Deep-pit roasting seals in juices and flavor through slow cooking.
Using the ground as an oven is a cooking method that predates modern man. Early American settlers learned the technique from Native Americans. Traditionally, deep-pit roasting involves using available natural materials of wood, rocks and dirt to cook the food in a slow manner that seals in juices and flavor. Deep-pit roasting can be used to cook virtually any food from a whole pig to side dishes of vegetables. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Call your local utility company to check for buried wires, pipes and gas lines before you do any digging. The check is required by law in most areas, and utilities provide the service for free to keep from having their lines damaged.
2. Dig a pit approximately 3-feet deep with a shovel. Do not make the pit any larger or wider than is necessary to accommodate the food.
3. Line the entire bottom of the pit with rocks. The rocks will absorb the heat from the fire and retain the heat after the food is buried and the fire is extinguished.
4. Cut a piece of burlap approximately the same length and width as the pit.
5. Build a fire and allow the wood to burn down until only hot coals remain. Use enough wood to build at least a 12-inch bed of coals on top of the rocks.
6. Season the food as desired and wrap the food in aluminum foil. Wrap the foil covered food in a layer of burlap. Tie the burlap together with twine. Thoroughly dampen the burlap with water.
7. Push the coals off the rocks with the shovel. Remove half of the rocks from the pit with a shovel. Spread the other half of the rocks evenly over the bottom of the pit with the shovel. Place the chicken wire over the hot rocks and coals on the bottom of the pit.
8. Add any meat to the pit. Evenly distribute the rocks that were removed from the pit over the top of the wrapped meat with the shovel. Place vegetable or side dishes over the top layer of rocks. Cover the food with the dampened sheet of burlap.
9. Shovel the dirt to fill the pit. Allow the food to cook for at least six hours for smaller pieces of meat like steaks and roasts, and eight hours for animal legs, and at least 10 hours for whole animals.
10. Remove the dirt carefully with a shovel, and remove the cover sheet of burlap. Thoroughly brush any ashes and dirt from the food packages before unwrapping the food.
Tags: with shovel, bottom with, coals rocks, half rocks, juices flavor, least hours, seals juices