[Spit-Project] Some conclusions about open fire cooking

[Saint Phlip]

On 8/14/07, Michael Gunter <countgunthar at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Okay. I'm starting to get a handle on some of the
> basics of open fire cookery. After doing a few meals
> I've learned some things.
>
> First off, "Spinning" techniques without a heat directing
> hearth take a very long time and seem to be a bit
> inefficient. If you don't have any form of spit or oven
> and a lot of firewood it will do but it takes around 3 hours
> for a chicken and a lot longer for a roast.
> I haven't done spit cooking yet but I don't think it will
> take as long. The coals and fire must be constantly
> tended and watched. We also found that sometimes
> the string burns through if not positioned just right.

Gunthar, my apologies, but I realized, after the enterprise, that I
had some light wire that might have done the job. Certainly it would
have been worth experimenting with, to see if it gave things a useful
spin.

> Dutch Oven cooking, although not period, is definately
> the way to go. It takes a third of the time, far less coal
> and is almost "fire and forget".

Yep. My Dutch oven cooked that lamb much faster than I expected.

> Ceramic pottery cooking is wonderful as long as you are
> careful. I highly recommend it.

I think this makes the third year that we've done it- Christianna had
that class in our camp before the Potlucke during Pennsic 34, IIRC.
One thing we were very pleased with, was bringing the water up to a
rolling boil, without destroying the container. And, we didn't break a
single piece this year, although a couple mild pops were heard.

> I need more period cooking devices: trivets, spits, pottery,
> etc....they knew what they were doing and so it is best
> to copy what you can.

And, as you find designs, send them my way. I'm starting to develop a
group of students/associates who'll be happy to try to make anything
you guys can come up with ;-)

> Heat directors are your friend. Even a simple windscreen
> shows a marked improvement on cooking efficiency.

Anybody comes up with ideas for one that would collapse, let me know.
I have a couple ideas myself.

> Meat cooked over coals tastes so much better than basic
> roasted meats.

Amen. brother ;-) We didn't do much cooking in camp this year, but the
burgers we did over the fire were great ;-) Think I need to build
another cavalry grill. Got the makings, just need to put them together
and pack them next year.

> We finally got the wonderful portable hearth just before
> we left for Pennsic but we haven't had the chance to put
> it together yet.

Was hoping you'd bring it- I'd really have liked to see it.

> I still want a Scappi setup.

Had the steel, just didn't have the time. Next year...

> Any cooking adventures anyone wants to talk about?
>
> Gunthar

I was rather thrilled at using my Omigosh wok for a stir fry over the
fire, Saturday night. Worked rather well ;-) And, the pair of matching
fire pokers I now have, compliments of the haed work of the guys I was
teaching, ought to be really useful in future fire enterprises ;-)

-- 
Saint Phlip

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Priorities:

It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.

Denial of evidence is not refutation of evidence.

Blessed be the self-righteous, for they shall inherit themselves.