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Tips on How to Use a Smoker

Once you know how to use a smoker, cookouts will never be the same again. If you have ever been tempted to toss your grill and try smoking your meat but didn’t know how to use a smoker, fear not! Using a smoker is easier than lighting a barbeque and it produces tastier meat.

A smoker is a piece of equipment that cooks food over heat created by burning wood, rather than burning coals. Once you have the know-how to use a smoker you will be able to make terrific food with unbelievable flavor. The secret to knowing how to use a smoker is all in the wood. Each type of wood used in a smoker creates a different flavor to the food. Mesquite wood gives your steak or your salmon a robust flavor, while oak or hickory adds a completely diverse flavor.

The first thing to do is find a location where there will be as little traffic as possible. Usually cooking with a smoker will take some time and occasionally the smoker will be left unattended so it should be in an area where children and pets are not likely to go. Wind conditions should also be taken into consideration so that smoke is not entering the house or interfering with outdoor activities.

A typical smoker has two barrels at the bottom. Build a fire at the base of the barrels with whatever type of wood you choose to cook with. Heat the wood for at least an hour. Those who know how to use a smoker will tell you that the key to making the best meals is to know just how long to heat the wood, and how much wood should be added to the steamer once you start. You want the wood to burn at a nice even temperature. This takes some practice so don’t despair if you don’t get it right the first time.

Once the wood has been thoroughly heated, you can add your food. You will need to monitor the temperature on a regular basis while the food is being smoked. Cooks who know how to use a smoker will tell you to that it takes practice to know when to adjust your flues and your dampers but that keeping the right temperature is the key to turning out delicious smoked food.

You have tons of options when cooking with a smoker. Not only can you pick between lots of different types of wood to give your food flavor, you can also experiment on smoking lots of different types of foods. Cooks who know how to use a smoker to their advantage not only smoke more than one kind of meat at a time (try smoking a turkey and steak at the same time) they also try different foods. Wait till you try chili in your smoker!

Seriously, once you know how to use a smoker, there is a whole new world of cooking experiences waiting for you!

Camping Dutch Ovens – 6 Must-Have Features

If you have ever done any outdoor camping, you probably know what a Dutch oven is. And if you have ever been the designated camp cook, you have probably used one for some of your campfire recipes. But have you ever considered exactly what makes a good camping Dutch oven such a versatile camping cookware tool, and what makes some better than others? These 6 must-have features are what separate a good campfire Dutch oven from something your mother might use in the kitchen.

1. Cast Iron – You definitely want a camping Dutch oven to be made of cast iron. You can find aluminum ones, but leave those for home cooking. A traditional black cast iron Dutch oven will be more durable, provide much more even heat transfer, and maybe it’s just imaginary, but a well-seasoned cast iron one just seems to add a light touch of authentic “smoky camp” flavor to your campfire recipes.
2. Wall thickness – Uniform wall and bottom thickness is a must for even heat distribution. Just like the name implies, cast iron Dutch ovens are made using a “casting” process, they are not “stamped-out” like typical pots and pans. And like any processes, some are better than others. Make sure the walls and bottom of both the pot and lid are a uniform thickness with no obvious shallow spots or bulges. They will give you poor heat distribution, and may even be enough of a structural defect to allow the hot pot to crack open and spill its contents.
3. Legs – It must have those 3 stubby legs on the bottom. They do more than just provide stability; they also add a little bottom clearance between the pot and the coals that will contribute to better heat distribution. A Dutch oven pot that rests completely on hot coals will almost always burn whatever is on the bottom of the pot.
4. Lid-to-pot fit – It is very important that the lid fits tightly onto the pot, giving you a good seal that keeps the heat inside, where you want it. If the lid-to-pot fit has any gaps, or is not tight, it will let heat escape, and not allow it to cook the way it was designed to. If you have a bad seal it will only cook like any other pot with a lid.
5. Raised lid rim – As its name implies, a lot of campfire recipes for Dutch ovens include baking, and you need a heat source on top to get this effect. And that means putting hot coals on the lid. A lid without a raised rim, or a domed lid, will not allow you to safely put coals on top.
6. Handles – The oven pot should have a sturdy “bail-type” wire handle that attaches directly to ears that are a molded part of the oven pot. The metal of the handle should be at least 3/16″ to ¼” thick to provide the strength to safely handle a very hot, very full, Dutch oven. The lid should also have a “loop-type” handle in its center that is a molded part of the lid formed during the casting process. This will give you a safe way to lift or manipulate the lid during the cooking process.

