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cylo
01-06-2013, 04:13 PM
Hey Guys,

Had a traditional Maori hangi a couple yrs ago while on a trip in NZ. One of the best meals I've ever had & been trying to replicate it on the odd occasion ever since. Now I think I've found the simplest way, using an old SS keg, cut a lid on the top, bought a couple SS wire baskets for the food & a big gas ring for heating.

Just put a pinch of wood chips inside on the bottom & fire up the gas ring, smoke the food for 10-15min. Then add about 1.5-2L of water to the bottom, the basket is raised about 5inch from bottom. Then cook away for 2.5-3hrs. in the last hr add bread stuffing & steamed pudding.

Trialling it for the first time this afternoon/evening. Will post up how it goes!

Anyone else on here tried the same or similar? One day when I own enough land, Ill have a go at doing it the traditional way in a big pit. I have tried this a yr ago but didn't get the iron hot enough, fire too small.

PaulG
01-06-2013, 05:39 PM
We have a Tongan family living across the road and they do one occasionally in their backyard. Awesome is in understatement!

Mick
01-06-2013, 06:15 PM
Have a look into Ugly Drum Smoker.

cylo
02-06-2013, 12:18 PM
We have a Tongan family living across the road and they do one occasionally in their backyard. Awesome is in understatement!

Sure is a great way of cooking meat & veg!

cylo
02-06-2013, 12:23 PM
The cooker worked very well last night! Vegies were cooked perfectly & took on the flavour very well. Meat was cooked well, but didn't have the flavour in it. Will need to experiment with the initial smoking etc, also I only had bluegum sawdust, need to get some manuka to use next time.

Have read ppl using volcanic rocks inside the keg also, even some soil.

For now Im pleased with the results as the cooking process works very well, just need to work on the flavour which is just a matter of experimenting.

Thanks Mick, will check it out.

cylo
02-06-2013, 08:45 PM
Have a look into Ugly Drum Smoker.

Looks a bit like a large weber BBQ.

Have you made one up Mick?

Mick
02-06-2013, 10:43 PM
Yep, most expensive part was the grill. In a basket in the bottom burn charcoal for heat with a few chunks of hickory.
What you have sounded similar unless I read it wrong. There are heaps of different ways of setting one up, even using a weber lid for more height/food etc and or putting a pot of water over the heat for added steam.
Ive even thought of using a gas ring on the bottom so as to make controlling the heat easier but with that comes less wood/smoke flavour.

6418

cylo
04-06-2013, 03:02 PM
Looks great, you did a good job! Some nice sized meat too, might give it a go myself eventually. The gas ring underneath is a good idea & if you lay your smoking chips directly on the bottom of the drum they will still smoke from the gas ring heating the bottom of drum. should work fine :-)

The Hangi is a little different to smoking. In my case I'm using some initial smoking in attempt to replicate the traditional earth flavour that comes from cooking a Hangi the correct way, which is in the ground. The way they do it is using superheated volcanic rocks into a large hole dug in ground, putting in the food & covering with wet sacks or sheets, then covering them with soil, it creates a small pressure cooker. Cooking food with steam & giving it an earthy flavour. The flavour is unbeatable & just adds to already good meal, meat and veg.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCjpHWpTYGA

The keg hangi is just an initial smoking for 15mins or so, which lines the food in the smoke, then the rest of the cooking process is just steaming it & while its being steamed the smoke lining over the food is forced into it.