Tenderized and Brined Chicken Breasts rolled and centered with Pepper Jack Cheese, buttered, and corn flake-battered on a bed of vegetables all cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. This is a crowd-pleaser for sure.
Tenderized and Brined Chicken Breasts rolled and centered with Pepper Jack Cheese, buttered, and corn flake-battered on a bed of vegetables all cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. This is a crowd-pleaser for sure.
This recipe calls for a 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven. We will start off frying and end up baking this dish. To learn more about how to heat the camp cast iron Dutch oven, follow this link: https://beerandiron.com/2023/04/how-to-heat-camp-cast-iron-dutch-oven
You’ll be glad you did. OHHH…and there’s a video too…
This recipe can be prepared with either chicken breast meat or chicken thigh meat. I am going to present the simple recipe first. Then, farther down the article, I will go into detail.
For this recipe, I am using the 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven. We use a second 10-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven as a “warming pot” while we are searing the chicken. A second 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven works just as well.
6-8 pieces of chicken
Oil (enough to pan fry/sear the chicken)
1 Green Bell Pepper; Chopped
3 Stalks Celery; Diced
1 Onion; Chopped
3-6 Cloves of Garlic; Minced
2 Cups White Rice
10 Ounce Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
10 Ounce Can Cream of Chicken Soup
8 Ounces / 1 Cup of Sour Cream
1+ Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Cans / Bottles of Beer (Enough for 20-24 Ounces)
1 Tablespoon Poultry Seasoning (or more)
2-3 Tablespoons of Cornstarch (or more)
(Salt and) Pepper to Taste
Chef Tip #1: We are going to cook the entire recipe in one 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven. However, I suggest you have TWO 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch ovens at the ready (or one 12-inch and a 10-inch). We will first sear and brown our chicken; the chicken will be hot but not fully cooked when we get to the “sauté the vegetables” step. So, what do we do with the chicken while we are sautéing the vegetables? I suggest you have a 2nd camp cast iron Dutch oven “near” the heat but not over or on the heat. This way the chicken can stay warm while we sauté the vegetables.
Note on the “prepared chicken:” I always brine my chicken in a beer and salt brine. If I am using chicken breast, I first tenderize the chicken breast meat and then brine for one hour before packing the chicken breast meat to camp. If I am using chicken thighs, I brine the thighs for about 3 hours before packing for camp. And, I usually brine at room temperature and refrigerate after I have removed the chicken from the brine.
Step 1: Preheat your 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven over 30-40 charcoal briquettes (or equivalent heat source). Keep a 2nd Dutch oven nearby (not on or over the heat but near the heat) as a warming pot (optional).
Step 2: Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the Dutch oven.
Step 3: Gather all your prepared ingredients and perform any fireside preparations. Set out your 6-8 pieces of prepared chicken on a cutting board or other surface and season with poultry seasoning first, then do a light dusting of cornstarch.
Step 4: Once the oil in the cast iron Dutch oven is hot and fry-ready (you’ll see wisps of smoke rising from the surface), pan fry 3-4 pieces at a time until golden brown on both sides. They do NOT have to be fully cooked at this point (better to remain a little raw). Store the pan-fried chicken in a separate Dutch oven to keep warm.
Chef Tip #2: Is your chicken searing with as much “enthusiasm” as your first batch? If you feel you may not have enough heat for sautéing the onions and garlic, set another batch of briquettes to fire to finish searing the chicken and sautéing the vegetables.
Chef Tip #3: Keep this in mind when adding chicken: the pot and oil are very hot, adding the chicken will cool it down; it’s an expectation. It’s supposed to do that. If you add too much chicken at one time, it will cool that pot too much and you will not get that good, golden sear. Take your time here. You can really add a lot of heat to the bottom of that camp cast iron Dutch oven. Really, really hot!
Chef Tip #4: When changing cooking types like we are here from frying to baking, start with a new, freshly prepared batch of briquettes for the next cooking type like when we start baking this dish.
Step 5: We are about to start baking and need to have a full, fresh set of charcoal briquettes ready. Start a new batch of charcoal briquettes for baking. Set 24 – 26 briquettes in the charcoal chimney and get them fired up.
Step 6: Remove any excess oil from the Dutch oven (a paper towel does quick work of this…don’t wipe…just pat the excess oil from the pan) and leave enough oil to sauté the onions and garlic. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sauté until translucent(ish).
Chef Tip #5: Save that oily paper towel; it makes a great fire starter.
Step 7: Add your chopped green bell pepper, diced celery, and rice. Stir it all about for a few minutes to sauté and deglaze that pot.
