Old Time Cooking

This weekend Chili Cooking in the city of West down by Waco turned out to be a bust. It was a quick two hour drive down there with high expectations and a long two hour drive back empty handed. We didn't even make final table and my beans that won first last weekend didn't even place.
Oh well, you can't win them all, that would just be boring.

So to redeem myself, Sunday I invited friends and family over for some down home, old timey cooking.
The weather turned out to be in the 70's and the wind laid at just the right time. Nothing could have been better.

 It was time to fire up the pits. In the Dutch ovens I made a dish called Witch's Brew, one called Ham Bake, one called Skillet Corn and of course Peach Cobbler. One the grill was Herb and Garlic Chicken and in the oven was Drop Biscuits.
  





The rocket stove browned the hamburger meat, bacon and sauteed the onions. I had to constantly feed the small wood chamber but it only took about a hand full of small wood to cook it all. I am sold, this little stove is a must have. It will boil water in five minutes and cook hamburger in about the same time.

 The oven needs a little redesign. As the fire got hotter the more the top warped, even with the angle iron rails. I need to reinforce the bottom by putting three more pieces of angle iron running long ways to keep it from bowing and letting the heat escape. This was the first time I fired it up and was pretty much a test run for the March 22nd party. I'm glad I did because now I can fix the issues.

The food was fantastic. I don't think it would have tasted as good if cooked in the house, it never does.

We got the three F's in yesterday, Family, Friends and Food. I could not have asked for a better day. It sure took the sting out of not winning anything at the cookoff.

Next weekend will be the last of our traveling chili cooking. Last year I refused to cook out of my one hour radius. This year I was wanting to expand some and now we did. I would rather be close to home.

Y'all have a safe week,
Jerry