And there you have the most important features to look for in a good camping cast iron Dutch oven for your favorite campfire recipes. A Dutch oven with all these features will be one you can pass down from father to son, (or mother to daughter), for generations, instead of being relegated to a dusty corner in the garage or attic.

Vintage Kitchens of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

1930s: The Steam-lined -Depression Era “Modern Kitchen”

By the 1930′s, the kitchen was being transformed from the old fashioned kitchen to the “Streamlined-Modern Kitchen” with time saving features, better organization and much improved ventilation. The “all-electric kitchen” was promoted in popular magazines with numerous advertisements showing newly designed small and major appliances. Mixers were the homemakers dream now designed with numerous attachments that could sift flour, mix dough, grate cheese, squeeze lemons, whip potatoes, shred, slice and chop vegetables and even sharpen knives. “Depression Green” was the “in” color used on the wooden handles of kitchen utensils, on kitchen cabinets and tables and on kitchen wares. Often accessories were cream and green replacing the white and black look of the previous decades.

Other popular color combinations in the 1930s were Gray and Red or Crimson, Silver and Green, Pearl Pink and Blue, as well as the use of checkered patterns on textiles. Kitchen wares such as canisters and Bread boxes tended to be softly painted with perhaps a simple decal.

In 1935 the National Modernization Bureau was established to promote modernization throughout the country. Manufacturers competed for better designed appliances and kitchen accessories. Color began to enter the kitchens of the thirties and articles in magazines featured decorating tips on color schemes and how to incorporate the kitchen into the rest of the home. Kitchens were no longer work stations but gaining as much attention as the rest of the home. Small and large appliances were available in color and Sears and Montgomery Ward featured colorful kitchen wares and “japanned” accessories such as canister sets, range sets, cake savers, bread boxes and waste baskets.

1940s: The Postwar Colorful Era

The Post War kitchen of the 1940′s began to become family gathering places and now tables and chairs made of chrome bases with enamel, linoleum or plastic tops could be added to a more spacious kitchen which replaced the smaller work centered earlier kitchens. Separate formal dining rooms were being replaced by kitchens that could accommodate the family and guests. The kitchen was becoming a very inviting space and primary colors dominated the interior décor palette. Magazines advertised products for your “Gay Modern Kitchen”. Combinations of red, green and yellow or red and black were popular as well as brightly colored tablecloths, textiles and curtains. Flowers, fruits and Dutch motif were in vogue and found on shelving paper, trim, decals and kitchenwares. Appliances continued to be produced with streamlined designs, rounded corners and smaller proportions. The combination washer/dishwasher was introduced as well as the garbage disposal and freezers for home use.

1950s: The Atomic Era-Pastel Color-Space Age

Dramatic changes would occur in the kitchens of the 1950′s as space age, atomic era designs and materials entered the scene. The fifties kitchen featured plastics, pastel colors such turquoise or aqua, pink and yellow (cottage colors), Formica and chrome kitchen table and chair sets matched formica kitchen counters and were easy to keep clean with messy little ones. After the war there was more time for leisure promoting kitchenware’s and accessories for picnics, barbecues, parties and the home bar.

The introduction of color T.V. in the 1950s brought full color into America’s living rooms where homemakers could now see all the exciting products and appliances available to them. Following World War II, there was a new generation of plastics and time for “gracious living” and entertaining. Kitchens and homes saw the transition from glass, ceramic and tin products to numerous types of plastics which made casual living easier. Melmac and Melamine dishes, Lustro-ware and Tupperware storage accessories and “thermowall” for picnics were a huge success. Vinyl was used for tablecloths, chair covers and furniture and bark cloth with boomerang and abstract shapes was popular. Tablecloths and dishcloths continued to be brightly colored and souvenir textiles were added to the home with tropical, Southwestern and Mexicana themes. Poodles, roosters and designs with kitchen utensils, tea pots and coffee pots decorated potholders, appliance covers and linens. Appliances were built-in and came in fifties colors such as turquoise, soft yellow, pink and copper.

Types of Beef Roasts

There are four main categories of beef roasts with a wide selection of beef roasts in each category. It can be intimidating to shop for beef roasts when there is so much to choose from. For ease in grocery shopping when it comes to beef roasts follow this simple break down of each main category of beef roast.

