Intake manifold meals?

[bobc455]

I've heard many stories about drivers (especially truck drivers) who would put foil-wrapped meals on their intake manifolds while they were driving for a few hours.

Any successful recipes? I've tried it a few times in the past and failed miserably. I have a 6-hour drive coming up Thursday (and another one Saturday) and I'd like to try again. I'll be driving a van with a 350, some nice places to put some food.

Anyone had any success with some intake manifold meals? No baked potatoes, please...

-Bob C.

[dkjones96]

Enjoy

Cruise-Control Pork Tenderloin - Cooking distance: 250 miles.

Ingredients:
1 large pork tenderloin, butterflied
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp dry white wine
1/2 cup red onion, minced
2 tsp rosemary (fresh), crushed
Salt & pepper

Blend together all of the ingredients (except the pork) and spread across the inside of the pork tenderloin. Close up the pork, triple-wrap in foil and place on a medium-hot part of the engine. Turn once (125 miles) during cooking.

That's from my Manifold Destiny cookbook. Came out great and it's perfect since El Paso is 270 miles from here and there is a rest stop halfway where I can turn it.

If you look up slow cooker meals you can usually find recipes you can use depending on engine bay size.

What thermostat does it run? I have a 195 degree and it cooked well.

[theholycow]

I've done it with small frozen pizzas and I think I did hot dogs too. I don't remember where I did it, but it was not on the intake manifold.

There are whole cookbooks and probably websites...but it's not rocket surgery, just throw it on where it won't fall off and drive.

[VetteOwner]

yea intake in theory should be a cooler part of the engine since it sucks in outside air.

get it near the exhaust manifold, engine head and should be good.

i used to throw poptarts on the exhaust manifold and drive the 10 mines to school and have a hot tart when i got there.

[bobc455]

Wow, that's quite a list of ingredients! I think it was missing one key ingredient - talent. I was kinda hoping for something that a "cooking dunce" could handle...

I think I might try some hot dogs, Google gave me one web site showing a guy who put hot dogs wrapped in bacon and was apparently pretty good. I've also found one for sausage/peppers/onions that sounded pretty good, and even one for chicken wings (but that required marinade, which puts it kinda out of my talent zone). However the chicken-wings got me thinking, maybe I can find some frozen wings that are pre-flavored and put them on the manifold for a few hours.

The manifold is cast iron, which is very efficient at conducting heat away from the heads (which generate plenty of heat when towing). Besides, I'm sure the ambient intake air is gonna be at least 110 - 120 degrees, the whole engine compartment will be quite hot. The exhaust manifolds don't have a good place to put food, it would just fall off. Besides, I'll have plenty of time - a 4 or 5 hour cook is no problem.

-BC

[Jay2TheRescue]

I used to cook stuff like Hot Pockets and Pop Tarts wrapped in foil on the exhaust manifold of my old 74 Chevy. About an hour at highway speed was good for a hot pocket.

[GasSavers_Scott]

Iv had too many small cars to take advantage of the intake manifold, but Im a Dash Board Cooker. Pizza, a burrito, chicken, mac and cheese, leave it on the dash board for a few hours and its piping hot in summer, in winter hang the food off a heater vent.

[theholycow]

Hot Pockets sounds like a great idea.

[Jay2TheRescue]

LOL, I'm an adult now. I haven't had Hot Pockets in years...

[GasSavers_JoeBob]

Volkswagen of America used to put out a monthly magazine for late-model VW owners back in the '70s...maybe they still do, dunno. Around '75-'77 or so, one issue had several recipes for meals to cook while driving.

I was at a junkyard about a year ago, saw one of those Cad Sevilles which had the extended hood and the fake side-mount spares. The extra space behind the engine could have easily been fitted with a nice-sized oven...