How To Cook Meat... In The Ground (Picstory)

Philligan · 02-23-2011, 03:03 PM

I found this technique online called pit barbecuing, where you cook meat in a hole in the ground. My friend Jeff (jwatso89 on here) and I decided to give it a try. Here is what you need to do some pit barbecuing of your own:

-Meat (we used a regular beef oven roast)
-Tinfoil
-Burlap
-Chicken wire
-Wood
-Rocks

Let's begin.

^You start with the roast. We used a standard beef oven roast. Next, it'd be cool to try a brisket or ribs. We seasoned it with pepper and sea salt. Next time, we're thinking a saucy rub.

^Wrap it in tin foil. This keeps the dirt out.

^Then wrap it in burlap. Apparently we don't have sacks in Canada, so we got a ridiculously long roll of it, and used six feet or so. We soaked the burlap in water first. This keeps the roast moist.

^Then wrap it in chicken wire so it doesn't fall apart. We used a probe for the temperature. It's good we did, too - the roast cooked way faster than we were expecting.

^Then dig a hole in the ground. It's gotta be a couple feet deep, because you need a lot of embers, and rocks and a roast, and then pile dirt back on top later.

^Start a fire in the hole. You want give or take a foot of embers before you put the roast in. We burned some wood, then put the rocks in, and burned more wood on/around them.

^Put the roast in, on the rocks, kinda nestled in the middle if possible.

^Expect steam.

^Pile more wet burlap on top.

^Put dirt back on it. A lot, and pack it down well. We used some wire to tie the roast to a stick - this actually made it a lot easier to get it out.

^Now we wait. We cooked it 'til 160 F.

^Done! It actually only took an hour and a half, not the four or five hours we were expecting.

^Thar she be.

It was actually really good. This works well because you can use cheaper cuts of meat, and the cooking time breaks them down so they're tender. Next time, we're thinking saucier/stronger seasoning, and maybe waiting 'til the embers die down a bit more so it cooks a bit longer. As is, it was still potentially the most tender roast beef I've had.

It's really not too hard if you've got a day off. It's definitely worth trying. Worst case, it's still an awesome story.

nojyeloot · 02-23-2011, 03:11 PM

You sir, are a man.

BigBaldIan · 02-23-2011, 03:11 PM

Approved!

Chickenhawk · 02-23-2011, 03:16 PM

I've done this a couple times. One time with an entire hog. Definitely worth the effort.

EDIT:

Just looked at the pictures again...now I'm hungry

Philligan · 02-23-2011, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Infinity Complex

I've done this a couple times. One time with an entire hog. Definitely worth the effort.

That's amazing

We're gonna have to try that. As is, we're gonna wrap the next roast in bacon

leandroab · 02-23-2011, 03:25 PM

....ing awesome!

Chickenhawk · 02-23-2011, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philligan

That's amazing

We're gonna have to try that. As is, we're gonna wrap the next roast in bacon

Do it!! That sounds ....ing great!

AySay · 02-23-2011, 03:50 PM

Maybe it's cause of my ethnic origin, but pepper and sea salt ain't no ....ing seasoning.

You definitely need to go with some kinda sauce or dry seasoning mix (Montreal is good)

Customisbetter · 02-23-2011, 03:52 PM

Also note this works in sand dunes.

Skin Coffin · 02-23-2011, 04:10 PM

Nice, really nice! Here in Portugal, in the Azores, we have a method very similar to that one!

scherzo1928 · 02-23-2011, 04:24 PM

That's pretty much standard in here. But it's made with lamb. My old house actually had a hole in the backyard for that, as well as a grill.

There are places where you get the full thing. They take you to choose your lamb, you kill it, take part in some of the gutting/cutting, and then in the digging/cooking. (it's for big groups of people)

Needless to say it's the bloodiest thing I've ever done. And while I'm in no hurry to do that whole thing again, I certainly learned to apreciate where my food comes from.

