# Cooking on a chiminea



## weller_fan2006

Hello

Does anyone have any advice on how to cook on a chiminere?

Also can anyone give any suggestions as to what to cook on there as my parents have recently bought one.

Any help would be great.

Deborah W
B.ham UK


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## Andy M.

I'd get a grill basket.  The kind that you can enclose meat in and place over a fire.  Cook any small meats, fish or vegetables.  Larger pieces such as roasts are less practical.


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## jpmcgrew

What is a chiminere?


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## Half Baked

I never even contemplated cooking on one. It's something to think about but we use it for decoration and a little warmth on the patio in the fall and spring.

Things that make you go........Hmmm.   I'm very interested in this thread.


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## Michael in FtW

jpmcgrew said:
			
		

> What is a chiminere?


 
I have to step over these things all the time at the grocery store - but hang me if I can find a picture when I need one!

They are basically wood-fired outdoor patio heaters that look like big Hershey Kisses with a 2-foot chimney - and sit on a metal stand. They are made from relatively thin clay - have a semi-lunar opening similar to a Navajo brick oven ... but the material is not designed for cooking - it is designed to get hot and radiate the heat outward.

I won't say you can't cook something in one ... remember, our ancestors only had fire, rocks and sticks ... but they are NOT designed for cooking.


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## Half Baked

Michael, I couldn't find one either and I looked for about 15 minutes, since I don't want to begin working.  

This is ridiculous.  There have to be 1000s of pics of this on the net.


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## Chef_Jimmy

It is spelled chiminea...do a goog-- search in images and you will see many. You wont find it spelled chiminere.


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## Half Baked

Lol, you are so right, Chef Jimmy. The spelling went right over my head but maybe chiminere is an alternative way to spell it since I saw many sites that described the same patio warmer with that name.

Thanks to Chef Jimmy:


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## licia

Click image to enlarge... 



Hey, look what I did - my first picture here.


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## licia

I pat myself on the back to quick - the picture disappeared - but the link stayed. Sorry!


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## jpmcgrew

I know what a chiminea is so they are the same thing.Cool


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## Michael in FtW

Opps - zing .. the spelling went right over my head!!!


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## Snoop Puss

My parents have one of these. The instructions were: do not use to cook food on. Even so, they've been tempted to use it as you would a barbeque. I've never seen them do it, but if you put "barbeque chiminea" in Google, you come up with lots of hits. One of them shows a grille positioned inside the mouth of the base of the chiminea, another shows the grille on top of the base (the chimney part is removed to use it like this).


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## john patellis

Hi, I'm currently cooking Beer Can Chicken in my chiminea.  It's very easy.  I have one that is open on two sides, which makes things even easier. 

I simply get the real wood charcoal hot and move equal parts of the coals to each side and place a bread pan in the center, then set the bird (inserted with a beer can) in the pan and cover the holes of the oven with foil and let it cook for two hours or until it starts to fall apart.

For beer can chicken recipes, look on line.

John


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## BBQ Mikey

DO NOT COOK WITH A CLAY CHIMENIA

All clay chimenias eventually give (crack/break)  if/when this happens you can be very seriously burnt or injured, plus you have a mess.

DO NOT COOK WITH A PAINTED CHIMENIA

Theres a reason for not cooking with chimienias if they are Painted, you will be essentially cooking paint fumes into your food.

COOK WITH A STONE OR CAST IRON CHIMENIA

If you have an All Natural Stone chimenia or cast iron model, (or are taking your chances on a clay one) A grille grate on top could be used or roasting sticks (over top or in the bottom).


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## Renee Attili

The Big Green Egg Company at Big Green Egg, World's Best Smoker and Grill have a chimnea that is all ceramic and desgned for cooking on. There is none of the concern of cracking or dangerous fumes with this awesome product.


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## BBQ Mikey

see that looks fine.

whats funny to me is Chimenias were originally meant for cooking in mexico, but not alot of companies and people use them for decoration, which is all well and good, but many made and sold around the states are not proper for serving their basic purpose.  Ive seen brightly colored painted ones and fragile looking clay ones and I shake my head.


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## Renee Attili

I had a friend who had one of the ceramic ones and one evening they were having a small little fire and enjoying themselves when a sudden rain shower hit. Due to the fact that the chiminea was hot within a few minutes of the rain it cracked into a million pieces. It scared them to death. Not to mention made a total mess.


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## wattinio

weller_fan2006 said:


> Hello
> 
> Does anyone have any advice on how to cook on a chiminere?
> 
> Also can anyone give any suggestions as to what to cook on there as my parents have recently bought one.
> 
> Any help would be great.
> 
> Deborah W
> B.ham UK
> 
> are you vegitarian?if not i got a great link to bacon
> wattinio
> stirling UK


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## Hattie 28

I saw chimineas used for cooking when we were in Cyprus (the Greek end) and I had the most delicious pork casserole(?) made in one. It must have been cooking for hours because it was meltingly tender and full of flavour. My husband brought one home today. I would love to know how to do that casserole. Any Greek Cypriots out there?


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## Jeff G.

I would do foil wrapped dinners. 

I do one on coals when I camp... Pork loin, potatoes, Carrots, onion, red pepper relish. Wrap in aluminum foil twice, toss on the coals.  After the first hour, turn, let it cook another hour... 

If the carrots are tender, the meat is done.... 

Very tasty.


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## Jeekinz

Yeah, foil pouches would work.

Between logs, when just the coals are burning, you could do kabobs on long skewers.  Like tandori skewers.  Have the handles sticking out the front opening.  Maybe fit a couple bricks in the back to hold up the end like a rotisserie.


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## Andy M.

Just about anything in a CI dutch oven.


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## quicksilver

_   I don't know what yours is made out of. Could be clay, terra cotta, cast metal, copper._
_Mine's made out of terra cotta and more stout than the ones pictured here. It's about 10 yrs. old and I've never cooked with mine. I never thought to._

_Check  www.allyeardecorations.com/chimenea_instructions _

_Off season, when it's too hot, I just put and ivy plant in it and a geranium plant in the top so it doesn't get lonely in the corner._


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## Hattie 28

It's cast iron. My husband thought it would be a good idea, and then stood back and expected me to know what to do with it.   I know what I'd like to do with it, but failing that, the thought of my geraniums flowering all over it is a nice one. Thank you.


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