DETERMINING SIZE OF 

 BARBECUE PIT OR OVEN 



The actual size of the barbecue pit or barbecue 

 oven is determined by the number of people 

 for whom a supply of meat must be barbecued 

 at any one time. In determining the practical 

 size for any specific area, it is necessary first 

 to determine the number of people who will 

 occupy, at any one time, a recreation area 

 provided with barbecue facilities. 



It is generally estimated that 1 cubic foot of 

 meat weighs approximately 40 pounds, and 

 that the allowance per person will vary from 

 one-half to 1 pound, depending upon the extent 

 to which other foods are supplied for any 

 specific occasion. The estimated amount of 

 meat consumed per person will also depend 

 upon the percentage of bone which remains in 

 any carcass to be barbecued (allowance of 20 

 percent is usually made for the bone, unless 

 the section of beef has been boned) and it will 

 also depend upon the amount of waste due to 

 undesirable cuts and excessive fat. The skill 

 and ingenuity of the operator in properly cook- 

 ing and properly cutting the meat when served 

 also is a factor. 



It is further generally assumed that there 

 ought to be approximately 12 inches of clear- 

 ance between all confining surfaces and the 

 meat. A cubic foot of meat would therefore 

 properly fit into a barbecue pit or barbecue oven 

 with dimensions 3 feet wide, 3 feet long, and 3 

 feet high, making allowance for the depth of 

 ashes which would remain in the bottom of the 

 barbecue pit, but no allowance for any ashes 

 in the bottom of the barbecue oven (inasmuch 

 as the ashes would be removed from the bottom 

 of the oven before the meat is put in place). 

 This size of meat would therefore serve from 

 40 to 80 persons, depending upon the condi- 

 tions above stated. 



On the basis of this analysis, the number of 

 people who could be served at any one time 

 through the cooking facilities of the barbecue 

 pits and ovens in the following drawings would 

 be approximately as follows: 



Barbecue pit shown in plate XVI (with capacity of 

 approximately 310 pounds) —number of people to be 

 served approximates from 350 to 600. 



Plate XVII - number of people to be served approxi- 

 mates from 250 to 475. 



Plate XVIII number of people to be served approxi- 

 mates from 450 to 875. 



MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION 



The materials of construction are covered in 

 the detailed discussion which accompanies 

 each of the following plates. 



In general, it is desirable that the barbecue 

 pit and barbecue oven should be properly 

 lined with fire-clay brick, although a lining of 

 dense volcanic rock would also serve in place 

 of the fire-clay brick. 



METHOD OF OPERATION 



In the successful operation of a barbecue pit 

 or barbecue oven, the meat is cooked by the 

 heat which is retained in the surrounding walls 

 and floor of the barbecue pit or oven. 



There are several ways of preparing meat 

 for barbecuing. The most common way is to 

 take the cleaned and skinned carcass and 

 roast it whole, without removing any bones. 



Oftentimes, larger animals are quartered, 

 or cut into even smaller portions, each weigh- 

 ing from 40 to 50 pounds, to facilitate the ease 

 of handling. When the meat is thus cut, the 

 individual pieces should be of approximately 

 equal size, in order that each piece may cook 

 uniformly. The usual procedure is to tie the 

 pieces of meat with heavy twine, like rolled 

 roasts of beef. 



Sometimes a method of barbecuing called 

 steam roasting is adopted, in which case the 

 pieces of meat are wrapped in wax paper and 

 covered by damp clean sacks before being 

 placed in the pit or oven. This method of pro- 

 cedure preserves the juices in the meat and 

 gives a less-pronounced roasted taste. 



It is necessary, in cooking the meat, that the 

 cover to the pit, or the doors to the oven, should 

 be replaced and the cooking space sealed as 

 tightly as possible immediately after putting 

 the meat in place. 



An exclusion of air from the pit and the oven 

 during the cooking process is very important, 

 in order to insure that the meat will be brown 

 in color, tender, and not burned, and also in 

 order that the meat shall retain its natural 

 flavor. 



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