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Cast Iron, Simmering & Sanity

Carolina Q
Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
Tonight, I'm planning on a pasta dish with chicken breasts in an Italian tomato-based sauce over linguine. Usually, I sear the chicken, remove, add the sauce ingredients and let that simmer for a bit, then add the breasts back in and stew til the chicken pretty much falls apart. Ladle over the pasta and serve with homemade garlic toast.

I've never done this on the egg and am thinking about doing it in the Le Creuset enameled DO since I understand black CI isn't so good with tomato-based things.

A few questions...

1) Will the egg harm the Le Creuset? Sure would hate for that to happen!

2) Or can I, in fact, use well seasoned (antique) black CI for tomatoes?

3) What dome temp is "simmer"?

4) It's 25*F at 2:30PM. Will be around 20*F by the time I'm cooking. Who in their right mind would cook this dish outdoors in weather like that when they have a perfectly serviceable stove in a nice warm kitchen. Hmm? :lol:

Thanks!

I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Michael 
Central Connecticut 

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Comments

  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
    Black CI is ok with tomato based sauces...just don't leave it in the pot for days...Le Creuset is ok to use also..many people on the forum use both

    whatever temp you usually simmer is the temp you simmer on the BGE....250 probably works real well...indirect with platesetter

    outside temp does not effect the BGE ...only the person cooking is effected...LOL
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    1. No, it will not harm it at all. I use several LC pieces all the time. A little soft scrub makes the smoke come right off the exterior.

    2. Yes you can. Cooking tomato based foods in CI won't be an issue. Just don't store them that way. I cook large pots of chili in a CIDO with no off taste and no harm to the seasoning of the pot.

    3. Whatever temp it takes for the stuff to simmer. Probably in the 325-350 range. I use dutch ovens direct when doing dishes like you describe.

    4. Me and probably 90% of the people who read this forum on a regular basis.
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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
    1. The Egg wont harm the LeCrueset, assuming you are using an indirect setup.

    2. A subject of substantial debate. Seems the general consensus is to NOT do it, because the acidity can strip the seasoning, and also result in unpleasant flavoring of the food. I have been told by a well respected member of this forum and who is extremeley proficient in Cast Iron cooking, that as long as it is properly seasoned, you could cook tomoato based products up to three times in a row without those type results.

    3. Lower than you would think

    4. We are all kind of suspect regarding sanity.
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    FWIW - I have used Le Creuset enameled dutch ovens at 550* direct in the egg with no problems. Direct in the egg is really no different from having them over a burner on your gas range.

    I use them a lot, both in and out of the egg.

    And Tom don't know jack about cast iron ;) (I agree with him and cook chili, pasta sauce, and stews in my lodge dutch oven all the time. Never lost the seasoning and never experienced that "off" metallic taste people describe)
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,589
    im not a fan of tomatoes in cast iron but its probably becausr im doing longer cooks than most and i taste the difference. i would use the lecrueset. now i dont know if i ever seared anything in mine. i have a big black lodge i sear everything in.if i were makeing that dish i would sear stove top, deglaze with a little wine and add to the sauce in the dutch lecrueset and into the egg. i shoot for 325 and adjust when i start to see it come to temp.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    550*? With the lid? The LC site says the phenolic knob is only good to 375. Not that I figured I'd go even that high with this dish.

    BTW, I know the egg doesn't care about the weather. I cooked pizza in the cold rain the other night. Egg was fine. Pizza was fine. I was soaked. Uggh! Tonight, it will just be cold. And I'm a wuss. :lol:

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,589
    i think my problem is with the longer cooks and tomatos, fill a dutch with skinned tomatoes and low simmer it for 7/8 hours and come back and the dutch has no seasoning on the interior, back to that almost shiney grey it had when new. as for the taste i think you either taste it or dont
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Hmm. I was planning to sear on the grid, then remove the chicken, add the platesetter and the CI and do the rest, adding the chicken back in later.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
    You can always cover the handle with tin foil, remove it, or cook without the lid.
    I used Rod's LC at 400-450 for about 45-hour will no ill affects, but then the handle mayhave been seasoned by him taking it to 550. ;)
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Small screw, lefty loosey, knob falls off ;)

    I use it for baking at those temps - some really good rustic whole grain breads.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    45 hours, huh?

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
    See now you are starting to fit in around here, smart ass. :laugh: 45min - 1 hour.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Hey, I'm doing the best I can. :lol:

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Thanks, Kim. I have no idea what temp I usually simmer at. "Medium" or so on an electric stove. :) I've looked everywhere and I can't find the lo-med-hi knob on the egg! 250's as good a place to start as any though.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Just found a brass knob and a machine screw in my workshop. Problem solved. :)

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,589
    with an inderect setup its between 300 and 320 dome
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Just make sure that screw isn't galvanized

    (This post is a joke - trying to see if stripsteak is paying attention.)
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Michael,

    You will not hurt the enamelled do unless you forget about it. Mine have been through some really bad burns but they always soak clean.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    :whistle::whistle::whistle:

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Perfect! Thanks.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Oh, but it IS. So is the washer I needed. I don't wash my grid between cooks either. Am I still going to die? :(

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Thanks, Steve. THe whole 10 or 11 piece LC set cost 50 bucks (USD of course) so it's not that big a deal. Replacement cost would be an issue though. :)

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Yes. We all are.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Touche. Well, except maybe Jeff? :whistle:

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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