We had pizza last night, made from scratch -- once you've kneaded the dough, it's quite capable of rising on its own, so I helped Clelia with her homework and did other things while feeding the fire in the pizza oven. Which of course got hot, and since cooking pizza is a dynamic process one does without shutting the oven door, I decided to see what would happen to some salted and spiced spare ribs set on a rack in a pan in the oven's mouth.

They roasted beautifully, with almost all of the fat rendering out while the meat was delightfully browned, flavorful, and moist inside. In short, much nicer than what our conventional oven produces, and I attribute this to the hot air flowing over them and up the flue. Next time I'll do a chicken for those who don't like pizza (yes, such people do exist).

Pizza Recipes and More | Using a Wood-Fired Oven | Rosticciana, Tuscan Spare Ribs