3. COOK RARE
Dishes that are prepared at a constant temperature will
be cooked evenly and will develop a tender texture. The
KLAUWE is perfect for this. The volume of the oil drum,
combined with the water ring with reservoir make for an
amazing result. Place the fire basket at the lowest level in
the KLAUWE, namely level 1 (also see the description in
paragraph 1). Place the water ring at level 2 and the grill
on top of that. Make sure that the KLAUWE is at the right
temperature by operating the airlocks on the lid and on the
front of the KLAUWE. By slightly opening (around 1/8) the
airlock on the front (near the bottom of the KLAUWE) and
also slightly opening the air vent, you will be able to reach
a constant temperature of 80 to 100 degrees (depending
on the size of the air opening and use of amount of coal/
briquettes) if the water reservoir is filled at least ¾ with
water/wine. With just 6 hours of cooking at 100 degrees
Celsius is possible to make pulled pork or rare ribs, for
example. We advise that you check the temperature
regularly. Lower temperatures mean a longer cooking time.
The temperature should not rise too much. If that happens,
the openings of the airlocks are too large. Place the food on
the grill when the right temperature has been reached (for
more than 15 minutes) and use a centre temperature meter
to check the food.
Tip:
Fill the water reservoir with white wine instead of water
and add some lemon and fresh herbs (such as fresh
thyme and rosemary). The result is amazing and the
dish will have an extra taste dimension. You could also
add smoking wood to the charcoal for extra flavour. Also
see paragraph 4.
Use the lid as plate warmer.
Place the grill at level 3 when you want to make “chicken
on a can”. You will have enough space to place the lid.
An extra centre temperature meter is useful when
cooking rare meat to check the temperature of the meat
and the drum as well. There are modern temperature
meters available that are connect to your phone by
Bluetooth. You can read the data on your phone.
When you use the water reservoir, make sure it doesn’t
“cook dry”. Check the level in the water reservoir
regularly. When the level in the water reservoir is getting
too low, add hot water. The water in the water reservoir
creates the right level of humidity in the drum, so food
doesn’t dry out as quickly and the temperature in the
drum remains constant.
4. SMOKE:
Meat, chicken, fish and also vegetables will get an extra
taste sensation by adding wood chips during the bbq
session. Smoking enriches the taste experience of your
dishes. Which wood you use and how much depends on
your personal preference and your own taste experience.
First choose the wood chips/smoking wood you think would
be best for the dish. Rougher pieces of wood chips will
create the best results. Let them soak in water for at least
30 minutes before using them. When the charcoal burns,
first place the fire basket at the bottom level as described in
paragraph 1. For the best bbq result, we advise you to use
the water ring with the water reservoir (make sure it doesn’t
“cook dry”). Smoke and steam will mix. The smoke will add
extra flavour to the food and the steam will make sure the
meat remains tender. In these humid conditions, the food
will remain juicier than when you don’t use the water ring
with reservoir. Cook the food at the temperature you like by
operating the airlocks as described in paragraphs 2 and 3.
Smoking is possible when cooking rare and grilling. Add a
handful of wood chips directly to the charcoal/briquettes. In
case the fire basket is at the lowest level in the KLAUWE,
you can use the opening on the back of the KLAUWE to add
wood chips. You can also use this opening to add charcoal if
necessary. That way, you won’t have to remove the grill and
water ring with water reservoir first. Caution: this will only
work when the fire basket is placed at the lowest level in the
KLAUWE. Because of the high temperatures, we strongly
advise you to wear protective gear (such as barbecue
gloves).
Tip:
Use wood with very little resin. Resin adds a bitter taste
to your dishes. Wood chips of oak, beech, apple, cherry,
hickory (American hardwood) and pecan are often
used. Whether you want to add a sweet or a more spicy
flavour depends on the wood you use.
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Use the wood chips/smoking wood moderately and
carefully-dosed. Experiment. Too much smoke, a
beginner’s mistake, cannot be solved, but too little
smoke can.
For an extra smoky flavour experience, you could add
whisky, cognac, red wine, white wine or vodka, etc. to
the water in which the wood chips should soak for 30
minutes. This will add more flavour to the smoke.
While smoking, you could add herbs (such as rosemary
and thyme) to the coals for a dish with extra flavour and
character.
5. OVEN/BAKING PIZZAS:
The KLAUWE is perfect for baking your homemade pizzas.
Place the fire basket at level 2 as described in paragraph
1. Set the airlocks on the front and on the lid wide open.
The airlock on the back should also be completely open.
The grill on which the (cast-iron) pizza tray is placed, should
be 2 levels above the fire basket to prevent the pizza from
burning too quickly, so place it at level 4. You can also use a
pizza stone for this. The same applies to baking bread. When
baking bread, we advise you not to let the temperature get
higher than 250 degrees, to prevent burning. When baking
pizzas, the temperature should be higher than 250 degrees
Celsius for a fast result. After you have placed the pizza on
the baking tray, you place the lid on the KLAUWE, while
leaving the airlocks completely open. After around 5 minutes,
depending on the thickness of the crust and the temperature
within the drum, the pizza will be done. Experiment all you
like and check the result regularly. Bread needs a longer
time to bake. This depends on the dough that was used
and the recipe. Always follow the usual baking time and
recommended temperature that is described in the recipe you
use.
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