Philligan · 02-23-2011, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scherzo1928

That's pretty much standard in here. But it's made with lamb. My old house actually had a hole in the backyard for that, as well as a grill.

There are places where you get the full thing. They take you to choose your lamb, you kill it, take part in some of the gutting/cutting, and then in the digging/cooking. (it's for big groups of people)

Needless to say it's the bloodiest thing I've ever done. And while I'm in no hurry to do that whole thing again, I certainly learned to apreciate where my food comes from.

That's so awesome, man, I wish we had that here. When we were getting supplies, people were asking us what we needed them for, and when we said "we're cooking a roast in a hole" we got the weirdest looks haha.

It tasted good, but it just tasted like beef. I definitely wanna season it a lot more next time around. Maybe cook some other stuff in there with it.

vampiregenocide · 02-23-2011, 04:53 PM

Seen Ray Mears do this, its pirty cool. That looks nom.

scherzo1928 · 02-23-2011, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philligan

That's so awesome, man, I wish we had that here. When we were getting supplies, people were asking us what we needed them for, and when we said "we're cooking a roast in a hole" we got the weirdest looks haha.

It tasted good, but it just tasted like beef. I definitely wanna season it a lot more next time around. Maybe cook some other stuff in there with it.

Well, for starters, instead of using tinfoil, we use leaves. Banana leaves might be your best bet if you want to try it(I think maguey is what is used, which is where your tequila comes from). The meat itself doesnt need much spicing, mainly because we end up bathing everything in salsa

(for this kind of meat, morita chile salsa is a must).

Philligan · 02-23-2011, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scherzo1928

Well, for starters, instead of using tinfoil, we use leaves. Banana leaves might be your best bet if you want to try it(I think maguey is what is used, which is where your tequila comes from). The meat itself doesnt need much spicing, mainly because we end up bathing everything in salsa

(for this kind of meat, morita chile salsa is a must).

IMO, the best part of making barbacoa is the ""

I'm gonna look into these banana leaves, hopefully we can get them here. That seems way better, they'd probably let a lot more smoke flavour through. The tinfoil was pretty impermeable

Ckackley · 02-23-2011, 07:08 PM

My family does this once every other year with an entire pig.. Best meat ever . :-)

heavy7-665 · 02-23-2011, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philligan

That's amazing

We're gonna have to try that. As is, we're gonna wrap the next roast in bacon

& bacon strips & bacon strips & bacon strips

Xiphos68 · 02-23-2011, 08:48 PM

I gotta try this.

Thank you so much for posting this!

Furtive Glance · 02-23-2011, 09:46 PM

A guy up here has done it since the '70s. You can't even fathom how awesome it tastes afterwards. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Although, once there was a bear in there. A big Grizzly. There wasn't any food in there, but the smell is so strong I guess it stays in the ground.

Philligan · 02-23-2011, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Furtive Glance

Although, once there was a bear in there. A big Grizzly. There wasn't any food in there, but the smell is so strong I guess it stays in the ground.

Oh yeah haha, when I went to go check on it, I was getting huge whiffs of this barbecue sauce kinda smell coming up from the ground. It was pretty great haha.

We did it behind Jeff's house, because his back yard opens up to a nature trail sort of thing, and we could avoid putting large holes in our lawns

I'm really hoping joggers went by and were like "the .... is that smell?"

Jet9 · 02-23-2011, 10:10 PM

I've got to try that, I'm just way too impatient.

This made me hungry and I just ate.

Philligan · 02-23-2011, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jet9

I've got to try that, I'm just way too impatient.

This made me hungry and I just ate.

It's really not that time consuming, man. The whole process only took maybe three and a half hours from start to finish. It takes longer to cook a roast in a slow cooker.

Randy · 02-23-2011, 10:41 PM

You are a man of great rapport.

JamesM · 02-23-2011, 10:43 PM

Baddas mate.

Philligan · 02-23-2011, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy

You are a man of great rapport.

