How A Bean Hole Bean Supper Works [VIDEO]
It was a warm and delicious Thursday night in Lincoln at the Riverdriver's Supper, that included some traditional cooking methods used by timber drivers on the Penobscot.
I'm fascinated by the whole process, so I thought I'd shoot some video and share it with anyone who's never been to a bean hole bean supper. My folks took me to see the process when I was a kid and it's pretty interesting. It starts with digging a hole in the ground and lining it with rocks that will retain the heat created by hot coals in the bottom of the pit. The bean pot is lowered into the hole and covered with dirt to form an underground oven.
Another cool preparation method is for the reflector oven biscuits.Reflector ovens look like metal boxes cut in half, diagonally. They have a shelf in the center of the oven to hold the biscuits and are placed on their side to face a blazing fire. The biscuits come out just dense enough to really soak up that bean juice and hold together. Perfect!
Thanks to the folks from the First Congregational Church of Lincoln for all their hard work at the Riverdriver's Supper. It was a great meal and a lot of fun to watch!