” he says. “What stood out wasn’t how different they were—it was how similar the fundamentals are. Once you understand those, you’re not locked into one way of cooking and it all starts to make sense.”
For home barbecue cooks, that means fewer limitations. The same principles can be applied whether you are cooking steaks on a kettle grill, managing a long charcoal smoke, or working over an open flame on a fire pit.
From Guesswork to Control
At its core, Foundations in Fire is about building confidence.
Rather than memorizing steps, students learn how to read a fire—how to recognize when heat is building or fading, how changes in airflow impact temperature, and how different fuels behave over time.
“You start to see what’s happening instead of reacting to it,” Belobradic explains. “That’s when cooking over fire really opens up.”
The course is structured as a self-guided progression and trip around the global world of barbecue, making it ideal for outdoor cooks who already know the basics of charcoal cooking, but who feel stuck repeating the same results.
Who it’s For
While beginners may benefit, the course is aimed at grillers who have hit a plateau—those who can cook over hardwood heat, but who want to understand more and get better.
If you’ve ever wondered why one cook turns out perfectly and the next doesn’t, or why advice online seems to contradict itself, this method is designed to close that gap.
It is less about chasing the “perfect recipe” and more about developing a skill set that travels with you, regardless of the grill or ingredients in front of you.
A Different Kind of Barbecue Education
The launch of Foundations in Fire is the first step in a broader Northern Barbecue™ curriculum, with additional courses planned to expand on specific areas of live-fire cooking.
For now, enrollment is being kept intentionally small.
“This first group matters,” says Belobradic. “They’re not just learning—they’re helping shape how this method evolves.”
For barbecue enthusiasts looking to move beyond trial and error, the idea is simple—but compelling:
Learn the fire, and everything else follows.