Today in Low and Slow, we were busy preparing various aspects of our cooking area. Before any of our work today, however, we placed the ribs that we prepared yesterday into the smoker so they could cook all day.
Afterwards, in groups of 3 or 4, we split up and took on different tasks. Some of us began to dig a massive hole for our pit barbecue later this week. We spent all day expanding the outline of the pit and making sure that it could be lined with bricks, hold the grates, and fit under the plywood cover.
Another group was tasked with splitting large wood logs that were too big to use for our fire. Students gained experience using a sledgehammer and a wedge, although there was certainly a lot of trial and error.
The last group was in the kitchen. They learned how to properly cut and ration out a chicken, which will be cooked later. In addition to this, they also made other foods such as biscuits and jerk chicken.
One student, who participated in all of the activities, was grateful for their experiences:
“I learned many practical skills that will definitely be useful in the future, such as how to cut certain vegetables and create a solid marinade, how to use a sledgehammer to split wood, and how to create a proper fire pit that will successfully trap heat.”
We had a nice surprise during break when the teachers allowed us to travel to Main Street for some midday snacks. These would prove to be valuable, as we then had to go all the way to the main building to retrieve a large piece of plywood for our pit. This plywood was located backstage behind the auditorium, and it was incredibly cumbersome. The trek back to Van Meter was grueling, but we were met with some of our friends playing the Rocky theme song towards the end, so we were able to push through.
After more work digging the pit and splitting wood, we returned to our base in Van Meter and had some discussions about the day. To finish up, we retrieved our now cooked ribs and enjoyed a late afternoon snack. We have more cooking and outdoor activities ahead of us, and we look forward to what the week will bring!