Baking Outdoors!

A carrot cake had been in the oven when the power went out. As I stood there realizing the dilemma I was facing, I looked outside, to see help was just a few steps away. My carrot cake was 'falling' and would soon be ruined. Taking it outdoors was the only solution.

Parchment paper became my newest ally, along with foil wrap, in this latest cooking dilemma. Both could protect the outer layers of my carrot cake to be 'baked'. Since I did not want aluminum touching my cake, I made sure a large piece of foil was used and molded carefully over the top to protect it from over browning or burning, before the interior was cooked properly. Though the uneven movement of heat inside the barbecue gave rise to a lopsided cake, the cake was a respectful sight and delicious to eat, nonetheless. I was pleased and very lucky with the result, considering the fuel tank emptied as the cake finished 'baking.'

This year, I have used the barbecue to 'bake' many food items. Apple crisp is my number one leader. The rotisserie is never used as it requires high cost electricity to perform its duties. ... (The popular 60's saying,  'Living Better Electrically' has no meaning today). ... By turning on burners #1 and #4, in a four-burner barbecue, I leave burners, #2 and #3 off, creating an oven-like atmosphere, deep inside this small, high intensity 'hot box' called a barbecue. The food is now being cooked by indirect heat, a gentler, easier way of cooking, resulting in food that is evenly cooked and browned. I can also leave the food to bake, roast, as I do other things. I simply take the timer with me, as I move from one place to another, inside/outside the house, reminding me that food is being cooked outside.

Meat or fish can be costly additions to any meal. Making sure they are cooked perfectly is important for both health and budgetary considerations. Even frozen meat can be barbecued at the last minute, I learned. I follow the burners #2 and #3 off rule, while #1 and #4 are on a low/medium setting. A high setting can be used for 10-15 minutes for searing purposes, to seal in juices. Aluminum foil is used, covering the aluminum container keeping vegetables moist. It is removed near the end of 'cooking' allowing for browning to occur. (Wrapping up vegetables in a parchment-lined aluminum packet also serves to cook vegetables evenly and gently, over the upper shelf 'no-heat' zone.)

I routinely check all food, most of which is in aluminum containers, during the cooking process, making sure all food is moved around and burners are still on. A strong wind outside can shut off burners while gas is being fed into them. This is dangerous as the use of a match or lighter can ignite the gas cloud around you causing an explosion in your face. Occasionally, fuel has run out and cooking stopped, without my knowledge. No fuel is no fuel is a problem not a hazard. Moving food helps to distribute heat if there are any hot spots in the barbecue. Using a baster to coat the food, in its own juices or add your own homemade sauces, assists in browning and moisture retention.

A barbecue is a dry heat method of cooking so adding a combination of oil /coconut oil and butter can be done to retain moisture, augment flavour and improve taste. There are no rules here. I use a few tablespoons of a coconut oil mixture with pinch of salt and pepper when cooking onions, potatoes and carrots, together. Flavour is unbeatable. 'Oven' potatoes are also easily 'baked', when parboiled first then simply placed on the middle 'no-heat' shelf to bake further and crisp the outer skin. (Heat is still intense, nonetheless, with burners #2 and #3 off.) ... When smaller meats or chicken pieces are barbecued, short periods of time are needed. Raw potatoes, on the other hand, take an hour or so to bake, depending upon size. Parboiling these root favourites makes baked potatoes a possibility regardless of what is being barbecued. Chicken breasts, skin on, bone side down, can 'roast' till done, 'indirectly', while burners #1 and #4 are on low/medium heat, thus allowing for delicious browning to occur. Aluminum containers, when needed, make clean up a breeze as they are recyclable and precious water is not used for cleaning them.

Attention must always be given whenever open flame is used outdoors. Nothing should be taken for granted - ever! When the hot, humid days of summer become overbearing, cooking and baking outside makes sense, all around. Whole meals can be accommodated, all at the same time, last minute, with a bit of strategic planning. Avoiding the direct heat of the burners avoids the flare ups that can lead to burning when fat hits fire. (Charbroiled meats are no longer the desired cooking standard, anymore.) High heat, I have learned, is not a boon to health. Carcinogens are present, ready to be unleashed, in some of the foods we eat, whenever we use high heat to cook, bake or roast. Indirect, gentle heat is always a preferred choice. As my carrot cake would say - if it could talk - “Baking outdoors wasn't so bad, after all."