There's a Bear in My Oven

Last Sunday, I used the bread oven as a slow-cooker. We made pizza on Saturday night, and when we had finished, I shut the door on the oven to preserve the heat that was still in the bricks. Since adding a layer of insulation last fall, we had heard what a great method it is for long, slow cooking the next day. Sure enough, the opening temp the next morning was 350 degrees--perfect.

I browned up the roast, then set it into a foil-lined roasting pan. Next, I cooked up some barbecue sauce, a recipe that we have been enjoying for years. It is from The Great American Beer Cookbook by Candy Schermerhorn. Key ingredients include plums, tomato sauce, herbs and spices, and of course, beer. I used a bottle of Summit Extra Pale Ale. After pouring the sauce on the roast, I wrapped it well in the foil, and set it in the oven.

Four hours later, I figured it needed to be checked. Armed with my meat thermometer, I opened the door. The interior temperature of the oven was about 275 degrees. The meat tested out at 170, and it was tender and moist. We took it out of the oven, and let it set for a bit. Next I pulled it off of the bones, but really, it fell right off. We ate it for dinner with rosemary roasted potatoes, which also were done in the bread oven. Believe me, it was a feast.

So now we know a little more about our oven, and it is my intention to continue to slow-cook in it the day after our pizza gathering. We would like to invite our guests and neighbors to bring their own food over to try in this setting also. Just give me a call or leave me a comment if you are interested in trying this out some week. On a hot day, it will be a nice way to roast up a meal without firing up the oven in the kitchen. Gotta love that.