BARBECUE PITS AND BARBECUE OVENS 



GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 



While barbecue pits and barbecue ovens have 

 been in use during a considerable period of 

 years, the specific information relating par- 

 ticularly to the design and construction of 

 these features is rather difficult to procure. 

 The three types, as follow: (a) Barbecue pit 

 (pi. XVI), (b) free standing barbecue oven 

 (pi. XVII), and (c) hillside barbecue oven 

 (pi. XVIII), shown in the accompanying plates, 

 include the range of facilities normally used 

 for barbecuing. 



The word "barbecue" (both as a noun and 

 a verb) is used in connection with the roasting 

 of the whole carcass of an animal, or, for con- 

 venience in handling, the carcass is sometimes 

 quartered or cut into even smaller portions. 



For the purposes of this bulletin, only the 

 medium-sized barbecue pit and oven is shown 

 in the detailed drawings. The larger barbecue 

 pits and ovens, when required, are designed 

 in accordance with the same plans, and the 

 size is computed in accordance with the 

 requirements of use, as hereafter explained. 



LOCATIONS FOR BARBECUE PITS 

 AND BARBECUE OVENS 



These features are of practical use only where 

 large numbers of people congregate in the 

 open to eat at the same time. The specific 

 location selected for barbecue pits, in particu- 

 lar, must be well drained, because any fire 

 built in the bottom of a pit would not operate 

 efficiently if free moisture were present to 

 choke out the fire. The presence of an abnor- 

 mal amount of moisture would cause the for- 

 mation of steam, and might even cause an 

 explosion. 



There should be a reasonably large open 

 and flat area adjacent to the barbecue pit or 

 oven, in order that all of the people who are 

 hkely to gather for any such occasion may be 

 accommodated. 



The construction of barbecue features is 

 expensive, and the successful operation of the 

 barbecue pit or barbecue oven consumes a 



large quantity of wood. These features should 

 therefore be constructed only where the supply 

 of natural fuel is plentiful, and where there is 

 a real demand for the use of this kind of a 

 cooking facility. 



In Puerto Rico, where the climate permits 

 outdoor activity during the entire year, and 

 where roast pig is considered a real delicacy, 

 barbecue pits and ovens are almost a neces- 

 sity in connection with public recreation areas. 



ADAPTATION TO USE 



Barbecue facilities are adapted to the roasting 

 of an entire carcass or to one or more large 

 portions of meat at the same time. 



The successful operation of a barbecue pit 

 or oven requires an experienced individual 

 who understands this method of cooking meat. 

 Inexperienced operators may easily spoil meat 

 by under- or over-cooking it through incorrect 

 operation of the barbecue pit or oven. 



The real purpose of the barbecue pit and 

 barbecue oven is that of slowly cooking a con- 

 siderable quantity of meat for a period of time 

 which may vary from 8 to 12 hours, and some- 

 times 24 to 36 hours, depending upon the size 

 of the carcass and the degree of heat. 



The maximum success in barbecuing meat 

 is procured when the pit or oven can be made 

 practically airtight and thus resembling a 

 fireless cooker. Unless the pit is practically 

 airtight, the meat is very apt to burn. 



OPERATION OF BARBECUE PIT AND OVEN 



While barbecue pits and ovens possess the 

 advantage of providing facilities for the cooking 

 of a considerable quantity of meat at one time, 

 these features also have the disadvantage of 

 being difficult to operate conveniently, because 

 of the intense heat and the unwieldiness of the 

 ordinary-sized carcass of a steer or other 

 animal, unless the barbecue feature is well 

 designed for practical operation. The practical 

 methods of handhng large pieces of meat are 

 explained in the text which accompanies the 

 following plates. 



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