How to Deep Pit Barbeque
There are quite a few different techniques to deep pit barbecuing, and different people will swear by different things. The basic design, however, is the same, and quite simple to construct. Once you have the basic idea down, you can decide how to add that individual touch to flavor your pit. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- shovel
- bricks or rocks
- 4-5 inch diameter wooden logs
- kindling
- Grill rack
- chicken wire
- aluminum foil
- metal basket
- wood or metal panel
- tarp
Instructions
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Digging and readying the Pit
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1
Dig the pit so that it will be appropriately sized for what you want to cook. In general, pits should be at least 1 foot longer and 1 foot wider than what you want to cook in it.
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2
Line the pit with either bricks or larger rocks. These will serve to capture heat and are necessary to slow cook the meat.
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3
Fill the pit with 4-5 inch wooden logs. Make sure these are completely dry. You should also add some form of kindling so that the fire burns faster. Kindling can be bits of newspaper or small twigs.
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4
Once the pit is full, light the wood on fire, and wait for it to burn down to small embers. This will take 2-4 hours.
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5
While you're waiting, you may season and wrap the meat. Use whatever seasoning you like, and then use chicken wire to wrap the meat. Further wrap it in a couple layers of aluminum foil. This provides a buffer between the meat and the embers so that it doesn't turn to ash.
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6
Place the meat in a metal basket and lower it down into the pit.
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7
Cover the pit with a flat wooden or metal panel, and then cover that with a tarp. Pour a few layers of dirt over the pit and wet the covering down with a hose so that the heat will be trapped inside.
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8
Let the meat cook for 12-18 hours. The time it takes will depend on the meat, ground temperature, and the amount of embers there are.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Note the process of sealing the pit should extinguish the fire. Deep pit cooking is meant to be a slow process, and is done by trapping heat from burning embers to cook the meat.
Unfortunately, there isn't a way to check on your meat. If you didn't build up enough embers, the meat won't be cooked. If you didn't seal the pit well enough, it will be overcooked or turned to ash. Getting it right will require some experimentation, and the technique will change depending on the size of the meat, size of the pit, and the ground temperature.
