Next throw down- Cast Iron Cookoff! Big money! Big Prizes!

cazzy · June 2013

SaturdayFatterday said:

So I'm doing my throwdown cook on Friday, and I asked my wife if I could use one of our Le Creuset pieces on the Egg. I promised to take very good care of it and thoroughly restore it to pristine condition after use.

Long story short, here's my new Lodge cast iron:

Oh Oh, what's inside?

Little Steven · June 2013

cazzy said:

SaturdayFatterday said:

So I'm doing my throwdown cook on Friday, and I asked my wife if I could use one of our Le Creuset pieces on the Egg. I promised to take very good care of it and thoroughly restore it to pristine condition after use.

Long story short, here's my new Lodge cast iron:

Oh Oh, what's inside?

Interesting and a little sad. Feel your pain.

I asked my wife if I could use one of our Le Creuset pieces on the Egg.

SaturdayFatterday · June 2013

@LS: I've definitely given the wrong impression here; I was just trying [and failing] to be funny. The real conversation was more like this:

Her: "Instead of cleaning the Creuset, why don't you just let all the stuff you would clean act as good seasoning on a non-enameled pan? Then you can just use it on the Egg all you like without worrying about much scrubbing."

Me (dumbfounded by the simplicity and logic): "Duuuuhhhhh...never thought of that."

Her (pecking me on the cheek): "I love you."

I didn't mean to cast aspersions on my wife. I was just doing schtick.

Little Steven · June 2013

I was joking too. Except that I feel your pain thing.

SaturdayFatterday · June 2013

So, given that this thread is buried, I'm sure it means no one is paying attention anymore. However, I finally have my entry: Braised oxtails with root vegetables. Except for the egg noodles we put the finished product on, I cooked every bit of this with cast iron on the Egg - either in my Lodge CI Dutch oven or directly on the CI grate.

So first, I lit the fire and coaxed the Egg up to a 350-400* stable temp. I salted and peppered the oxtails, roughly chopped some onion, carrot, and celery, and combined salt, pepper, 2 cups chicken stock, 2 cups red wine (Barefoot Malbec), the leaves of two sprigs of thyme, a bay leaf, and three garlic cloves (skin-on) in a large Pyrex container:

Then, I heated the Dutch oven with a little oil in it. Once it was hot enough, I started searing the outsides of the oxtails:

and turned them, in batches, to brown all sides:

Next, put the oxtails aside, and add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery:

Once the onions turn translucent, return the oxtails to the pot, and add the wine/stock/salt/thyme/bay leaf mixture:

Cover and stew for three hours:

In the meantime, I started some pickles for next week:

Then, prepare carrots (trim), parsnips (halve or quarter), and turnips (slice and halve) with oil, salt, and pepper:

and cook them in batches on the CI grid while the oxtails are braising:

Take the oxtails out of the pot and set the Egg vents to "low and slow" temp range:

Strip the meat off the bones, and roughly chop the root vegetables:

Strain the solids out of the cooking liquid remaining in the pot. Then add the oxtail meat, root veggies, and cooking liquid back to the pot, put the pot back on the Egg, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, cook some egg (Egg?) noodles on the stove. After sitting in the low heat for a bit, the oxtails and veggies will look like this:

Top the egg noodles with the oxtail and root veggie mixture:

It's like the richest beef stew you ever tasted. Enjoy!

travisstrick · June 2013

My new toy. A 7qt Lodge enameled cast iron DO. (The wife lady knows what I like).

TexanOfTheNorth · June 2013

Okay, did my CI entry tonight. If I had to choose a "last meal", this is probably what it would be... chicken fried steak, fried potatoes and onions, sourdough biscuits and, of course, gravy! To prepare this feast I used my CI skillet, griddle and biscuit pan.

On with the pics:

Tenderized round steak soaking in buttermilk:

I coat the steak with flour, salt and pepper and let it rest for 5-10 minutes then dip it in buttermilk again and re-flour it.

Here are the ingredients for the sourdough biscuits:

A couple of Pina Coladas to make sure things move forward in the right direction:

Steak, sliced potatoes and onions and biscuits all prepped and ready to go:

Steaks frying in the CI skillet:

Potatoes and onions frying on the CI griddle:

Biscuits on to bake:

Ingredients for the gravy:

Making the gravy:

Plated and ready to eat:

SmokeyPitt · June 2013

Wow...I woke up this morning with hunger pains! NIce job @SaturdayFatterDay and @TexanOfTheNorth.

This throw down is still on!!! Remember folks...go through all the entries and "Like" your favorite to vote.

U_tarded · June 2013

dang theres some solid cooks here! i haven't seen one i wouldn't eat! we gonna get more entries?

Eggcelsior · June 2013

travisstrick said:
My new toy. A 7qt Lodge enameled cast iron DO. (The wife lady knows what I like).

Travis, you're almost out of salt. Stock up dude.

Aviator · June 2013

So here is my entry.

CI skillet pork chops with mushrooms and Tennessee whiskey sauce.

As this was a CI throw down, I decided to showcase some various CI instruments of cooking that I had, in a simple but very elegant and tasty creation. I have done this with other meat/fish as well, sometimes with wine instead of the whiskey. Here, I was looking for the "smokeyness" of the bourbon. I don't care much for the regular No.7 so went with the Gentleman Jack. Made in Lynchburg, TN.

The ingredients:

Pork chops were sprinkled and ready. My sous chef was my daughter who learned how to light the egg and regulate temps, and insists that she was the chef.

Skillet on the egg getting hot and then chops on it.

After a nice char, transferred the chops to a cool CI smooth bottomed skillet and placed it back in the egg while I shut the vents to a crack and let the egg come down in temps. This continued to cook till IT was reached, then removed from the egg.

