Chicken Fajitas, spanish rice (not on egg) and a loaf of bread (Pic heavy)

tarheelmatt

Been a little while.  I cooked a couple nights ago, but was strapped for time and didn't snap any pictures.  I did today though.  

Marinated three huge chicken breast for a couple of hours.  Marinated consisted of canola oil infused chile powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, lemon juice, lemon zest, and some red wine vinegar.  I butterflied the chicken breasts so they wouldn't be so large and be rubbery and have no flavor in the middle.  

Cooked the breast raised direct until about 160°.  I removed and sliced and placed in the CI skillet with the onions, peppers, and green onion.  Wished I would have added more of the green onion.  It really added a great flavor.  

Been wanting to try some bread.  Tried one time and it was a failure.  Today, I feel I was somewhat sucessful.  Though I just don't have that good brown outer I was wanting.  I have more so I will try that.  My Egg was losing temp as I had to leave to take my Mom some food then come back.  I didn't fill the box up much with lump from the get go.   

CI skillet ready for heat.  Onions, peppers, and green onions.  

Everything is getting some love....

Just before I pulled the chicken to slice and put back in skillet. 

Everything back in the pan! 

Made some spanish rice to go along with the chicken and of course cilantro!  

My first semi successful attempt at bread....

theyolksonyou

Good looking cook as always matthew.

DMW

Looks great!

To get the golden brown crust you are looking for, you need some steam for the first part of the bake. There are several ways to do that, looking at your setup an easy way would be to cover the bread with a large upside down stainless steel bowl initially. Pull the bowl off about 1/2 way through. This will trap the moisture inside the bowl while it is baking initially providing the steam effect.

tarheelmatt

@theyolksonyou, thank you my friend.  

@DMW.. Ahh.. I would assume that would make the outside a little less tough/hard too?  I will have to find or buy me a bowl.  Don't think I have a metal bowl.  Do you need to add water via a drip pan or something?  

SGH

Looks like a grand slam home run to me brother Tar =D>

fence0407

Excellent looking meal! 

Mattman3969

Fine looking meal!!

DMW

No, when you cover the bread, you do not need to add water. The moisture in the dough cooking out will provide that. You can also bake the bread in a dutch oven and then remove the lid 1/2 way through. Note, when you uncover it, the color will not be there yet. That happens at the very end.

Something else you could do, is place a small pan on the baking stone, or on the rack below. First option would be on the rack below, but the next step may be difficult. Keep the pan dry until you put the bread dough on the stone. At that time, add about 1 cup of boiling water to the pan. This will create a great steam environment for first part of the bake. The egg will look like it is smoking heavily, but it will be steam. Be very careful, steam burns hurt, don't ask me how I know... A shallow pan below the stone would be ideal, a long stem metal funnel would be very useful to add water to the pan in this setup. I'll dig up some of my posts with these setups illustrated if I can find them.

Keep at the bread, heaps of fun.

tarheelmatt

Thanks @DMW!  I want to become better at this for sure, so I will keep at it.  Plus, I made a large batch of dough that I need to use.  Will post progress soon for sure.  May try to do another tomorrow.  

tarheelmatt

Thanks @SGH, @Mattman3969, and @fence0407

DMW

@tarheelmatt

Here's a couple setups that work fairly well. The idea is with these is you want the water pan below the bread so the steam comes up and surrounds the bread. If it is on the same level, say just set on the stone I don't know if it would make a difference, but I'll be the side toward the water pan would be different than the other side unless you rotated during the cook.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1158050/large-loaf-on-the-xlbge

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1159145/new-setup-to-me-for-baking-bread

Also, I highly recommend the book "Flour Water Salt Yeast". You really learn heaps about the "why", not just the "what".

tarheelmatt

Thanks @DMW!  

jcaspary

Excellent looking meal.

johnmitchell

Awesome looking meal..You need to get some more bread made quickly, then all you need to go out for is milk.... )...They saying its going to get chilly... Once again great looking meal..

Griffin

Great looking meal. Even though I haven't done bread on the Egg, I gotta second the steam idea. Last year when we were having the ice-pocalypse and I was cooking a lot of bread inside, I used a pan for steam. Used a small cast iron skillet in fact. Let it come up to temp along with your baking stone, then add in boiling water when you add your dough. Should help, try it and let us know.

I've been thinking this week about making some bread. I think my parents are coming over Saturday for dinner, maybe I'll try the bread on the Egg then.

tarheelmatt

Thanks @jcaspary!  

tarheelmatt

@johnmitchell, Lol... My wife will get a kick out your comment.  She's from Ohio and don't understand.  The struggle is real!  

The dough was from Bread in 5 and that recipe appears make a lot.  Hopefully by the time I run out of this bag of flour, I will at least get an acceptable loaf.  

tarheelmatt

Griffin said:

Great looking meal. Even though I haven't done bread on the Egg, I gotta second the steam idea. Last year when we were having the ice-pocalypse and I was cooking a lot of bread inside, I used a pan for steam. Used a small cast iron skillet in fact. Let it come up to temp along with your baking stone, then add in boiling water when you add your dough. Should help, try it and let us know.

I've been thinking this week about making some bread. I think my parents are coming over Saturday for dinner, maybe I'll try the bread on the Egg then.

Thanks @Griffin!  Though the color wasn't there for this loaf, it tasted really good. I can see the taste and look getting better with each loaf.  

tarheelmatt

@DMW and @Griffin, tried again tonight and the steam treatment appears to work magic!  Though I didn't use the egg tonight, just the oven.  

Haven't taste tested, but so far, from the looks, it is a much better improvement.  

DMW

<:-P Nice!

Griffin

=D> Bravo, SIr, Bravo!! So the taste test? Sliced pic preferebaly dripping with melted buttah? 

tarheelmatt

@Griffin, I didn't take a picture of the slice.  I didn't think about it (kinda crazy as my camera is always laying around).  I wasn't going to eat any as I had already had dinner and wasn't hungry, but I had to.  

I think I do need to leave it in a little longer next time, but the taste was fantastic.  I believe I pulled a little early as the inside was still very moist.  I read in some recipes where they pull at 200°. 

I used a sheet pan for the water.  I wonder, because there was so much surface area, that the water evaporated to fast and maybe I should use something smaller to keep the steam going for longer?  I think you said you used a small CI pan, Griffin for water.  I may use that the next go around to see if that does any better.  

I am on to the right track thanks to you guys.  I really do appreciative the help and support.  This bread kick I am on currently can only get better now!  

NDG

Very nice cook - fajitas in cast iron sounds great and bread looks phenom.