Food always taste better in a wood fired stove. Knowing how to prepare the bakeoven is a skill developed over years. Here Ron Pihl of WarmStone Fireplaces and Designs gives you his secrets gained from years of experience.
COOKING / RECIPE
Getting your bake oven ready for cooking
I use my Tulikivi bakeoven often—baking hearth breads for friends on a Friday evening, cooking holiday meals or wintry Sunday family dinners, and for roasting my son James’s wild game. Through experimentation and an investment in time, I have become proficient using my bakeoven. And of course, the reward is inherent in the sampling!
I usually fire my Tulikivi early in the day if the stove is cold and then do a double or triple firing directly in the bakeoven. If a fire was built the night before, I simply build the fires directly in the bakeoven. It takes two to three hours to get the bakeoven to the ideal temperature. When the final firing has burned down, push the remaining ashed and coals down the ash shute with the coal rake. Let the oven “soak” for 30-45 minutes before proceeding. You may use an oven thermometer if desired or test the oven floor with a sprinkle of cornmeal. If it blackens quickly, the oven is too hot and needs to soak longer. The bakeoven is then ready for baking or roasting and will retain proper baking temperatures for hours. Bakeoven temperature is not always critical for baking or cooking in your Tulikivi, because of the even heat.
Any of your favorite recipes can be used with success in the Tulikivi bakeoven. I personally enjoy baking rye bread, focaccia (Italian bread), roast chicken, and roast venison. (In fact, even if you don't have a bakeoven, you may use your firebox to roast, bake or grill with the “Bratrost”, a special cooking insert.) I include the following recipe for your enjoyment!
“You may use an oven thermometer if desired or test the oven floor with a sprinkle of cornmeal. If it blackens quickly, the oven is too hot and needs to soak longer. The bake oven is then ready for baking or roasting and will retain proper baking temperatures for hours. Bake oven temperature is not always critical for baking or cooking in your Tulikivi, because of the even heat.”
Cooking a 5 pound Prime Rib Roast (bone in)
STEP ONE
Make a thick paste using:
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Oregano
- Crushed garlic
- Freshly crushed pepper
- Salt
Rub all over roast and let marinate for 2 hours to several hours.
STEP TWO
Place roast on a rack in a glass pan (Pyrex type), fat side up. Insert meat thermometer into the side of the roast (otherwise it may not fit in the oven). If the oven is above 430 degrees, I put a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the roast for the first fifteen or twenty minutes of baking so it will not blacken too much. For a medium rare roast remove the roast from the bake oven at 125-130 degrees internal temperature (this takes my oven about 1 hour forty five minutes to two hours).
STEP THREE
Let stand for about 15 minutes before serving. ENJOY (with friends. of course)!