The break down of each of the four main categories of beef roasts include, the preferred cooking method for each category of beef roast, the standard costs for each category of beef roast and the types of beef roasts found in each category.

Chuck Roasts

Chuck roasts are a low cost per pound meat that includes ribs 1-5, the shoulder blade bone and should be cooked by a moist method such as braising or slow cooker.

o Top Blade Roast

o Chuck 7 – Bone Roast

o Chuck – Eye Roast

o Under Blade Roast

o Chuck Shoulder Roast

Rib Roasts

Rib roasts are very expensive per pound and come from ribs 6-12. Rib roasts also require a dry cooking method for optimum taste.

o Prime Rib

o Rib Roast 2nd Cut

Sirloin Roasts

Sirloin roasts come for the hip area of the steer and are a low to moderate cost per pound beef. Sirloin roasts lend themselves well to dry cooking methods.

o Tenderloin

o Top Sirloin Roast

o Sirloin Tri-tip Roast

Round Roast

Round roasts are a low cost per pound beef that comes for the steers butt area. Round roasts are an excellent candidate for both moist and dry cooking methods.

o Top Round Roast

o Bottom Round Rump Roast

o Eye Round Roast

o Bottom Round Roast

How to Make a Cajun Roux

The process of preparing Cajun food is in no way hurried and involves a layering of flavors which allows each ingredient

to maintain its own identity.

The foundation of preparing authentic Cajun dishes like gumbo, sauce piquant and etouffee is the Cajun roux (pronounced ‘rue’). Good roux is neither undercooked nor overcooked. Undercooking will yield a less full-bodied flavor and overcooking to the point of being burned will yield a bitter taste.

The French roux is usually a blend of equal parts flour and

butter cooked slowly until bubbly and well blended, but not

browned. The typical Cajun roux is a blend of equal parts of

flour and fat, cooked together in a heavy pot over high heat

until a medium brown color is reached. Roux must be stirred

constantly to prevent burning. Some people prefer a roux made with approximately one-fourth cup more oil than flour.

Most often, when Cajun roux is called for, finely chopped onion and bell pepper is added to the browned roux to arrest the cooking temperature and prevent the roux from scorching. This step begins the cooking of the desired dish, such as a gumbo or sauce piquant.

Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flower

Preparation:

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy Dutch oven or 12-inch skillet over high heat. When oil is hot, add flour all at once; stir or

whisk quickly to combine flour and oil. If necessary, use the

back of a wooden spoon to smooth out any lumps of flour. Stir or whisk constantly, until roux reaches desired color (between a peanut butter and mahogany color) and has a nut-like aroma. Recipe yields a scant 1-1/2 cups of roux.

Recipe Notes:

(1) If small black or brown specks appear while preparing roux, it has burned and should be discarded. A burned roux will give a bitter or scorched flavor.

(2) Roux may be prepared ahead – cover, refrigerate and use

within 1 week.

(3) To prepare extra roux for later use, batches may be prepared by increasing oil and flour in equal amounts.

(4) Freezes beautifully. (Freeze in 1-cup portions for up to 6

months.)

(5) Caution: Be extremely careful when stirring and handling

roux during preparation. With a temperature exceeding 500F,

roux splashed on the skin will stick and cause a severe burn.

Preparing an authentic Cajun roux is not difficult once you know how. If you follow the above recipe exactly, you will be able to successfully prepare a roux to equal that of any

well-experienced Cajun chef.

Copyright ©2005 Janice Faulk Duplantis

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The Best Chicken Stew Recipes

1. Chicken Stew with Vegetables – This is chicken stew with turnip, peas, carrots, potatoes, corn and seasonings as well as other vegetables.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 roasted chicken (4 up to 5 pounds, cut)

1 ½ c water

2 tsp salt

½ cup broth or sherry

½ tsp pepper

1 c frozen or fresh green peas

8 up to 10 white onions (small, halved)

1 c sliced carrots

1 c diced potatoes

½ c diced rutabaga or turnip

½ c frozen or fresh corn

1/3 c flour blended with ½ c cool water (so as to form a type of paste)

Procedure:

o Using a heavy pot or a Dutch oven, heat some oil.

o Add some chicken pieces. Make sure all sides become brown.

o Add some sherry, water, pepper and salt.

o Cover and allow simmering for 45 minutes.

o Add some peas, onions, turnip, carrots, corn and potatoes.

o Cover and allow simmering for 35 up to 45 minutes again.

o Stir in some flour as well as water mixture.

o Continue to cook until the stew becomes thick, which will still take 10 minutes.

