Fire pits facilitate several cooking techniques, including fish boils.
Fire pits operate on simple principles -- food is either buried in them or held over them to cook. Temperature control is achieved by interspersing dirt between the coals, and items of varying cooking times can cook together depending on their order of placement within the pit. Always wear heat-resistant gloves when cooking with fire pits. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Line the base of fire pit with flat rocks. The rocks contribute to heat retention and provide a relatively uniform surface to place the heat source.
2. Build a fire using seasoned, hard firewood, such as oak or cherry. Place the wood along the bottom of the fire pit, ignite it with kindling and a kitchen match and allow it to burn for a minimum of one hour, or until the base of the fire pit has half of its volume filled with charcoal. Alternatively, fill half the fire pit with coals, ignite them and allow them to burn for approximately 30 minutes. Do not use chemical accelerants, such as lighter fluid, when igniting the fire. Accelerants impart chemical notes to the flavor profile of food.
3. Prepare the food for the fire pit. If using metal skewers, insert the skewer through the center of the food. Leave approximately 1/8 inch of space between each item when cooking multiple foods on a skewer. If using a Dutch oven, fill it no more than two-thirds full of food. Secure the Dutch oven's lid. If using heavy-duty aluminum foil, securely wrap the food two to three times with the matte (dull) side facing out. Wrap the food a final time using the "drug store" wrapping technique. Place the wrapped food in the center of a piece of heavy-duty foil approximately three times the size of the food package. Grasp two opposing ends of the aluminum foil, bring them together, and make several folds to seal the package tightly. Force any air between the foil and the package out so the wrap fits securely against the package. Securely fold and seal the other two opposing edges of foil two to three times.
4. Create a space in the coals by moving them to the sides. Place food items that require the longest cooking time in the bottom of the pit, and cover them with coals. Repeat with the other food packages according to cooking time. For instance, if cooking a roast, potatoes and bell peppers, place the wrapped roast in the bottom and cover with coals. Place the potatoes next, cover them with coals, and repeat with the bell peppers. Do not allow individual packages of food to touch each other by building a barrier of charcoal between each item. If using a Dutch oven, place it in the bottom of the pit and cover it heavily with coals. If using skewers, hold the skewers over the heat and cook the food.
5. Place approximately 4 to 6 inches of dirt over the coals that cover the food. This insulates the food and helps it retain heat. Three to 4 lbs. of a protein, such as a whole chicken, requires approximately three to three and a half hours of cooking time. However, several variables, such as outside temperature and elevation, alter cooking times; always check the meat by inserting a probe thermometer in its center. Cook poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, cook pork to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahreneheit, and cook whole beef, such as roasts, to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tags: with coals, bottom cover, cooking time, Dutch oven, internal temperature, internal temperature degrees, temperature degrees