Cast Iron Beckerheads, Sound Off!

[Eero]

Just picked this up at Freddie's for $20 on sale:

 

[TPVT]

good deal. and great polish on that BK2.

 

[LostViking]

K.I.S.B. lll

Chicken on Thyme,

Well what should have been simple ended up not so simple,

I decided to try and use charcoal instead of wood. You know expand my horizons.

Here is where I started,


A Dutch Oven, some charcoal, a rock, how hard can it be?


Raw Materials, beer is actually in the recipe, chicken, taters, carrots, onion,


Butter, sea salt, pepper, thyme,


Warm oven, melt butter and spices, brown chicken,


Chop some veggies,


First problem, the Kingsford Briquettes are about half the size they used to be, by the time they get gray, there is no heat left.


Next Problem, can't get enough heat,


Screw it, move to wood fire,


In go the veggies, carrots, and taters,


Add some real wood coals,


Next Problem, it took me so long to get going, it got dark, but that beer in the recipe had some friends,


A quick check and stir and things are looking good,


Next Problem, it's starts snowing,


Finished Product,


Under heavy domestic pressure, I cave and agree to eat inside. marriage saved, food good!

 

[TwinStick]

"under heavy domestic pressure" ROLMAO !!!

 

[tjswarbrick]

Is it just a personal preference to use cast iron, or is there actual benifits to using it over other style/ metal pots and pans? I'm goolse it after I get off the forum, but just figured I would ask the people that swear by em. Nice collections, RGo2, and the others.

-dan

Also, not sure if it's always a benefit, but I find that liquid doesn't boil off nearly as quickly when I use my cast iron pans - compared to my cast aluminum and hard-coated aluminum. I can use less water or stock - and if I'm adding a bunch of high-water-content veggies and sauteeing, I may not need any liquid at all. Keeps things tender and juicy, but when I forget to plan for it my sauces run a little thin.

 

[tjswarbrick]

K.I.S.B. lll

First problem, the Kingsford Briquettes are about half the size they used to be, by the time they get gray, there is no heat left.

So, it's not just me. I've noticed if I let 'em warm up for more than about 15 minutes, I have to add a bunch and let 'em get hot again to complete a meal.

Looks awesome, LV.

"Heavy Domestic Pressure" is what keeps me from using Beckers and Cast Iron most of the time - I only get to play with camping toys at dinner time when SWMBO is otherwise occupied. I get crazy looks and snarky remarks... Consider yourself fortunate that it merely brought you in form the snow!

 

[TwinStick]

SWMBO---I had to look that up !!! ROLMAO !!!! LOL

.

.

. She who must be obeyed......................

 

[LostViking]

Yeah, I was pretty dissapointed in the charcoal.

I like wood, I understand how to use it, it just makes sense to me.

I was camping with an old high school buddy this summer. And we got to laughing, I'll use charcoal to start a wood fire and he will use wood to start a charcoal fire. Different strokes I guess.

But this last batch I got was really smaller. I would say a third smaller than it used to be. By the time it was ashed over it was almost out.

 

[buckeyeincincy]

Nice Pan

 

[buckeyeincincy]

Just picked this up at Freddie's for $20 on sale:

Nice pan

 

[tradewater]

And nice knife.

 

[1066vik]

cast iron breakfast:
2 pounds of bacon ends and pieces

2 medium taters & an onion frying up in some reserved bacon grease - with some chopped bacon (the big meaty end chunks)

sorry about the focus - I was drooling...

a couple cackleberries in their own skillet

smothered in chipotle and ready to eat! (yes, that's a homemade fork)

 

[The Warrior]

Looks good. That fork is awesome. :thumbup:

 

[Eero]

Took my new lodge out for its maiden voyage:

Started off with eggs:

Then the bacon:

 

[Tdhurl1103]

Yeah, I was pretty dissapointed in the charcoal.

I like wood, I understand how to use it, it just makes sense to me.

I was camping with an old high school buddy this summer. And we got to laughing, I'll use charcoal to start a wood fire and he will use wood to start a charcoal fire. Different strokes I guess.

But this last batch I got was really smaller. I would say a third smaller than it used to be. By the time it was ashed over it was almost out.

My wife and I use charcoal all the time. The problem that you had (just from the pics) is that in order to cook that chicken, or brown any meat, your oven has to be STOOPID hot. Like frying pan hot. Using charcoal means that in order to get that kind of heat you need waay more charcoal than you used. I'm sure you noticed that when you put the wood coals on there you used a lot right (again, looking at the pictures)? If you would have done that with the charcoal from the beginning your cooking time would have diminished greatly. Dutch oven cooking isn't an exact science, but it does take some skill. My wife and I are experimenting all the time, and we screw up just as much as we succeed. Don't loose faith in charcoal, it works, you just got to get your charcoal amounts right. Also, you were cooking in cold weather, so you will always need more than normal to balance that aspect of outdoor cooking (snowing).

Good luck!

 

[Tdhurl1103]

Took my new lodge out for its maiden voyage:

Started off with eggs:

Then the bacon:

Pretty cool. I'm curious though; I usually cook the bacon first, then then the eggs. Can't stand cold eggs. To each his own I guess. LOL

 

[Eero]

I put everything in a tortilla and then heated it all afterwards. Bacon egg and cheese breakfast burrito. I do the eggs first so they don't soak up the bacon grease.

 

[Mack]

I put everything in a tortilla and then heated it all afterwards. Bacon egg and cheese breakfast burrito. I do the eggs first so they don't soak up the bacon grease.

But?

 

[1066vik]

yeah - my thought, too -- cook bacon, drain MOST of the grease from the pan, add eggs...

 

[tradewater]

Save enough to make gravy. Vitamin G.