cinderblock pit cooking

[cowgirl]

Thank you hhookk.

That's the way I do it.....just let folks get a "hunk" of meat.
It falls off the bone.

 

[bbq bubba]

Nice thread, great pit, like your style!!

 

[cowgirl]

Thank you bbq bubba....not very fancy, but it works.

 

[chadpole]

Like I said on the underground thread......great job!! You go girl! I love the old fashioned way of cooking hog.

 

[cowgirl]

Thank you chadpole.....sometimes simple ways of doing things are not so bad.

 

[monty]

Hey, Cowgirl!

I am going to sticky this thread also! Great info and thank you again for sharing your talent with us!

I am going to do a barn raising late next summer and will use one or the other method to feed the crew!

Cheers!

 

[cowgirl]

Wow! Thank you again Monty! Hope you give both methods a try.

 

[monty]

Looking forward to it now that you have removed some of the mystery. Don't be surprised if a lot of folks ping you for info!

You have really added a lot to the forum and we all appreciate your efforts here!

Good Q is Low'n Slow and your above and below ground methods are both Low'n Slow. Now I am looking forward to seeing folks modify the process to add and tweak flavor! A whole new dimension to smoking.

Thank You
and
Cheers!

 

[cowgirl]

Thank you so much for the kind words Monty, I appreciate it.
I feel lucky to have found such a nice forum. Lots of like minded folks here. I feel at home.

I don't mind sharing what info I can or what methods I have used in the past.....just let me know if I get too windy. I'll sit on my hands and read for awhile.

 

[monty]

Don't you do nuthin' dif'rent

Cheers!

 

[cowgirl]

Thanks Monty.

 

[deejaydebi]

Cowgirl you are doing a fine job and we appreciate all your posts and experiance. You go girl!

 

[cowgirl]

Thank you so much Debi!! I appreciate your kind words.

 

[billybones]

Great job Cowgirl! If I had a backyard, I'd love to build something funky and cheap like this for smoking. No need to spend thousands on custom smokers when a good cinderblock/steel/wood structure can do just as good a job if not better!

 

[navionjim]

Well shoot Cowgirl I somehow missed this whole thread, and the underground one too! Great job and I'm awarding all the points this site will let me for this one. Thanks a million, now if I only had enough land, friends and pigs to try that myself.
Jimbo

 

[cowgirl]

Thank you BillyBones and Jimbo!
It sure works great...

I do not have my blocks set with mortar, I didn't plan on leaving it in the same spot for so long. Some folks like to make their block pits more permanent, I plan on building a patio in that area, so I will be moving it.

Both the cinder block pit and the underground method are easy, cheap ways to cook whole pigs (or other meats) and they do come out moist and tender.

 

[cowgirl]

Sometimes I cooks smaller pigs on the pit, uncovered.....just basting every once in awhile......
I like doing these "skin on". The crispy skin is really, really good.

 

[blacklab]

Cowgirl A friend I are going to try your cinderblock next sat I hope. It's his 40th and he's looking into the price of a pig. There will be tons of pics I promise. Anything we should watch out for or watch for?

 

[cowgirl]

Blacklab, the thing folks try to do that throws them off, is trying to add too much heat at a time.
You can use either charcoal or hot coals....which ever you like, but make sure you do not add too many at one time.
People think the pig is not cooking fast enough or it will not be ready in time....You really need to go low and slow and make sure you put the heat under the hams and shoulders.

If you get the hot coals off to one side....more of them under one ham than the other, one side will be cooked sooner....it's a good idea to place the heat as close to the middle of each end as possible.

Hope you have good luck with it.

edited to add.......I've never had one take more than 9 to 10 hrs....most take around 8.

 

[cowgirl]

I thought of something else...
I use foil on the bottom of the pit, I just lay it down and try to channel any drippings away from the heat source. You can build a small foil dam in front of your hot coals if you need to....to make sure the grease doesn't cause a flair up.