Wood Fired OvensAll About The Prep

What is a Wood Fired Oven?● Can be igloo or barrel shaped● Each create different hot spots● Advantage - different zones have different

temperatures● Takes practice a to define them - KEEP A

NOTEBOOK● A problem if cooking large amounts of one food

that needs consistent temperature

What is a Wood Fired Oven? Portable Oven

Permanent Oven Permanent Oven

Temperatures● 900+= searing with the ending of the live coals

making sort of a grill within the oven.● 700-900 = The great pizza cooking oven● 700 and under = the oven is like a regular

oven, it will stay warm overnight. ○ Bread can be baked, meats and vegetables can be roasted○ longer braising time dishes and desserts or overnight

tomatoes

Not Just a Pizza Oven● Make pizza by all means● Making many different dishes makes better use

of the wood resource and can easily cook for the week for a family of four.

● While a few hours will be spent cooking, the cooking for the week is done or portions of leftovers can be transformed into other meals

Not Just a Pizza OvenBeef Roast or Pork Roast

Eat as roast then leftovers can be:○ Tacos/fajitas ○ Fried rice ○ Pot pies○ Bolognese

BologneseChop the beef roast fine and add to bolognese (it doesn’t need to cook all day - promise. Mince ⅓ cup pork belly (bacon or unsmoked if you can find it).

To a 3 quart pot add a drizzle of olive oil, 2 Tbs minced onion, 1 Tbs each minced carrot and celery, cook for a minute, add pork roast. Stir fry these for 3-4 minutes - vegetables should caramelize, not burn. Add the shredded beef roast (roughly ¾ lb.) When liquid has fully evaporated stir in ½ glass of white wine and again let evaporate to nearly dry. Add in 2Tbs tomato paste dissolved in the other half glass of wine. Let evaporate and add the meat stock. Keep at a simmer for 1.5 hours or as long as you want - add more stock if longer than 3 hours as necessary and stir until paste turns brick red. Bolognese is supposed to be brown, not red. Serve over pasta or gnocchi.

Oven sizes● Smallest commercially available oven can

cook 2 pizzas at once, about 30/hour would be the most in the smaller ovens (~21” cooking deck)

● Even the largest ones can really only do about 4 at a time.

Where to Find an Oven?Alexandria United Methodist Church2210 6th Ave. EastAlexandria, MN 56308● https://www.echopress.com/news/4293899-hot-new-com

modity-wood-fired-pizza-oven-available-community● https://www.facebook.com/UMCWoodFired/● Vicki081754@yahoo.com● Phone number: 320-763-4624

How to Use a Wood Fired OvenDay of cooking

● Food and cooking vessel prep is very important ● Loading and lighting the oven

○ Wood roughly 2”x2” to 3”x3” and as long as the back of the oven will accommodate, allow for shorter pieces of the same size,stack into a small igloo shape.

○ Larger oven you make the igloo shape out of larger wood - then make another smaller one in the middle of the big one

○ Light with a piece or two of crumpled newspaper or center or a paper towel roll.

Waiting for the Oven to ClearInitially, the dome of the oven will get black and sootyFinally, the dome will turn white when the oven gets to about 800 degrees

● This is a general guideline ● Infrared gun type thermometer ● When the oven clears check the temperature● The oven needs to get hot

When the Oven is Clear● Making pizzas for an extended time - keep one log

burning in the back to keep the oven hot but especially the dome hot - gives the chance to lift the mostly cooked pizza and brown the cheese on the top.

● Before you toss a pizza in, use a long handled brush to sweep the ashes (just push to the back).

● After a couple of pizzas, add 3-4 fire bricks

Roasting MeatRoast/steak florentine (DO THIS-WELL WORTH IT), or any other roasted meat

● Pull some of the coals and a couple of the fire bricks about ⅓ from the front of the oven. Place a cast iron rack above then coals held up by the fire bricks (there is a tuscan grill available commercially - useful but not necessary). Do this with any pieces of meat to be braised also

● Above the hot coals, sear the meat for a cross hatch pattern 2 minutes one direction, turn 30-45 degrees and cook another 2 minutes. Flip do the same thing on the other side and remove from the oven - this can be set aside until a half hour before eating (depending how you like your steak and how thick)

Time for bread● Shove any remaining coals either as far back as you can

or actually remove them (better).● Make sure there is no actual flame remaining in oven.

(NEVER PUT COVER ON FRONT OF OVEN WITH LIVE FIRE-this is VERY dangerous)

● Wrap a wet rag around a long handle (other end of the brush or similar). Brush the bottom of the oven with the wet reg. Flip the rag over and do again with the clean side.

