Meanwhile, meat can be marinating in barbeque sauce and then wrapped in foil. It is best to marinate several hours before placing in pit to get best barbecue flavor. You can also punch holes in meat to assure best penetration of barbecue sauce. (A pig cut into large pieces will cook better than a whole pig.)
When coals are ready, place metal plate or sheet of tin directly on top of coals to separate coals from meat. Then place wrapped meat on top of metal plate. Then place two metal fence posts or pipes across the pit above the meat (for roof support) and place pieces of sheet metal or plywood over top of pit and cover with 1 foot or more of dirt. This closes the pit and prevents flame in pit but retains intense heat. Covering the pit with a tarp (either canvas or plastic) is not advised, as it will give off nasty gases in the heat of the pit. It is important to quickly cover the pit once meat is in the pit in order to prevent burning and to not let the heat escape.
Cook 12 to 18 hours, depending on size and quantity of meat. Small pits and small roasts, etc. will cook in 4 to 6 hours. It's also good to cook a metal pot of beans (use a Dutch oven) along side the meat in the pit. You can also wrap potatoes, carrots, etc. with meat. A whole stuffed turkey wrapped in foil can be baked in about 6 hours, and the meat will most likely "fall off the bones".
After cooking is done, unearth the meat being careful not to burn yourself while retrieving the meat. We use a metal plate with chains attached to each corner to lift the meat off the coals easily.
Last Updated: 2/8/1998