Next went in my CI dutch oven to make the sauce. Did not want to risk doing it on a shallow skillet due to the Jack Daniels.

In went the shallots and garlic in EVOO and a touch of butter, then the mushrooms to brown them and added the stock, and the TN whiskey. Added some fresh jalapenos that were picked right off the plant. Reduced it down and taken off the egg. The basil was added after it had cooled down a tad.

Next went on my CI wok.

Into the hot wok went rice, diced up peppers, peas and a handful of mushrooms as well.

The protector, watching... he was very optimistic, daddy is doing the JD and will drop something...

He had just had a bath and was drying off on the deck. I was afraid he may turn black with the soot.

Plated. Was delicious and well worth all the effort. You could it serve this also with the chops dropped into the sauce on a shallow dish before serving, with the rice on the side.

nolaegghead · June 2013

Eggcelsior said:

My new toy. A 7qt Lodge enameled cast iron DO. (The wife lady knows what I like).
Travis, you're almost out of salt. Stock up dude.

We do the same thing - it's mostly Tony Chachere's though.

Dredger · June 2013

I love this thread. All of my CI is still packed up after the move. Gotta find that box and unpack it.

SmokeyPitt · June 2013

@Aviator...wow! Really nice job man. In it to win it fo shizzle!!

Is your dog an American Eskimo?

Aviator · June 2013

@smokeypitt yes he is an Esky.

SmokeyPitt · June 2013

Aviator said:
@smokeypitt yes he is an Esky.

Thought so...I have one too.

caliking · June 2013

@Aviator: Awesome cook! That shot of the chops on the egg with the fire halo is magazine quality.

caliking · June 2013

Djej Besla - Moroccan Chicken and Onion Tagine

I was not planning on entering the throwdown, because i didn't think I would have time to get an entry put together. One thing led to another, and I ended up yearning to throw my hat into the ring!

My wife makes a pretty good kefta mkawra (Moroccan lamd and egg tagine). I've been wanting to try more tagines (wanted to buy an actual tagine too). Just as i was lamenting the fact that i didn't have a tagine, I thought about how a CI DO should perform in a similar manner. Then I got to thinking about the throwdown. And well, here I am.

Started with mashing up some garlic with kosher salt.

Next, took red chili flakes, cumin, turmeric, paprika, and olive oil to make a paste. The garlic salt paste was added to the spice/oil mixture. The saffron went into the pot later.

Mixed it all up with the chicken and refrigerated for 4 hrs. Pulled out the large egg and fired it up, with the CI grate on. Finished some prep work as the DO heated up.

Browned the chicken. It smelled so good, i think I could have eaten the chicken right then. Gives me an idea for chicken wings in the future!

Took the chicken out, and added some extra spice paste that I made up. Once the spices bloomed, in went the saffron and the onions.

Chicken went back in, with sliced lemon, and a cup of water to cook. Let it ride at about 350°F dome for 40mins.

Egg happily chugging away:

Shut the egg down after 40mins or so, and let the chicken cook for another 30mins. Garnished with capers (no olives at home) and cilantro.

The chicken was very tender after the extended stewing/braising or whatever its called. We don't usually braise chicken like this, so its kinda different. It was very tender and the sauce was garlicky with a a great cumin flavor. Its on the menu for dinner tomorrow ( so that the flavors get friendly overnight), probably with basmati rice. I thought this was the last day for the throwdown, so you'll just have to imagine the plated shot !

Aviator · June 2013

@cali that looks so yummy. Will have to try it one day soon.

Aviator · June 2013

Is today the last day for this?

SmokeyPitt · June 2013

Aviator said:
Is today the last day for this?

Yes. Today is the last day for entries.

SmokeyPitt · June 2013

All the entries are in. We will keep the voting lines open through Tuesday and the winner will be announce on Wed. Great job everyone- this has been fun! Lots of really creative and delicious looking meals.

U_tarded · June 2013

Gonna bump this up! Last day for voting!

SmokeyPitt · June 2013

That is very sporting of you considering when I counted this morning you were in the lead

. The "idea man" is on your heels though!

U_tarded · June 2013

Hahaha, I know! But I don't want I see this on page 3 for the last day of voting. I'm not scared of little Steven unless he's been Molsens all day then I'm terrified.

SmokeyPitt · June 2013

Good man!

Little Steven · June 2013

U_tarded said:

Hahaha, I know! But I don't want I see this on page 3 for the last day of voting. I'm not scared of little Steven unless he's been Molsens all day then I'm terrified.

All in good fun man! The idea is to get some ideas going around for new stuff. BTW I just un-voted my vote for yours B-) Nothing about the cook, it's a cardinal sin in Canada to misspell Molsons

SmokeyPitt · June 2013

Uh oh...does that mean we have a tie??

<edit>

No...I see you were only bluffing. Your vote is still there

.

SmokeyPitt · June 2013

42 minutes left to vote!

U_tarded · June 2013

Little Steven said:

U_tarded said:

Hahaha, I know! But I don't want I see this on page 3 for the last day of voting. I'm not scared of little Steven unless he's been Molsens all day then I'm terrified.

All in good fun man! The idea is to get some ideas going around for new stuff. BTW I just un-voted my vote for yours B-) Nothing about the cook, it's a cardinal sin in Canada to misspell Molsons

haha, I know its all in good fun! these throwdowns have been fun, I have gotten tons of ideas from them, and it gets the creativity flowing. Also I haven't had a Molson since college so I wasn't 100% on the spelling.

Next throw down- Cast Iron Cookoff! Big money! Big Prizes!

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