Time for bread● Close the oven door.Let the oven set closed for 15-20 minutes to

even out the temperature - better for baking.● Bread dough should have gone through final rest/rising already. (one

hour)○ Put small amount of corn meal on the peel and put in the oven. Spray

the oven dome with a few spritzes of water - (helps bread rise).○ Return the oven door. 30 seconds later repeat the spritzing process. ○ Close the door and bake for suggested time of recipe - lots of variation

here depending on size but generally 15-45 minutes

Roasting Oven● Roasting oven at somewhere around 375-400

degrees● Roast as many things as will fit in at this time● Because internal size of the oven there is less

chance of cooling the oven off with cold pans and food

● Food should be at room temperature

Sample Menu for a WeekendNoon: Pizza,

Afternoon snack: fresh bread with olives and warmed sausage, cheese

Evening meal: Steak Florentine, roasted vegetables, Apple Crisp

Lunch/Dinner - 7 days from 1 dayDay one:● Lunch: Pizza● Snack: Fresh bread, warmed olives, sausage, cheese● Evening:Steak florentine, roasted vegetables, apple crispDay two:● Lunch: Vegetable soup, sandwich (leftover bread and

sausage)● Evening: overnight tomato pasta sauceDay three:● Lunch:Steak fajitas● Evening: Roasted chicken

Lunch/Dinner - 7 days from 1 dayDay 4:● Lunch: Chicken soup● Evening: Mixed meat and veg fried riceDay 5:● Lunch: Roast beef sandwich ● Evening: Pork carnitas

Lunch/Dinner - 7 days from 1 dayDay 6:● Lunch: Egg and vegetable omelette● Evening: Pasta bolognese

Day 7: Go out….nobody is home that much!

The How to….● 2 days before baking - Dry season beef roast, pork roast

and chicken and put in fridge ● 1 day before baking - Make bread dough & pizza dough● Morning of oven use - Build the fire, at least a couple

hours before first meal ● 2 hours before oven use - Shape bread doughs, remove

meats from fridge● 1 hour before baking - Prepare sauces and pizza toppings

should be ready

The How to….● Oven clears, add two fire bricks in oven wide enough to put rack on

top, sear meats. Pull red hot coals between fire bricks and put rack above coals on top of bricks.

● After rack is hot, sear steak 2 minutes one way, then rotate on same side (creating a crosshatch/diamond pattern) and cook two more minutes.

● Flip steak and repeat on the other side. Remove the steak/roast and set aside until ½ hour before you want to eat it.

● Remove the rack and push the coals to back of oven or remove. Remove fire bricks. Sweep ashes to back of oven.

The How to….● Make pizza - if making a lot of pizzas keep one log burning ● When done with pizzas put a few fire bricks back in oven● Put cover on oven for 10-15 minutes

DO NOT PUT COVER ON WITH LIVE FLAME IN OVEN● Time for breads to bake -

○ Remove cover/spray floor & dome with water spritzes○ Close the oven for 30 seconds○ Open and put in breads and spritz again○ Replace cover. Try to peak as little as possible

A Large Regular Oven● Roasting meats and veg ● Focus on the first evening meal and any appetizers. ● Olives and sausages can find their way to a front corner. ● Steak is best on a rack over a deep fry pan. Cut 3 cloves of

garlic into slivers and make sure there is 5-6 cups of spinach washed and dried.

● Vegetables can go on ¼ or ½ sheet pans ○ red/yellow peppers, summer squash, fennel - whatever

the garden has produced ● Put in Steak and chicken at the same time

A Large Regular OvenChicken will take an hour - about the same time as some roasted potatoes.● Cook on a rack above a pan and use the juices for mashed

potatoes instead of butter - put in a scoop or two of sour cream and some parsley too, worth the effort

When steak has roasted as long as you want (about 30 minutes more than the beginning sear = medium) ● Toss in the slivered garlic and the spinach. ● Now rotate the spinach so it wilts. ● Put some spinach underneath and lay steak above the spinach. ● Drizzle with a fruity olive oil - That is steak florentine.

Prep is the KeyThe more you use it and the more you prepare Fun uses:● Three or four cloves of garlic covered in olive oil in a small

pan have LOTS of uses throughout the week. ● A cake pan full of tomatoes that have been sliced in ½

and squeezed then drizzled with olive oil and salt make for a really quick pasta sauce the next day or evening

● You can add other vegetables from your garden efforts!!

Enjoy a weeks worth of meals

Questions?