Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Anyone done a hangi lately?

I remember growing up eating the godly foods produced from a beautiful hangi done up by some local moari's.

I haven't had one for years so I'm planning on sorting one out over the next couple of weeks. Anyone got any tips or tricks?

Can't help you with that Charlie but it looks great.

A similar thing you should try out is Pollo Pibil, it's from the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico and is traditionally cooked in a pit. This slightly annoying video gives you how they do the fire pit for Cochinita pibil which is the pork version instead of Chicken - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j12EpNvuvg

The Banana leaves actually impart some interesting flavor to this. The spice that gives it the reddish color is Annato which is in the Achiote Paste (aka Recado Rojo) used for this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recado_rojo

I use a recipe that works in a slow cooker for either chicken or pork if you're interested in trying it without the extra work of the fire pit. The pit version is better because of the banana leaves and smokiness but this is excellent and doesn't require much prep time.

Cheers

What is Hangi?

A big pit with a sheep and some fire thrown in Basically...
I've had a few, but haven't tried preparing it myself before.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C4%81ngi

I really need to follow through with my ideas hahah. Thanks for the reminder Kat. How'd you stumble across this one? Not a usual search word Id imagine..

Not me, I jut saw Kurt's question from today.

I did google Hangis randomly once though, I was trying to work out if it was feasible in my backyard whilst it's still a sandpit during landscaping works.
I too never followed through.

I am going to purchase one of those nifty pre-made pizza ovens though I think.
We had a guy come out to Mum's party with one on a trailer this past Saturday, and you really can't beat the taste of freshly made wood-fired pizza.
Great for roasts too, or so everyone keeps telling me!

Like this one..

woah nice and shiny!!!
Very spiffy Charlie.
I was thinking one like this - just because it will suit the yard.

There is one like that at my daughters school. I've heard that it is not very good but I'll be trying it out in a week or two to see for myself.

Cheers Stu, it's a cheap job from the B-store, so I will hold off buying anything until you give us the feedback from the school one.
I was just feeling lazy and not wanting to build one myself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think one of the problems with them is the concrete construction. It seems that the precast pieces are very water absorbent and since the oven doesn't get used much, or even at all lately, a lot of water has to be driven out of it before it will hold any heat.

I'm also not convinced that the proportions are right either. I'll be taking my tape measure in to check.

Wood fire pizza ovens take a lot of getting used to but well worth the effort. My all time favourite outdoor cooker is a gas smoke oven from kleenheat gas. 7 hour slow roast ribs ooooh yea!!

I think that may be another part of the problem because no one at the school has much experience with them.

Which is of course why I've been volunteered.

Sorry, bringing it back on topic, but I've had a fair few hangi's.

Build a big bon fire, and in the middle put a few railroad lengths. Once the fire dies down, and the metal is white hot, put them in a hole. Put all your meat/vegies in a shopping trolley basket, and wrap with many many layers of wet cloth, then move whole package over the red hot iron, and cover it all with dirt again. Leave for several hours, and come back to your cooked food.

It has an interesting flavour, kind of earthy, but good.

Nice. We used mill balls in place of rail. Big steel balls used in rotating ore crushers. Same effect though.