Step 8: Add the can of Cream of Mushroom Soup, the can of Cream of Chicken Soup. Fill both cans with beer (20 ounces of beer) and pour the beer in the pot. Then, add the Sour Cream and a tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce.
NOTE: You can just add all 24 ounces of beer.
Chef Tip #6: If you are struggling with your rice’s “doneness,” you may have not added enough liquid to the pot in the first place. This often happens when you are “measuring” the beer in the empty cream of chicken soup can. WATCH THE HEAD (foam)! Make sure you are adding TWO FULL cans of beer and not a can of beer with a head on it.
Step 9: Make sure all the ingredients except for the chicken are thoroughly blended. Then taste for saltiness. Add salt and pepper only if you need to. Your chicken has been brined and should be perfectly salty. Take a taste of the mixture in the pot and add salt and pepper as you enjoy a dish to taste. You may need to add some pepper but the soups that you added may have enough salt to “carry” this recipe.
Step 10: If you added salt and/or pepper, thoroughly blend the mixture again. Make sure there are no grains of rice stuck to the sides of the Dutch oven. Any grains of rice outside the liquid will not cook. Level off all the ingredients in the pot at this point.
Step 11: Add the chicken to the top and let the chicken rest on the top of the mixture. If, while sitting in the warming pot, any broth was created by the “waiting” chicken (the container or the Dutch oven you held the chicken in), pour that into the pot with the chicken and rice; just pour it in on the top; don’t worry about mixing it in.
Step 12: Place the Dutch oven lid on the pot. Start with a fresh set of 24 charcoal briquettes. Arrange them for baking. Place 8 briquettes under the oven and 16 on the lid. Turn the pot and then the lid every 10 minutes.
Step 13: Let the recipe cook until the chicken is 165°F / 75°C and the rice is completely cooked. If the rice is going to be underdone, it will be the rice closest to the top. Add beer and keep cooking if the rice needs more time.
Chef Tip #7: Cooking rice in a camp cast iron Dutch oven is kinda tricky. Noodles are as well. Here’s my suggestion for this recipe: When the chicken is almost done (around 135°F − 57°C or so), open the lid and remove some of the rice at the very top. Is the rice done? Yes? Perfect! Then let the chicken continue to cook to 165°F / 75°C. If not, add a bit of beer, broth, or water to the pot…just a bit…and then check again when the chicken reaches 165°F / 75°C. Yes? Perfect! But, what if not? Then, add a bit more liquid and remove the heat from the top of the Dutch oven. Leave the heat on the bottom. Keep checking until the rice is done.
NOTE: Only add liquid if the rice is not done AND the mixture has dried.
Step 14: Remove the pot from the heat and serve the chicken and rice hot straight from the camp cast iron Dutch oven.
Now you know how to cook this recipe, but I am sure there are some questions. The rest of this article will answer those questions. And, if not, feel free to send me a message / email and we’ll get that answer over to you lickety-split.
You can use either chicken breast or chicken thighs with this recipe.
You will need 3-4 chicken breasts that we will cut in half after we tenderize and brine the chicken.
First and foremost, you’ll do well by first tenderizing and then brining your chicken breasts at home and in preparation for this recipe. Yes, you can have the chicken straight from the package in camp and it will work A-OK. But, I will suggest…with a bit of encouragement mixed in there…that you tenderize and brine before heading out. Here are two links:
How to Tenderize Chicken Breast: https://beerandiron.com/2022/12/how-to-tenderize-chicken-breasts
How to Brine using the cold method (NOTE: Only brine tenderized chicken breast for about 1 hour): https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken
Once your chicken breasts are tenderized and have been in the brine for about 1 hour, remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel.
Then, pour the brine out of the zipper bag and place a few dry paper towels in the same zipper bag.
Cut the chicken breast perpendicular. You’ll have two about-equal sized pieces from each chicken breast that are around the size of the palm of your hand.
Place the 6-8 halves in the bag with the paper towels and zipper up the bags. Refrigerate until you are ready to create this recipe.
This version is a bit easier to create. We’ll prepare 6-8 chicken thighs for this recipe.
We don’t tenderize our chicken thighs. Bone-in and Skin-on chicken thigh are my preference even over and beyond the chicken breast version. Brining is optional, but will definitely enhance the flavor of this recipe.
Brine the chicken thighs. These chicken thighs are not tenderized and will do well in the brine for about 3-4 hours.
