Underground pit cooking

[cowgirl]

lol...hope you give it a try sometime, and I hope you don't get in trouble for digging up the yard.

 

[carnuba]

i don't worry about trouble

 

[tyotrain]

i would like to do a whole chicken underground.. first ? can charcoal be used if so how much goes in the whole and how much on top and how long to cook for say a 6 to 8 pound bird. if no charcoal how much wood.. thank you for your time

 

[cowgirl]

Yes, charcoal can be used. I just burn the wood down to get my own hot coals... ,but you can use charcoal. Make a bed of hot coals about 6 to 8 inches deep.. They need to be hot burning coals..( All of the charcoal burning.....not just the top)

I like to make a shelf of dirt to hold a rack up above the hot coals a bit to keep the food from direct contact with the heat..........then place your wrapped meat/food on the rack.  Old oven racks work great but you and use a regular grate from a grill or smoker.

The meal I did in these pictures took about 4 hours.  For an 8lb bird, I'd go 6 hrs.   This method works great for briskets and turkeys too... any hunk of meat..venison shoulders, hams etc...

Just make sure to dig the hole big enough to hold both the bed of hot coals and the food.

There are no hot coals on top of the food.  The meat is placed over the hot coals, then the hole (pit) is covered with metal and the whole thing is buried in dirt. Making sure no smoke escapes.  If you see smoke seeping out, put more dirt over that spot.  If air gets into the pit you will have a fire. 

The food cooks with the existing hot coals.

Hope this makes sense, I'm not great at explaining things.

   Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

 

[cowgirl]

Here are similar pictures... http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/cooking-whole-hogs-underground  

cooking a hog underground. 

Good luck with your cook Tyotrain!

 

[smokin relaxin steve]

As always that is one heck of a spread... Looks awesome! keep the QViews coming!

 

[cowgirl]

Thank you Steve! Something about underground pit meals..they are soooo tasty.

 

[tyotrain]

Thank you all for the help i got a good idea whats going on now thanks.