It was the wife's b-day party this evening so I made one crock of bbq baked beans and the other was beef stew. It was 25 degrees out and a southwest breeze. I had to brick the side of the door to help it draw better. White cedar to start, oak, pear and black locust got it hot. The beans were boiled for about 45 minutes and I added chunks of smoked shoulder, onion, bbq sauce and onions. I cooked the beef in another pan, and took them out when browned. I cooked the onions in the beef pan scrapings. I added broth, carrots and celery to the broth. The potatoes and bay leaf went in right before the crock went in the oven. Once the oven was up to temp, I pushed the coals around to the outer wall of the oven. In went the crock for about 4 hours. Because of the hot coals, I put brick and stone in front of the door. After the first hour, I soaked the wood door and swapped it out. The crocks cooked for about 4 1/2 hours. The beans. The stew. Both were very good and hot.