Remove the chicken thighs from the brine and onto a cutting board. Pat them dry with a few paper towels. Trim the excess fat and excess skin from each chicken thigh but leave most of the skin in place.
After pouring out the brine from the zipper bag, place a few paper towels in the bag and store the thighs in the bag and refrigerate until you are ready to cook.
Now that we have either the chicken breast or the chicken thighs ready to go, let’s get the rest of the ingredients ready.
First, pre-prepare at home the following ingredients and store them in separate containers in the refrigerator or the ice chest until you are ready to cook.
3-6 Cloves Garlic; Minced
1 Onion; Chopped
I suggest double-bagging the garlic and onions in the same container.
1 Green Bell Pepper Chopped
3 Stalks Celery; Diced
Next, measure out 2 cups of white rice and store in a container to make ready for cooking time.
10 oz Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
10 oz Can Cream of Chicken Soup
8 oz Container of Sour Cream
Bottle of Worcestershire Sauce
2 12-ounce cans/bottles of beer (we’ll only really need about 20 ounces).
Some Poultry Seasoning (we’re going to need about a tablespoon).
Container of oil for pan frying the chicken.
Small container with about 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch.
And, don’t forget to bring some salt and pepper.
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Pillows of the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. An easy recipe for having homemade biscuits in camp. We’ll use Half & Half in our example. This recipe will work with Buttermilk, Kefir, Old Milk, and even Beer and Milk.
Chicken Breast, Lemon, Beer, Capers, and Butter. This is a super-easy recipe for most any night of the week. Easy at home and easy in camp.
Chicken Piccata is kind of like cooking Chicken Marsala but it’s not creamy like Chicken Marsala. Yes, the sauce we make will thicken up but there’s no mushroom or cream. Don’t misunderstand; “not creamy” does not mean “not good.” Though creaminess does invoke images and flavors of those we’ll likely find in heaven, we don’t want to think that creamy somehow makes everything better. This Beer and Lemon sauce is delicious!
This is a pretty quick and easy recipe that will go with almost any night of the week. Of course, there’s some brining involved (as always). But that brine time gives you the opportunity to set everything up and get ready for the flow of this cook. Not to mention, there’s your beer-with-family and friends time. ENJOY!
A 12” cast iron skillet should do the trick. A larger one would be great if the chicken breast you have are on the extra large size (affiliate).
Lodge Cast Iron Chef Collection Skillet, Pre-seasoned – 12 in: https://amzn.to/3J313eQ
Lodge L10SKL Cast Iron Pan, 12″, Black: https://amzn.to/42pQ3iE
If you are cooking large chicken breasts or doubling this recipe:
Lodge 15 Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet: https://amzn.to/3J5LEuh
Cutting board to cut the chicken and then the lemons. Use a separate one for the chicken and for the lemon. We’ll be creating lemon wheel garnishes and those bits of lemon will not cook to temperature.
Knife. Make sure it’s very sharp. We’ll need to cut the chicken breast in slices. AND, we’ll need to cut the lemon slices thin for our garnish.
Meat tenderizing tool(s)
Zipper bag or bowl (or both) to store the chicken while it brines.
Bowl to hold the flour Wooden spatula for stirring and turning.Optional: Meat thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken to no undercook or overcook. ThermoPro TP19H Digital Meat Thermometer: https://amzn.to/45UxupF
Step 1: Take 2-3 boneless and skinless chicken breasts and cut them lengthwise for two thin-sliced chicken breast pieces from each chicken breast. You’ll end up with 4-6 halves.
Chef Tip: If the chicken breasts are slightly frozen, they will be easier to cut. Not frozen solid, but that in-between frozen or slightly frozen and still cuttable by a knife. If you put the chicken in the brine while still a bit frozen, just let it brine for a bit longer.
Step 2: Tenderize the cut chicken slices and then brine the slices for about 30-60 minutes in a beer brine. Here’s the link on how to make a beer brine: https://beerandiron.com/2023/02/simple-roasted-chicken (This recipe shows how to brine a whole chicken but the brine recipe is the very same).
Step 3: After the chicken has been in the brine for about 30-60 minutes, remove the sliced chicken breast and set it on a tray covered with some paper towels. Pat dry the chicken breast meat.
Step 4: While or after the chicken has been in the brine, place a bowl out with the flour and have it ready for the chicken when the time comes.
The Lemon: The lemon flavor is like the cornerstone of this recipe. It’s what makes it what it is: lemony, caper-topped, and a buttery delight. I use two lemons in my recipe. But, you can use one depending on your lemon preferences. If you use one AND you want to use some of the lemon for garnishing, then be sure to skip Step 5 and jump to Step 6 and disregard the “2nd lemon in half” part.