You can serve this with rice also. Thus, this is good for 6 servings.

2. Chicken and Sausage Stew – You can serve this chicken stew either with biscuits or cornbread. This is best as a family hearty meal.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter

1 chicken (4 lbs, cut)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow or sweet onion (chopped coarsely)

2 celery ribs (sliced)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

Pinch thyme

1/8 tsp black pepper

½ tsp Cajun seasoning

6 c chicken broth

3-4 medium potatoes (peeled and cut into cubes)

2 carrots (sliced)

1 c pearl onions (used canned or frozen, peeled, drained)

8-12 oz smoked sausage or chicken sausage

2 tbsp butter

Pepper and salt (for taste)

¼ cup flour

Procedure:

o Wash the chicken and cut it up.

o Pat it dry and remove excess fat.

o Heat 1 tbsp butter as well as olive oil using a large Dutch oven or stockpot.

o Add onion, celery and chicken. Make sure you make the chicken brown on each side.

o Add thyme, broth, black pepper and Cajun seasoning.

o Bring the mixture to a boil.

o Have the heat reduced to medium then low.

o Cover and allow simmering for 45 minutes.

o Remove the chicken pieces and allow cooling slightly.

o Skim all other visible fat apart from the actual broth.

o Add potatoes, onions and carrots onto the broth.

o Cover and allow simmering again.

o In a small sized saucepan, heat about 2 tbsp of butter on medium to low heat.

o Sauté smoked sausages until it is brown.

o Stir in approximately ¼ cup of flour until it has mixed well with the fat.

o Add sausage mixture to the still simmering stew.

o Remove the chicken from the actual bones; chip it add onto the stew.

o Bring the chicken stew to simmer again; cover and then, continue to cook until all the vegetables are tender and the stew has thickened.

o Add pepper and salt, for the taste.

This can yield 6 up to 8 servings.

Shrimp and Scallop Recipe

The shrimp and scallop recipe is one of the tastiest recipes that you can make with shrimp and is usually easy to prepare because there aren’t many ingredients involved in making it. This is a good delicious recipe to serve to at least four people at a time.

The essential ingredients for making this recipe include, three cana of shrimp that needs too be well boiled and peeled as well as the bay scallops for the recipe. You require one teaspoon of olive oil with that of two-table spoon of garlic powder, and a half tablespoon crushed red pepper. You also require four-tablespoons of chicken broth, add to that fresh limejuice of one-tablespoon and finally, you have a half-cup pf fresh, chopped parsley and small quantity of salt and pepper for good taste. These are the main ingredients in order to make the delicious recipe.

The preparation of making the recipe includes, heating the oil in the large fry pan to a medium heat. Then, you need to fry the garlic in the pan until it becomes light brown, remove it from the pan and keep it aside. Then, you add other ingredients in the pan like pepper, shrimp, one scallop, and paprika.

Stir these things continuously and fry then for to about 3 to 4 min. Then, you add the chicken broth, cook for one minute. After, which you remove the shrimp as well as the scallop from the pan and keep it aside. Now, you add limejuice, salt, pepper as well as the parsley and heat it lightly. Finally, pour the sauce at the top of the shrimp and scallops and serve it immediately.

This shrimp and scallop recipe will typically serve a small family so it’s not best to make for only a couple people. However, f creating this as a main meal you might be able to get away with it.

Benefits of Cooking in Cast Iron

Many of you have heard of cast iron pans for cooking. These pan and pots are great for retaining heat, so food can be cooked evenly inside the pan. These type of cookware has many benefits and can be useful at home cooking as well outdoor cooking on grill.

Copper pans are great for retaining heat and offer similar benefits to cast iron pans, but they are much more expensive to purchase. Cast- Iron pans are much cheaper but requires seasoning and maintaining of the pan. There is also enamel coated pans and pot available. They are little more pricier than bare cast iron but one does not have to worry about seasoning and maintaining the pan.

