Saturday, October 17, 2009

Turkey, Ribs, Chicken, Bread and More...


Today was an amazing day of solar cooking. I was invited to an emergency preparedness fair by a local Sun Oven dealer. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Without a cloud in the sky and record high temperatures the multiple Sun Ovens were cranking out food like crazy. I made my signature Chicken with Two Lemons over Rice and baked two loaves of bread. Terry, who invited me to the fair, made cinnamon rolls, bread sticks, baby back ribs and roasted a thirteen pound turkey. Everything was devoured so fast I didn't even get a chance to take pictures, especially since I was doing my part to sample the fruits of our labor. The turkey, of course, drew the most attention. It was fully cooked in four hours, but we left it in for five, and it was moist and delicious. Unlike with a conventional oven where overcooking would dry the meat out, the additional roasting time made it juicier. I will definitely be solar roasting my Thanksgiving day bird, but what impressed me most were the ribs. I always thought ribs were hard to cook but all Terry did was season them with salt and pepper. After two hours in the Sun Oven they were fall off the bone tender. These will probably be on the menu of my next get together with friends. I really hope we achieved our goal of encouraging more people to cook with the sun. I'd love to have a few more solar chefs to exchange recipes with.

10 comments:

  1. What fair were you demonstrating at on Saturday?

    It sounds like it was a great success.

    Peace,
    shamba

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  2. Ribs - I never liked them because of the fat (I use country style no bones). So - cook them in the sun oven for about 2 hours, remove and drain off the fat and add BBQ sauce, another hour or more if I'm busy and the best ribs ever :)

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  3. Once a year, there is a solar potluck just north of Tucson. I hear lots of people come from out of town for it. Do you think you might? I believe it's in April and is an overnight camping affair.

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  4. Shamba - It was at a nearby LDS church in Tempe, AZ. I was invited by a Sun Oven dealer who had a booth there.

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  5. Anonymous - As a lifetime weight watchers member I too avoid ribs because of the fat. When I asked Terry, who is also a lifetime W.W. member, how many points the ribs were, he went real quiet! I will still consider them a special occasion food, but will most definitely be making a batch next time I have company.

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  6. Chile, I'd love to attend the solar potluck near Tucson. If you have any details about it please let me know. I'll look to see if I can find anything on line and will keep you posted.

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  7. Citizens for Solar do the potluck. Nothing on their website yet about 2010.

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  8. Chef, thanks for the answer. It seems there are more solar ovens out there in the Phoenix area than I could possibly be aware of.

    Peace to All,
    Shamba

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  9. Who is the Solar Oven dealer in Tempe?

    Bob

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  10. Hi Bob, The Tempe dealer is Terry Starks. He mostly sells to people in his church. There are quite a few dealers in the Phoenix area. I believe you can find a complete list at www.sunoven.com.

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