Step 5: Cut 1 lemon in half and squeeze out the juice. Remove the seeds. The pieces of pulp can remain or be removed. It’s up to you.
Step 6: Cut a 2nd lemon in half. Thin cut slices of lemon from the largest part of the cut. Cut as many thin slices as you think you’ll need to garnish this recipe. Then, squeeze the lemon from the rest of the 2nd lemon.
NOTE: Other than the lemon slices, you will not use the lemon peel in this recipe. Discard or use in another recipe (maybe one that calls for lemon zest…hummm…).
Step 7: Heat a cast iron skillet large enough to accommodate the chicken breast and to have some air space between the pieces while you cook the chicken. Place 3-4 tablespoons of butter to melt in the skillet.
Step 8: Coat the chicken breast with the flour on both sides, and shake off any excess flour. Set them aside and until the cast iron skillet is ready.
Step 9: Once the butter is hot and ready, add the chicken to the skillet. Cook the chicken on one side until the color looks “delicious.” Then, turn the chicken to the other side. Let the chicken cook in the skillet until the chicken reaches 165°F / 75°C.
Step 10: Pull the chicken from the skillet and place it somewhere to keep it warm. Cover it if you need to. We will be using this same skillet in the next steps; you’ll need a 2nd “somewhere” to keep the chicken until we are ready to add it back to this main skillet.
Step 11: The pan will have bits and pieces of that chicken with some remaining butter. We’ll be deglazing the pan at this step. Pour in the 1 cup of beer, add the 3 (or more) tablespoons of lemon juice, and drained capers. “Scrape” gently the pan as you mix these ingredients and deglaze the pan.
Lemon Ring Garnish: Don’t add the lemon rings here. The lemon will cook right out of the rings and you’ll end up with these wagon wheel looking lemon slices.
Step 12: Keep to a simmer and allow to cook for 5 minutes (more or less) to thicken up a bit.
Step 13: Lastly, return chicken to the skillet and baste in the heavenly sauce. Flip it about to get some of the capers on the top (garnish) and then add the lemon wheels / slices all about in a most artistic manner to really bring it home (visually).
READY TO EAT!
And that’s it y’all. We got ‘er done.
My name is Sulae and I love to share the magic that comes from my black pots and pans. You all be sure to sign up for the news letter and I’ll keep my messages short-and-sweet as well as few and far between. You keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those frosted glasses of that fermented barley pop.
We’ll see you next time on beerandiron.com.
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Pork, rosemary, potatoes, bell pepper, and thickened with seasoned bread crumbs. An easy Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven Recipe with few ingredients. Easy. Delicious.
We’re going to make chicken and sausage gumbo also known as Gumbo Ya-Ya and we’re going to make it with BEER! Welcome to Gumbo Ya-Ya à la Bière.
Does making your own broth take time? Sure, it does! So does eating a meal. But, I can “Guar-Ron-Tee” dat eating a bad meal takes longer than eating a good meal. Do you want them plates and bowls to end up at the sink with soup still in them or already licked squeaky clean?
This broth recipe is one of the base recipes that will be referred to over and over in recipe after recipe here on beerandiron.com.
The backbone of any soup, stew, and chili is the broth you use. If the broth is flavorful, the soup, stew, or chili will be flavorful. Let’s make this!
NOTE: You may have noticed the stainless steel pot used in the image above. Using stainless steel for this is A-OK. In the video, I used my 9-quart cast iron Dutch oven to make the broth. Use what you want.
I’m gonna tell you it’s the broth that will “make” that meal, and the only way to make a good broth is to make it yourself.
There is one reason I make my own broth: Flavor. And the flavor comes from two sources: The Beer and from the parts and pieces that are generated during meal preparation that are normally thrown away.
Will we end up throwing these parts and pieces away? Sure, but not until we’ve rendered their flavor. It’s almost like tea; we simmer the tea in the water until we have changed the water into tea. Then, we toss the tea.
A good broth jells (like Jell-O / Gelatin) when cooled. This is due to the structural protein found in the connective tissue: collagen. Collagen breaks down with prolonged simmering and cooking and dissolves in the liquid (the beer). A true bone broth…a good broth in general has some bouncy, wiggly, gelatin-like consistency when cool. Shelf-stable bone broths usually do not gel because the collagen has been removed or never was there in the first place. Not only are you missing the nutritional benefits of the broth, the way the final recipe will “feel” is not as pleasing…a different mouth-feel, if you will.