Benefits:

1. Good heat conductor

2. Good for retaining heat, even outside temperature fluctuates

3. Can be used on stove top and oven safe

4. If you are using enamel coated pan, you can take it directly from oven to serving table

5. If seasoned properly, it works like nonstick pan

6. Enamel based pan works like nonstick without seasoning

7. Durable and strong

8. If maintained, it can last life time

Cons

1. Can rust

2. Can react to acidic food changing colors and taste of food, if left in pan too long

3. Not dishwasher safe

4. Need seasoning and maintaining

Conclusion:

Cast iron is very versatile and offers many benefits. If you spend little time seasoning and maintaining pans, they can be a great asset to any kitchen.

For many cooks, enamel coated cast iron pots and pan can be a good choice, as it gives all benefits of cast iron without the work of maintaining it. Enamel coated dutch oven are very useful for making soups, stews, bake cake in oven and it looks great on serving table too.

Dutch Oven Mountain Man Hash

Here is the perfect Dutch oven breakfast for a cold camping morning. Mountain Man Hash is easy to make, will fill everyone up, is very tasty. It is best made in a Dutch oven, which makes it perfect for cold mornings, since you will have a fire going anyway. You’ll cook this with coals underneath the Dutch oven and on top of the lid.

Dutch Oven Mountain Man Hash takes 4 basic ingredients: meat, potatoes, eggs, and cheese. You add each of these to the Dutch oven in that order, starting with the meat. For the meat, you can use one pound of bacon, sausage, ham, or any combination. If using bacon or sausage, cut into 1″ pieces and if using ham, cut into ½” cubes. Cook the bacon or sausage in the Dutch oven on the coals until done. If you are using ham, warm up in the Dutch oven (it shouldn’t take long). When done, remove some of the grease, but you’ll want to leave some in to keep things from sticking, and to add some flavor.

When the meat is done, add the potatoes. This is easily done with frozen potatoes. These come in a variety of types from the frozen food section. Southern style potatoes (which are small cube potatoes) work very well, but any of the frozen potatoes that are used for breakfast will work fine. Use two pounds of potatoes. Just add them to the Dutch oven and let them cook, stirring occasionally.

While the potatoes are cooking, break all the eggs into a bowl, and whip. When the potatoes are cooked, add the eggs to the top. You won’t need to stir after you add the eggs-they will cook fairly quickly.

When the eggs are done, sprinkle the top of the eggs with 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Put the Dutch oven lid back on and let the cheese melt. That’s all there is to it!

Dutch Oven Mountain Man Hash makes the perfect filling for breakfast burritos. Warm flour tortillas in foil on the side of the fire while the breakfast is cooking. Add heaping spoonfuls of Mountain Man Hash to the center of the tortillas and roll up. Serve with salsa.

Recipes for Tasty Crockpot Meals: Crock-Style Beans With Ham and Dutch Style Beef and Cabbage

When I hear people say they don’t have a crockpot or that they have one but never use it, I am shocked. I personally think they are one of the best kitchen items ever invented. What could be easier or more economical for the busy cooks of today? Crockpots and slow cookers are so versatile, you can cook almost any type of meal in them. Today’s article gives you a choice of two very different dishes from Beans with Ham to Beef and Cabbage, a nod to the Dutch part of my heritage. One or maybe both are sure to suit your family.

CROCK-STYLE BEANS WITH HAM

1 lb dry navy beans

8 cups water

6-oz diced cooked ham

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp pepper

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, bring the beans and water to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Remove from the heat and allow to cool somewhat. Drain the beans, reserving a cup of the liquid.

In crockpot, place the beans, cup of liquid, ham, onion, molasses, brown sugar, pepper and mustard. Cover and cook on low heat 12 hours.

DUTCH-STYLE BEEF AND CABBAGE

1 1/2 lb round steak, 3/4-inch thick

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp canola oil

3 large yellow onions, sliced

3/4 cup hot water

1 tbsp vinegar

2 tsp instant beef bouillon granules

1 small head cabbage

Trim any excess fat from the steak and cut meat into cubes. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper; coat meat on both sides with mixture.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, quickly add the steak and brown on all sides. Drain off the fat and place the meat into a slow cooker or crockpot.

To the meat in the pot, add the onions. In the same skillet meat cooked in, combine the hot water, vinegar, and bouillon granules. Stir, scraping bits from the skillet. Pour the mixture into the pot with the beef and onions. Cover the pot and cook on low for 8 hours.

About 15 minutes before serving time, cut the cabbage into 4 or 5 wedges and cook in a large sauce pan of boiling, salted water until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well.

To serve, pour the beef mixture over the cooked cabbage wedges.

Enjoy!