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02-23-2011, 03:03 PM	#1
Philligan The White-Knuckler Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Sarnia, ON, Canada Posts: 4,337 Thanked: 44 Feedback Score: 6 reviews	How To Cook Meat... In The Ground (Picstory) I found this technique online called pit barbecuing, where you cook meat in a hole in the ground. My friend Jeff (jwatso89 on here) and I decided to give it a try. Here is what you need to do some pit barbecuing of your own: -Meat (we used a regular beef oven roast) -Tinfoil -Burlap -Chicken wire -Wood -Rocks Let's begin. ^You start with the roast. We used a standard beef oven roast. Next, it'd be cool to try a brisket or ribs. We seasoned it with pepper and sea salt. Next time, we're thinking a saucy rub. ^Wrap it in tin foil. This keeps the dirt out. ^Then wrap it in burlap. Apparently we don't have sacks in Canada, so we got a ridiculously long roll of it, and used six feet or so. We soaked the burlap in water first. This keeps the roast moist. ^Then wrap it in chicken wire so it doesn't fall apart. We used a probe for the temperature. It's good we did, too - the roast cooked way faster than we were expecting. ^Then dig a hole in the ground. It's gotta be a couple feet deep, because you need a lot of embers, and rocks and a roast, and then pile dirt back on top later. ^Start a fire in the hole. You want give or take a foot of embers before you put the roast in. We burned some wood, then put the rocks in, and burned more wood on/around them. ^Put the roast in, on the rocks, kinda nestled in the middle if possible. ^Expect steam. ^Pile more wet burlap on top. ^Put dirt back on it. A lot, and pack it down well. We used some wire to tie the roast to a stick - this actually made it a lot easier to get it out. ^Now we wait. We cooked it 'til 160 F. ^Done! It actually only took an hour and a half, not the four or five hours we were expecting. ^Thar she be. It was actually really good. This works well because you can use cheaper cuts of meat, and the cooking time breaks them down so they're tender. Next time, we're thinking saucier/stronger seasoning, and maybe waiting 'til the embers die down a bit more so it cooks a bit longer. As is, it was still potentially the most tender roast beef I've had. It's really not too hard if you've got a day off. It's definitely worth trying. Worst case, it's still an awesome story. "it blowed the emg's in the dirt" - De Vries "Richlite is to Paper Mache as Carbon Composite is to charcoal briquettes." - Max

02-23-2011, 03:11 PM	#2
nojyeloot SS.org Regular Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Mansfield, TX Posts: 3,025 Thanked: 89 Feedback Score: 10 reviews	You sir, are a man. My Soundcloud Page \| Bear Witness \| The Famine "If anyone speaks badly of you, live so that no one believes it."

02-23-2011, 03:16 PM	#4
Chickenhawk Freemanologist Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Misery Posts: 3,352 Thanked: 72 Feedback Score: 6 reviews	I've done this a couple times. One time with an entire hog. Definitely worth the effort. EDIT: Just looked at the pictures again...now I'm hungry Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of resistance. - Woodrow Wilson

02-23-2011, 03:25 PM	#6
leandroab Stay Negative™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hell de Janeiro, Brazil Posts: 5,348 Thanked: 170 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	....ing awesome! is the new black RIP PETER STEELE Music: * www.soundclick.com/leandroabaurre www.soundcloud.com/leandroab Guitar projects: Baritone 6 Conversion Quotes: * ''I intend them to .... them with the long cock of the law." - Trashmanzac * "I think this mistake was the equivalent of a 6000 foot tall cock bukkake tsunami-ing Tokyo." - metallisuk * "I'm a big fan of the effects of alcohol." - Peter Steele

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02-23-2011, 03:11 PM	#3
BigBaldIan Bald and gribbly. Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Norwich, UK Posts: 1,172 Thanked: 6 Feedback Score: 3 reviews	Approved!

