How to Cook Meat in an Underground Closed Pit

To roast meat in the summer without heating up your kitchen, try the method of roasting your dinner in an underground pit. This cooking method is a process used in many cultures; in New Guinea it is called "MuMu" and in Hawaii, an "Imu." These earthen pits create an evenly distributed heat source that make the meat tender and succulent. The process gives meat a smoky flavor, and although it can be time-consuming, the result is worth the effort.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Flat rocks
• Kindling
• Firewood (preferably hardwood)
• Matches or lighter
• Meat (such as a whole hog or chicken)
• Preferred stuffing ingredients (such as apples or onions)
• Preferred spices
• Aluminum foil (optional)
• Corn husks, banana leaves, dandelions or watercress (optional)
• Barbeque gloves
• Cow hide, large piece of wood, a bamboo mat or any other protective material
• Carving knife and fork

Instructions

Pit Construction

1. Dig a hole in the ground that is wider and longer than the food you intended to cook, roughly 2 ft wide. and 3 ft long, with a 2 ft. to 4 ft. depth. The hole must be large enough to hold all the food, rocks and greens.

2. Line the entire floor of the hole with flat rocks. Porous rocks are ideal, as they hold heat better. Make sure rocks are not wet, as they can explode when heated. Line the sides with rocks as well; you are essentially tiling the entire sides and floor with the rocks. This creates the heat source, which will cook the food.

3. Collect kindling, like twigs and branches, and place over the center of the rocks that line the floor of the pit. Make sure they are not wet, as they will be difficult to light. There would be enough kindling to create a small blaze, don't fill the hole with kindling. Cover the kindling with just enough firewood to create a small fire, about three or four pieces.

4. Light the fire, and let it burn for at least one hour before adding your food. Stoke the fire to keep it burning brightly.

Food Preparation

1. Clean the meat, if your butcher has not done so already.

2. Fill the inside cavity of whole animals with preferred ingredients, such as apples and onions. Rub preferred spices over the surface of the meat.

3. Wrap the meat multiple times with foil, and make sure that the package is completely sealed. If you prefer to use greens to protect your food, you can ignore this step.

Roast

1. Remove the hot embers from the center of the pit, and move them to the side of the cooking space. If you didn't wrap your food in aluminum, now is the time to line the hot stones with greens like corn husks, banana leaves, dandelions or watercress. Make sure that the layer is thick enough that the food will not touch the rocks, as it will scorch the food. If you are using aluminum packaging, simply place the wrapped meat directly on the stones. If there are multiple packages of food, make sure that they are not touching.

2. Cover meat that is not wrapped in aluminum with another heavy layer of fresh greens. Then pour a cup of water over the top, this will create steam during the cooking process.

3. Cover the hole with cow hide, a large piece of wood, a bamboo mat or any material that will protect the cooking space from dirt. The cover must extend past the length and width of the pit. Cover chosen protector with 4 to 6 in. of dirt. If you see any smoke escaping, add more dirt.

4. Cook a whole hog for 8 to 12 hours. Cook meat the size of a chicken for 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Adjust time as necessary to accommodate the size of meat.

5. Remove the dirt, then carefully remove the protective layer with the shovel. Lift the roast packages out of the pit with the shovel.

6. Carefully open the meat packages. Carve the meat with a carving knife and fork, and serve.

Tips & Warnings

• Wrapping the food in greens gives food an earthier taste.

• Check with the local authorities before building the underground pit to make sure that you are not violating any city ordinances.

• Do not handle anything in the pit without wearing gloves.

• Do not used water-logged stones, as they can explode under extreme heat.

References

• Smith College: Earthen Oven (Mumu): Papua New Guinea; Adrien Hansel; 1998
• The Luau Factory: How to Build an Imu (Underground Oven); Dino Labiste
• Mother Earth News: The Rudiments of Pit Cookery; 1978
• Cooks.com: Pit Cooking