Too hot to burn? Burn outside...

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Hi all, we all have some ugly, chewed up, scraps from splitter etc. Why not burn outside, show what you got, I'm also working on an outside fire pit, round with stone and a fire rack inside of it, I will post pics when I get to it....but who is burning outside like me now?

 

[pen]

Won't be long and we'll do some burning outside for fun. Weekend evenings haven't been quite warm enough yet to enjoy them with the kids yet.

Beautiful setup you have there!

Moving this over to the inglenook.

pen

 

[DevilsBrew]

WOW. That is beautiful.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

It's been cool at night but when your sitting in front of it, it is heavenly, and then the kids get their marshmallows and sticks...

 

[ScotO]

We'll be cranking up the "Keyhole" firepit this weekend for sure......some pics from prior fires.

Getting a nice fire going on a windless evening....



Enjoying some "shrimp on da barbee"...


Some wings and burgers......



And some 20 gallon kettle action.....corn boil and some burgers one evening last summer.......



After dinner is when the fire gets cranked up, the kiddos do s'mores, and the adults enjoy some beverages!

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Hey Scott, those pictures are awesome, I love your cooking techniques as well as your stacking techniques as well, the food looks great, the stacks behind look even better....are you cooking the food away from the fire at the bottom the key hole? Maybe with a smaller fire going on underneath? It all looks great Murphy man....

 

[ScotO]

Hey Scott, those pictures are awesome, I love your cooking techniques as well as your stacking techniques as well, the food looks great, the stacks behind look even better....are you cooking the food away from the fire at the bottom the key hole? Maybe with a smaller fire going on underneath? It all looks great Murphy man....

Yes, I put that "keyhole" design into use, I can build a fire and within 20-25 minutes (as soon as there are coals), I can use a custom hoe I made to pull coals over to the square end of the pit. I made that custom stainless steel grille, which fits the square end perfectly......
I use this firepit so much that I put my gas grille away 8 years ago....finally gave it away to a guy I work with. We love food cooked over applewood, white oak, and hickory!!

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

It all looks good my man.... This dang iPad makes a lot of spelling mistakes, lol, this is what we had tonite, I was cooking it durning batting practice in the back yard tonite, finally I get to rest...lol

 

[Jack Fate]

son of a gun forgot to take pics yesterday been burning scrap for 3 days .did some fancy brat patties assorted flavors.

Did take pics of downing 3 oaks in front yard tho ,still working on them.

Pictures will follow

Now I gotta take pics & drag a camera to cut wood

I do have to laugh at myself a lot more since hang out here

I like oak,apple &cherry for beef

Thanks all

 

[ScotO]

It all looks good my man.... This dang iPad makes a lot of spelling mistakes, lol, this is what we had tonite, I was cooking it durning batting practice in the back yard tonite, finally I get to rest...lol

that looks delicious. My favorite.....steak and 'taters on the pit!

Something about those baked 'taters over an open fire. The ones you make in the house don't taste anywhere NEAR as good as ones from the fire.....I usually wrap my taters up in two layers of foil (after forking the taters), and throw 'em right on the coals....



I even break out the fine "redneck china" (aka paper plates)....

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Yes, I put that "keyhole" design into use, I can build a fire and within 20-25 minutes (as soon as there are coals), I can use a custom hoe I made to pull coals over to the square end of the pit. I made that custom stainless steel grille, which fits the square end perfectly......
I use this firepit so much that I put my gas grille away 8 years ago....finally gave it away to a guy I work with. We love food cooked over applewood, white oak, and hickory!!

That's great, I'm gonna utilize mine some more this year, it is much easier to go on the deck and fire up the grill, but I will make more effort this year, I need almost a full hour to get it up to cooking heat, I think I have more space underneath.... I should really look into getting some specialty wood like that

 

[ScotO]

That's great, I'm gonna utilize mine some more this year, it is much easier to go on the deck and fire up the grill, but I will make more effort this year, I need almost a full hour to get it up to cooking heat, I think I have more space underneath.... I should really look into getting some specialty wood like that

Hey, twigs and bark off of hickory do good for smoke flavor too! Go out and get ya some grapevines, that is a good smoking wood as well......

I take splits of applewood, hickory, and white oak, and even some cherry.....use a hatchet to sliver them up into 2x2" pieces, stuff those pieces in a 5 gallon bucket, fill it with water, snap the lid on it and fuggetaboutit......then, whenever we cook on the keyhole pit, right when I throw the food on, I put some of those water-soaked splits on the coals......wow, applewood and hickory smell heavenly....

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Looks Awesome, I put some sliced Vidalia onions and and jalapeño in one of the foils, I was good to go....do you put the potatoes in the coals?

 

[Jack Fate]

Really neat the flavors you get off different wood ,and all you really need is salt & pepper

Cheers

 

[ScotO]

Looks Awesome, I put some sliced Vidalia onions and and jalapeño in one of the foils, I was good to go....do you put the potatoes in the coals?

Yep. Actually, I put them on the perimeter of the coals. And I flip 'em around every couple of minutes, so they don't burn.
It takes some practice, but we've got it down to a science now. I've only burned a couple potatoes in the past several times doing that....

 

[ScotO]

Really neat the flavors you get off different wood ,and all you really need is salt & pepper

Cheers

That is a fact. The flavors in fruitwood bring out amazing flavors in the food you cook. Honestly, I can't find a steak that tastes HALF as good as the ones we do on the keyhole pit. The wood (and NOT overcooking the meat) are the big secrets.....
I like to put a LITTLE seasoning on sometimes (Montreal Steak Seasoning), but there's times I don't put anything on the steaks....

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Where can you get applewood?

 

[DevilsBrew]

Maybe I am the only one that likes Mesquite? It reminds me of Texas.

 

[ScotO]

Where can you get applewood?

I cut a MONSTER apple tree down several years ago, I still have at least half a cord of it that I pull out of just for cooking....

Do you have any local orchards? I'm betting that they have a brushpile where they put there prunings, you may be able to go there and get some free limbs.....they work just as good as anything!! They sell it online, but it's daggone pricey!

 

[Jack Fate]

Yep. Actually, I put them on the perimeter of the coals. And I flip 'em around every couple of minutes, so they don't burn.
It takes some practice, but we've got it down to a science now. I've only burned a couple potatoes in the past several times doing that....

I sorta like mine a tad blackened

You need to try Steven Riechlin cave man steaks sometime ,you throw the steaks on the coals no grill

Cheers

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

For the potatoes, it's a great idea if you are in a hurry or you can really pay attention, if you cook them on top like I do, they take a full hour

 

[ScotO]

Maybe I am the only one that likes Mesquite? It reminds me of Texas.

Mesquite can be overpowering, IMO. Don't get me wrong, I like it....but too much of it can be not so good. Same goes with hickory. You can really overpower the food if you use too much. With stuff like maple, apple, white oak, pear, plum, peach, pecan (that stuff is AWESOME), and other fruit wood, you can really put the smoke to the food and it won't overpower the food......

 

[ScotO]

For the potatoes, it's a great idea if you are in a hurry or you can really pay attention, if you cook them on top like I do, they take a full hour

Yeah, in the coals they are pretty much done in 10-15 minutes....

 

[ScotO]

I sorta like mine a tad blackened

You need to try Steven Riechlin cave man steaks sometime ,you throw the steaks on the coals no grill

Cheers

I've dropped some dogs and burgers on the coals....and trust me, they didn't go to waste!!

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I sorta like mine a tad blackened

You need to try Steven Riechlin cave man steaks sometime ,you throw the steaks on the coals no grill

Cheers

Find a nice rock, get that fired up and cook on the rock