02-23-2011, 03:50 PM	#8
AySay Banned Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vancouver Posts: 1,944 Thanked: 16 Feedback Score: 3 reviews	Maybe it's cause of my ethnic origin, but pepper and sea salt ain't no ....ing seasoning. You definitely need to go with some kinda sauce or dry seasoning mix (Montreal is good)

02-23-2011, 03:52 PM	#9
Customisbetter WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 8,455 Thanked: 76 Feedback Score: 8 reviews	Also note this works in sand dunes.

02-23-2011, 04:10 PM	#10
Skin Coffin SS.org Regular Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Portugal Posts: 833 Thanked: 17 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Nice, really nice! Here in Portugal, in the Azores, we have a method very similar to that one!

02-23-2011, 04:24 PM	#11
scherzo1928 has wood for you Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mexico City Posts: 4,692 Thanked: 33 $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ Feedback Score: 0 reviews	That's pretty much standard in here. But it's made with lamb. My old house actually had a hole in the backyard for that, as well as a grill. There are places where you get the full thing. They take you to choose your lamb, you kill it, take part in some of the gutting/cutting, and then in the digging/cooking. (it's for big groups of people) Needless to say it's the bloodiest thing I've ever done. And while I'm in no hurry to do that whole thing again, I certainly learned to apreciate where my food comes from.

02-23-2011, 04:53 PM	#13
vampiregenocide A Chap Called Ross Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hertfordshire, England Posts: 15,104 Thanked: 273 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Seen Ray Mears do this, its pirty cool. That looks nom. My Photography Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/rosswildishphotography Dissonant Media - The news source for new alternate/progressive music! Check us out: http://de-de.facebook.com/pages/Sawbridgeworth-United-Kingdom/Dissonant-Media/126448677394107 http://www.youtube.com/user/DissonantMedia#p/a http://dissonantmedia.tumblr.com/

02-23-2011, 07:08 PM	#16
Ckackley SS.org Regular Join Date: May 2007 Location: Martinsburg, WV Posts: 766 Thanked: 12 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	My family does this once every other year with an entire pig.. Best meat ever . :-)

02-23-2011, 08:48 PM	#18
Xiphos68 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Middle Earth Posts: 6,540 Thanked: 185 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I gotta try this. Thank you so much for posting this! Have a question about The Gospel or prayer request, PM me. Happy to help and God Bless! Band: www.facebook.com/whisperfromheaven For fans of Melodic-Metal. "Once you have entered the Ocean... You have entered the food chain." - Dad

02-23-2011, 09:46 PM	#19
Furtive Glance Meeps? Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Southern Ontario Posts: 1,048 Thanked: 5 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	A guy up here has done it since the '70s. You can't even fathom how awesome it tastes afterwards. Mmmmmmmmmmmm. Although, once there was a bear in there. A big Grizzly. There wasn't any food in there, but the smell is so strong I guess it stays in the ground. MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPSS!!!

02-23-2011, 10:10 PM	#21
Jet9 Petrucci Wannabe Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Chicago Posts: 179 Thanked: 8 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I've got to try that, I'm just way too impatient. This made me hungry and I just ate. "Sometimes the milk can hurt you, if you put it on your cereal before you smell the plastic container." -Frank Zappa

02-23-2011, 10:41 PM	#23
Randy DAN OUDA DAN • Super Moderator • Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: The Electric City, NY Posts: 15,990 Thanked: 165 Feedback Score: 12 reviews	You are a man of great rapport. "Can we pull back the veil of static and reach in to the source of all being? Behind this curtain of patterns, this random pattern generator. So clever. Right here in every home, watching us from a one-sided mirror." Argbadh - RHLC©

02-23-2011, 10:43 PM	#24
JamesM The Armada Join Date: May 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 6,925 Thanked: 86 Feedback Score: 5 reviews	Baddas mate. Cloudyhead. Facebook//Twitter//Bandcamp Watch:1,2,3,4,5 Debut Album, Abstraction out now!

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