Create amazing table fare and food memories in your backyard with the Ñuke 60 wood-fired oven. (Jessyca Sortillon photo)
September 22, 2020
By Jessyca Sortillon
Many backyard chefs cook with propane, natural gas, electricity, and charcoal. However, if you’re ready to take your outside cuisine up a notch, it is time to start cooking with real wood. Cooking with fire is not only fun but also delivers great-tasting food. When meals are cooked over a wood fire, they become enhanced with a light, smoky flavor that is not overwhelming and it is absolutely delicious.
The Ñuke 60 is an outdoor wood-burning oven inspired by the Argentinian gaucho-style of cooking over real fire and each oven is skillfully handmade by artisans in Argentina. Argentinian gauchos, known for their exceptional grilling techniques, use quality ingredients, cook using real wood, and create fun food memories with family and friends. With a Ñuke oven, you can bring this level of cooking to your backyard or camping space for the ultimate outdoor meal experience.
Cook Anything and Everything with the Ñuke 60 The Ñuke cooks food with enveloping heat, making it perfect for roasts and thick steaks because it creates a nice brown crust on the meat but still leaves the center medium-rare. What else can you cook in a Ñuke oven? Chicken breasts, pork chops, ribs, homemade bread, roasted vegetables, pizza … the possibilities are endless. If you remove the two racks from inside the oven, you can even cook a small whole pig in it on the included roasting tray! My favorite food to cook in the oven is pizza. I’ve tried a few different homemade pizza crusts and have narrowed it down to one that works really well in the Ñuke. Click here to see my favorite homemade pizza dough recipe.
With the Ñuke real fire oven, you can cook meat on the top rack and bake pizza on the second rack. (Jessyca Sortillon photo) Built-To-Last Construction Made of strong painted steel, the Ñuke oven is aesthetically attractive and durable. As long as the oven is properly taken care of, the oven will look beautiful on your deck or in your yard and is sure to last a long time. To maintain the appearance of the oven and prevent rust, keep it moisture-free and clean after each use. Ñuke sells the oven with a cover to protect it from rain.
There are two chambers in the oven: a cooking chamber on the top and a combustion chamber (firebox) below. Both chambers are 23 ½ inches deep and lined with refractory tiles to withstand high temps and promote even cooking within the oven. Inside the oven, there are two removable, stainless-steel cooking racks and a roasting tray. You can also cook pizza directly on the refractory bricks that line the bottom of the cooking chamber for authentic brick-oven pizza.
The Ñuke’s firebox is easy to load with firewood and features an adjustable air intake for optimal temperature control. Simply open the regulator/intake for more air and a hotter fire or close it for less air and a cooler fire. The built-in pyrometer on the front top of the oven helps you gauge the temperature inside the oven so you know when to adjust the intake. The Ñuke’s independent steam and smoke exhausts ensure foods are not overpowered with a smoky flavor and that the outside air doesn’t get too smoky.
Ñuke 60 combustion chamber loaded with real firewood. (Jessyca Sortillon photo) Ñuke 60 ovens are available with or without a cart. When deciding which version is right for your outdoor space, consider how often you might want to move the oven. The oven itself is extremely heavy and difficult to move without the help of another person. The Countertop version (without the cart) is great if you have an outdoor kitchen with adequate countertop space and plan to keep the oven in one place. However, if you are limited on space and want to be able to move the oven around the yard or camp as needed, opt for the oven with the rolling base.
Specs and Features Fuel type: Wood Exterior material: Painted Steel Exterior dimensions of oven on base (not including chimney pipe): 24”W x 35.5”D x 64”H Cooking area dimensions: 18.1”W x 31.5”D x 11.8”H Adjustable, built-in variable control intake Built-in thermometer to monitor cooking temp Refractory bricks in cooking and fire chamber Includes 2 (16.5” x 30.82”) chrome-plated cooking racks, 1 (15.35” x 30.82”) stainless-steel roasting tray, 1 30-inch shovel, 1 30-inch poker, and 1 full-length vinyl cover Base cart has handle and wheels for easy transportation Model #: OVEN6002 MSRP: $1599.99; realfirebbq.com
Best Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe DIY pizza nights with the Ñuke 60 outdoor oven are a favorite in my home. (Jessyca Sortillon photo) Yield: Dough for 2 pizzasTotal time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 (.25) ounce package active dry yeast 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 cup warm water 2 cups bread flour + extra as needed 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt Directions:
In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and warm water. Let sit for about 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes creamy. Add bread flour, salt, and olive oil to the bowl of a stand mixer (such as a KitchenAid Stand Mixer ). Attach dough hook to mixer. Turn speed to 2 and beat while slowly adding in yeast mixture. Beat until smooth and dough forms. Allow dough to rest for 5 minutes. Put dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a ball. If the dough is too sticky, add some extra flour to it. Split dough ball into two pieces and roll/pat to make crust for two pizzas.
