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Smoke with a casserole?

Smokin' Lady
Smokin' Lady Posts: 158
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Is there any use putting wood under a casserole of stew, or chili for some added flavor, or does the dutch oven block the smoke and you're just wasting wood? And can someone give me the temp. and time you would want for a big pot of soup or stew?
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  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
    Smokin' Lady,
    first, i leave the top off of the dutch oven for things like stew and soup. .. the egg provides for enough moisture retention that you lose very little, even on a long cook. .. . i do keep some broth/water handy though to replenish what little you do lose to evaporation .. . [p]i usually do chili or stews at around 350 dome temp on an indirect setup. ..in most case for anywhere from 3 - 5 hours (depending on what i'm cooking). ..as far as wood, that is up to you as to how much smoke infusion you want. ... i usually don't like a lot, so i don't add wood to my fire when doing these dishes, they still pick up just enough for a nice "rustic" flavor . . .
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    dsc02476al.jpg
    <p />Smokin' Lady,[p]Sure, a tight lid will block flavor in a Dutch oven but you can leave it off until the flavor is where you want it then put the lid on.[p]I'm careful with the smoke when doing casseroles like my Big Green Eggplant Parmesan or lasagna because both tomatoes and cheese take smoke easily. The same goes for an onion pie or even a pizza. The lump alone gives you a "brick oven" flavor.[p]~thirdeye~

    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
    thirdeye,
    i agree with you. ..when i do a lasagna, i like to finish with a thin layer of sauce over the cheese, because the sauce won't absorb as much smoke as the cheese... [p]IMG_0835.jpg[p]also, here is an oxtail stew. ...at the beginning of the cook, and after 5 hours at 350 degrees. ..no extra liquid added, and you can see how little total evaporation there was. . . .[p]DSCN0986.jpg
    DSCN0987.jpg
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    mad max beyond eggdome,[p]Funny, I was just thinking about us comparing oxtail notes a couple of years ago.[p]~thirdeye~

    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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  • Smokin' Lady
    Smokin' Lady Posts: 158
    thirdeye and Mad Max, thanks for your tips, and all your dishes look great. Looking forward to experimenting with lots of soups and stews. I did do the Cow Lickin' Chili once, which was great, and a southwestern mac and cheese which was also pretty good.

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  • egret
    egret Posts: 4,170
    Smokin' Lady,
    Well, I was gonna tell you how good my Cow Lickin' Chile was cooked like this, but, I see you've already discovered it!!
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  • egret
    egret Posts: 4,170
    Pot roast comes out real well, also.....[p]PotRoast.jpg

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  • The Spawn
    The Spawn Posts: 23
    mad max beyond eggdome,
    I WANT OX-TAIL STEW WHEN I GET HOME!!!
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  • Pdub
    Pdub Posts: 234
    Smokin' Lady,
    Make sure you use clean lumb when baking things that absorb flavor easily. Nothing worse that burger flavored apple crisp. [p]Paine
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  • billt
    billt Posts: 225
    Smokin' Lady,
    go back in the archives to 9/22/07 threads regarding dutch ovens will answer many of your questions.. as for temp i found 325 with the pot set down on a versagrate or spider worked great. and remember "everything tastes better cooked on the egg"
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  • Smokin' Lady
    Smokin' Lady Posts: 158
    egret, wow, that looks like a dandy idea too. So many things to try, so little time. Thanks for sharing your chili recipe - I followed the recipe exactly, except I couldn't find Serrano chiles, plus I used Bone Dust Rub instead of Dizzy Pig, but it still tasted fine, and everyone who has tried it so far wants me to make it again. I'll bet it goes over well at the eggfests.

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  • Smokin' Lady
    Smokin' Lady Posts: 158
    Pdub, you're right. I have two medium eggs, and I try to use one for all my meat cooks and the other for desserts. One of these days I'm going to have to get a 2nd plate setter, too.

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  • egret
    egret Posts: 4,170
    Smokin' Lady,
    It does go over well indeed at the fests! I'm going to be brewing up a bunch in Atlanta at the Eggtoberfest. You should look into getting some DP Cowlick rub if you can. It really adds a special element, hence the recipe name. Email me off line and we'll see what we can do to help you out if you can't get it there........
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