Does anyone ever cook on top of their fire box?

[Woodman1]

I saw photos from a guy who had burnt off all the paint from his firebox. He kept it well seasoned, like a skillet and uses it like a griddle to cook bacon, eggs, and pancakes! No lie! If you are cooking inside the pit, use a dutch oven. WM

 

[wittdog]

Woodman how big was his firebox? It gets that hot on top?

 

[wittdog]

There are a group of guys that cook on the hood of any old car at Bills games.

 

[Puff1]

Dang, I just bring to a boil my navy/northern/pinto's, then simmer for an hour. Replaces the overnight soaking. Discard that water...you'll have less gas later. Then cook as normal. Works for me. When the poker boys are requesting beans and ham and cornbread once a month, it's coming out pretty good.

=P~ I'll be at your house once a month :!:
If it helps .....I suck at poker #-o

 

[Finney]

James, is it hot enough to cook on at smoking temps, or do you have to crank it up for bacon and eggs?

 

[allisonandrews]

Those were some pretty neat pictures. Nice setup. We had discussed buying one of the flat griddles and leaving it on the firebox and using it to warm up hotdogs and other already cooked foods that you just need to take the chill off. It would be interesting some time to put a piece of bacon or an egg on it and see just how hot it was getting. I know I can hold my hand over it and count the seconds and sort of guess about what temp I've got it up to, but seeing it in action would be better.

If we are cooking the beans in the cooker, they would definately be inside the smoker for at least the first four hours. If it looked like the temp was getting too hot, we could move them to the fire box top for a bit.

Luckily, our smoker seems to stay pretty constant on heat temps inside. That reverse flow really seems to help.

We would be using bottled water just because where we will be at we do not trust the water supply.

Oh, and our elevation is 1277 ft. I don't think that is like Colorado.

 

[Woodman1]

Thanks James, I knew I saw it. Just couldn't recall whose it was!

 

[Finney]

Damn, now I'm hungry. =P~

 

[Captain Morgan]

great pics..sure makes sense...seems like designers would make it more
possible.

 

[allisonandrews]

Just wanted to update and say that cooking on top of the fire box has been great. It will definately fry bacon up and simmer a pot of beans. If you get it in the exact spot over the a good fire, it will even boil them. We have been working on seasoning it the last week or two and it is working out just liked we hoped.

The beans were so easy to cook on the fire box. I had pretty much three zones that I could move them around to regulate the temp. I had a really hot zone for boiling, a medium zone for simmering, and then a cooler zone for keeping them warm. I cooked them some inside the smoker with the lid ajar, but I did them mainly on the firebox and it worked out fantastic.

My husband loved the beans (this was my first attempt at them), so I think this will be something I cook everytime we do a brisket.

 

[Woodman1]

Good to know Allie! My firebox is insulated for the Northern climate, but I have burners on it anyway!

 

[txpgapro]

I 've cooked ham, bacon, eggs, pancakes, fish, grilled cheese sandwiches, etc. I put a flat griddle right on top of the top of the firebox. I also have simmered beans, and boiled water (keep the lid on).