Derek Wolf, founder of Over the Fire Cooking, has spent nine years cooking over a live flame and teaching others to do the same. His recipes draw from Southern, New Mexican, Argentine, Brazilian, and Mexican traditions.
We’re proud to welcome Derek to the Montana Knife Company family. His commitment to craftsmanship, family, and patient work matches our own.
From a Wedding-Gift Fire Pit to a Career
Derek and his wife Ally started Over the Fire Cooking after receiving a fire pit as a wedding gift. What began as a backyard experiment grew into a full-time career.
Nine years in, Derek says live fire has become part of who he is. The work started with fire, food, and people. Now, it’s about feeding his family, finding healthier and smarter ways to cook, and passing the torch the way his dad once did for him.
Lessons From the Argentine Asado
Derek draws on cuisines from across the Americas, but one experience stands out. He spent a full day at an Argentine asado, treated like family despite being an outsider. The cooks worked through cuts most American grillers never touch.
“American-style barbecue does a great job at the low and slow style of cooking,” Derek says, but American grilling, he points out, is hot and fast. The Argentine tradition opened him up to a wider range of cuts, fires, and timing.
That experience shaped how he cooks today: live fire spans many traditions.
The Rule Worth Protecting and the One Worth Burning
Derek’s father was a surfer who used to say, “The ocean always wins; don’t fight it.” Derek applies the same idea to fire.
“The fire always wins,” he says. “The minute you learn that, it’s so freeing. You’re a manager of the fire.”
That philosophy is why Derek doesn’t fight a little char or scrap a cook that didn’t go to plan.Fire’s unpredictable nature makes the work fun, and the idea that there’s only one right way to cook over fire is a rule he’s happy to throw in the coals.
Ally, the Team, and What Comes Next
Derek is quick to point out that Over The Fire Cooking has never been a solo act. His wife, Ally, is the risk taker, the one who pushes him toward bigger projects and out of his comfort zone.
Together, they’re raising a young son, who Derek hopes grows up with confidence around fire and the belief that cooking is meant to be fun.
“Anyone can do this,” Derek says. “Anyone who says it’s super hard, I disagree. It just takes patience.”
That patience is why he used to tell friends to buy two of everything. If you burn the first one, throw the next one on and have fun.
Why MKC?
Derek’s first real cook with an MKC knife was a tomahawk steak. Slicing a tomahawk takes skill, and a good knife makes the difference between a clean cut and a torn one.
“I grabbed the Culinary Chef knife,” Derek says. “It glided through.”
The knife earned its place, he says, on tender cuts that need clean slices for presentation. “Making my food look beautiful is something you don’t think about until you have a good tool in your arsenal.”
He’s also leaned on the Boning Butcher for breaking down peach ribs. His favorite, though, is the Little Bighorn Petty, which has earned a permanent spot on his board.
Derek relates to how MKC builds. Founder Josh Smith will spend a year developing a single knife, and Derek brings the same restless approach to his own work, always trying new things in the kitchen.
What’s Next for Derek?
Derek will keep building Over the Fire Cooking with Ally and their team. His goal is simple: get more people around the fire, help them cook with confidence, and remind them that great food does not have to be over complicated.
Keep Up With Derek
- Website: overthefirecooking.com
- YouTube: @OverTheFireCooking
- Instagram: @overthefirecooking
