I’m stepping out here a little bit and venturing into the art of cooking in a hay box. What is a hay box? Think “slow cooker – unplugged”. Researching the concept of slow fire-less cooking I found that the idea is not new. I’ve been able to find newspaper articles and research papers mentioning using a fire-less cooker as far back as the 1890s. The idea is that you get your pot of food (broths, stews, vegetables do best) up to boiling and then put the closed container into an insulated box and let it simmer in its own heat for hours slowly cooking.
In the past, the cook would have used hay for insulation, but towels or quilts will work fine too. They would have used a wooden box, basket, drawer, trunk, or other closed container to keep in the heat and keep critters out of the cooking pot.
For my test, I used a cooler for the hay box and a sheet of insulation that came with a box of frozen food I ordered. (I knew that stuff would come in handy for something!). My pot was too wide, so I had to turn my cooler on its side so the pot would fit inside and the lid would close. A tight-fitting lid is needed so steam doesn’t escape. I also used a grill thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. Since I didn’t want everyone getting sick I made sure the stew stayed a consistent temperature. For the most part, mine remained around the 150F range for about 6 hours. When I opened the cooler to check it at the end the stew was still steaming and I had to use pot holders to remove the pot from the cooler!
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If you want to read more on cooking with a Hay Box here’s an article you can read from the Win the War Cookery Book and an article written in 1907 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Here’s the can cooker that I used for this recipe. This cooker also comes in handy for camping too!
Here’s my recipe for Venison Stew. Enjoy!
Venison Stew
- 28 Oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 2 -14.5 Oz Can Stewed Tomatoes
- 8 Oz Package of Sliced Fresh Mushrooms
- 32 fl oz Beef Broth
- 1 lb Venison – Cut into Small Cubes
- 1 packet Stew Seasoning Mix
- sprinkle Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Vegetable Oil
- 2 Bags Frozen Stew Vegetables
- Cut venison into small 1/2-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Brown meat in a skillet with a little vegetable oil.
- In a stew pot that has a lid that fits tight combine the tomatoes, frozen stew vegetables, sliced mushrooms, beef broth, and the browned venison meat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the stew seasoning mix. Let the mixture boil for 20 minutes. Stir to keep from burning the vegetables on the bottom of the pot and keep them from sticking.
- While the stew is boiling prepare your Hay Box. I used a cooler that my stew pot would fit into and I could still close the cooler lid. Get some material for insulation so that you can surround your stew pot once you place it into the cooler. Towels can be used, small blankets, or anything that will keep in the heat and provide insulation. Heat can cause your cooler to distort so don’t use your $500 Yeti.
- After your stew mixture boils for 20 minutes, put the lid on and carefully place the pot into the cooler. Surround the pot with insulation and place something heavy on the lid to help keep it closed. I used my “Can Cooker” and the lid has clamps that hold down the lid.
- If you are still afraid to try the Hay Cooker method, at this time use a slow cooker on low for 8 hours. Once your pot is placed in the Hay Cooker, close the cooler lid. Don’t peek in as you’ll let heat escape.
- Let your stew simmer in the Hay Cooker for at least 6 hours before checking it. It can be heated more before serving if you need to.
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