Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

[DaveW]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hey Dino,
I need to show my wife that pic. She wants to put a fish pond in the back yard.

[Les]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

I still can't get over all of those lemons!

I can't believe the dog didn't land on a block of ice! So. Cal is obvious a nice place to be right now...

[modified9v]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino,

I'm brand new to the forum and just caught up from start to finish on your build up to now. I am amazed at the skill you have gained from the begining. A WFO has been a dream of mine for several years and I can say without a doubt that I can do this... perhaps not to the standard you have set, but I will be breaking ground soon. I'm up north about 80 miles north of Reno, NV in the little town of Susanville. Going to have to wait until the ground thaws a bit, but once it does I will be on it full tilt to completion. I'm fortunate to have summers off and I plan to finish before I go back to school (I teach high school auto shop).

Your build is an inspiration. Thank you for the time you spent recording it for us all.
Mike Vivilacqua

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino,

I was at my son and daughter's swim meet this weekend and opened your post from my iphone. Michael Phelps had just finished his race and I have to tell you, I got a bigger grin from the dog's dive than Michaels!

Oh, and Les, here in Orange County we have received in excess of 6" of rain in the last week or so, and while it's great for the San Bernardino mountain snowpack, it's been hell trying to get around the flooded streets.

John

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hey John, I keep looking at all my photos of the puppy in the pool last Saturday and can't believe we've not seen any sun since then! This IS suppose to be SoCal but I'm really lovin' this wet weather.

Mike, Glad to hear to you've enjoyed my wfo build/pics. Can't wait to see you start. Hey, if I don't keep moving and you plan to start and finish by end of summer, you'll be ahead of me ! Ask any questions and I'll be more than happy to help.

Dave, build your puppy (and wife) a fish pond, it's the least you could do for them after being so busy with the pizza oven .

I hope the weather drys this weekend, I've got wfo plans to hit the eaves or counter. We'll see how far I get. Cheers, Dino

[trockyh]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hey Dino, I love the rain and we really need it so I won't complain. But I am hoping for a little time this weekend to work on the wfo. A few more rings and then the keystone.
Then to figure out the vent and outer arch. So much fun!

Tom

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

I hear ya Tom, let it rain. However, I did make some progress like you over the sunny weekend. I bought poplar 1x6's at HD and covered my eaves finally. I recessed the screws which are black and will putty them up then put a clear stain on it all. The gray primmer looks really bad against the warm colored wood, but that will be painted after I see what the stone facade colors do to it.

We finally smoked in our WFO. Like other posts here said, it was amazingly easy and seemingly fool proof though we did needlessly fret about it at first. I'm throwing out the old Weber smoker and gaining much needed space in my garage. Those are smoked baby back ribs. I JUST LOVE MY OVEN!! -Dino

[vintagemx0]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Holy Smoke! Those look really, really good... I love your tiered rack too. How did you effect the smoke? Did you just choke-off the air with your door?

Regards,

Ken Morgan

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hi Ken, I started a fire with about 5 pieces of 2" round wood for about 50 minutes. Not a big pizza fire, just enough to heat the dome top to 480, the floor was under 200, so I new (or hoped) the oven air temp was in in the 200-250 deg range. My wood was mostly red embers (ya, maybe 10% was still wood), threw in 3 handful of soaked, wet mesquite chips on the embers then put my smoking rack in and there was a 6x9 shallow pan of water under it. I then put my door on it and wedged a piece of wood on it to hold it tight. Cutting off the air is what got it to start smoking. 2 hours later, I had to take the meat out to get the heat up again to what I thought was 250 deg, and added more smoke chips. After 4-5 hours total, it came out perfect.

BTW: your metal oven door looks fantastic. It'll be great for sealing up the oven for smoking. I just had bought some trout to smoke as well in the 2nd half of my smoking, but I got so busy with the wood eaves that I had no time to fillet them. Next time, I'm smoking everything I can get my hands on . -Dino

[mfiore]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Your food always looks great, Dino. Thanks for posting. I'll try some ribs soon.

[trockyh]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hey Dino, the craftsmanship on your build is an inspiration to many of us. I can't wait to see your finished exterior.
Oh man, those ribs look soooo good. Makes my mouth water looking at them. Anxious to finish mine so we can enjoy all the food we will cook in the wfo.

Tom

[Fish Wheels]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

I always seem to learn something new from your posts Dino! Thanks for sharing your ribs, (pictures) I can almost taste them :-)

Rod

[heliman]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Brilliant - some more mouth-watering food from your WFO. Good work Dino!!

I think I will have a go at doing some smoking myself as I have a bag of hickory chips standing idle in the garage.

Rossco

[bbell]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino, great stuff. The cooking is even more fun than the building!

I ordered one of these for a gathering a few weeks ago and it was perfect for the crowd of 30:
Costco - Boneless Porchetta Roast

Comes from this vendor:
Porchetta Primata | Traditional Italian Porchetta

I actually ordered the tronchetto rather than a leg but I'm sue it's all good.

Just had to finish it for 45 minutes in the oven (and admit this is one roast that got a head start somewhere else...) Great flavor and moist.

Will have to roll my own when I find a butcher that can order th eright cut.

Keep up the great craftsmanship and cooking.

Bill

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Wow Bill, I read the Costco specs on that roast and it sounds amazing! I was really sold when it said it was nitrate free. Sourcing good quality pork and "rolling your own" is something I wanna try too.

My cousins tell me of eating their own raised pigs from the "old country" that were fed just all the left over, rotting fruit from orchards (think figs, pears, persimmons) and the pork meat took on the flavors of the land and orchards. The meal-fed commercial pork we buy at the super market is so inferior. But hey, that's why smoke them ribs .

Thanks for the comments Rossco, Rod and Tom and Mike, just glad to offer a food success story.