Last time I cooked in the oven, raybonz asked if the food I cook has a smoky flavor. It does not, but for this thread I did smoke the pork to see how it would come out. I used maple and locust to get her rolling. I put the beans in first. They were soaking and on a low boil on the stove inside for a few hours to soften them. They had salt pork, bbq sauce, onions, salt, pepper and some brown sugar mixed in before going in the oven. Lousy cell phone pics tonight, my digital camera is misplaced. I had rolling flames up the dome and over the bean crock. Once the fire settled down a little, I put the sweet potatoes in. I spun the dishes every 15 minutes or so. I let the coal bed settle in. After this picture, I raked them out and put a ring of coals around the bean crock. After 20 minutes, I pulled most of the coals out, and I threw some soaked apple chunks on them and put the pork on a cherry plank in. The pork was covered in a basic rub and cooked on the plank for about 45 minutes to 145 degrees. It had a nice bark on the outside that I picked off as I was tending to things. The beans were bubbling when I took them out. The sweet potatoes were not done all the way, so they went back in. I should have used the canned yams that would have just needed to be heated up. Always learning. The pork was excellent. The beans were very good with a nice black pepper hint to them. Leftovers should be really good in the morning. I am going to let the beans continue to cook overnight in the oven, and the cool temperatures will keep them just fine.
Looks delicious Jon! Had feeling the smoke would be awesome.. Now that you have tried smoking do you plan to do more? Cherry and hickory are good smoking woods too.. Loads of cherry grows here.. Ray
yet another masterpiece from the WFO Your baked bean recipe is about the same as mine - just substitute Molasses for the BBQ sauce
I have a bunch of cherry planks from a local sawyer. 1/2" thick. Apple and cherry are my favorite, hickory is ok. I hear oak is very good, but I have never tried it.
You, sir, are a craftsman. I worked the old brick oven at Beetucci's during my college years, those stoves get hot!