Think about it for a bit. Why does boneless chicken cost more per pound than whole chicken? There’s weight to the “trash” that the whole chicken has that boneless chicken does not. When preparing bell peppers or tomatoes, do you use the whole vegetable/fruit or do you throw away some parts as you prepare them? Potato peel, carrot tops, bell pepper placenta, and meat bone/fat/joints…this is usually tossed during the cooking process. Even that large base of celery; it usually hits the garbage can with a heavy “thud.” There’s flavor in that root end. Every bit of that has flavor…some of it has more flavor than the actual “good” parts themselves; it’s just trapped in an area of the food that is either not editable as is (bones and ligaments) or has a terrible mouth feel like chunks of fat, potato peels, and pepper placenta.
I am not making it to reduce the salt/sodium or any other reason that is found on every single make-your-own broth blog. My reasons are dual and simple: Flavor and FLAVOR!
This recipe is easy. It’s so very easy. We create our broths from four sources:
Ever heard of Corona or Modelo? Sure, you have. Start with this easy-drinking beer. If you are a craft beer purist, no worries. Find one of your craft beers that are easy to drink like a lager or an ale. Here at first, avoid IPAs, seasonals, porters, and the others that may add a level of flavor you will experiment with later. Right now, let’s just create something amazing. Experiment later.
Bones, parts, and pieces from one whole deboned chicken – More if you have them.
2-8 12oz Beers (Room Temperature)…or more.
All you need for this recipe are the bones from one chicken. If you have more, add more. If you have some vegetable scraps, add them too.
It’s okay if the ingredients are piled out and above the top of that Dutch oven. They will break down and render their flavor into that broth. The broth will simmer down a bit and become more concentrated. Just pile it in!
The amount of beer to add is up to you.
First and foremost…NO! You will not get drunk on this broth. Alcohol has a much lower gas point that water does. If you are adding a 6% ABV (alcohol by volume) beer to this pot, then long before that broth starts to steam, that alcohol will gas off.
You’ve heard the statement regarding alcohol in food, “It’ll cook out.” And it does. There is no “away” in the world; the alcohol does leave the meal just like water does: as a gas. A 6% ABV beer will lose about 6% of the volume pretty quickly.
Note: Alcohol “cooks out” at about 173.1°F (78.37°C). The liquid will not even be bubbling yet by the time the Ethanol (https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/alcohol/types/) starts to steam out. When your liquid reaches 212°F (100°C), you’ll notice a nice boil start (the boiling point of water).
What I am looking for in my broth is some body. I want the broth to have a heavier and fuller flavor and mouthfeel than broth-in-a-box or water has. That beer will add that body and those real ingredients will add that flavor.
The broth will NOT taste like beer. But, use caution with a beer that has a distinctive flavor ingredient. You can bet your witches and warlocks that the fall pumpkin ale you add to this broth will give you a pumpkin-ey broth. And, you can bet Santa’s beer belly that if you use a winter spruce tip lager in that broth, you’ll have a bit of a spruce-ey broth. That may be okay. Maybe you are going to use the pumpkin broth for a pumpkin chili base. And spruce tip flavor sure does complement chicken, just like rosemary does.
For the most part, use an easy-drinking lager for this recipe. And, if you find that you have a lot of ingredient scraps and not quite enough beer to bring the liquid volume up to the point you need, you can add a bit of water or even one of those boxes of store-bought “broth.”
Add the beer to the pot and just up to where the ingredients move freely in the liquid. You do not need to cover the ingredients with the liquid. The ingredients will cook down and will be under that liquid soon.
Then turn everything about in that pot to get the ingredients to settle a bit.
Let things settle for a while and stir the pot about once every 20-30 minutes for the first hour. Put the lid on the pot but leave an edge open to allow the steam to escape. We want the pot to simmer and not become a rolling boil. The lid over the pot will help hold the heat to allow for simmering. The opened edge at the top will keep the pot from boiling too hard.
You’ve heard of bone broth, right? We are making a mini pot of bone broth right here. Most bone broths take hours and hours to create and are made in some considerable volumes.
I have a recipe for beef bone broth that takes an entire day. Here’s the link: https://beerandiron.com/beer-beef-bone-broth-recipe-in-a-cast-iron-dutch-oven
This is not really a recipe. It’s a process. We will often spend the week cutting and chopping and roasting and skillet-ing. And, as we create our dinners, there are things that are often tossed. We’ll hang onto those trimmings, peelings, parts, bones, and pieces until we are ready to make a broth.
A long simmering time will allow all these parts and pieces to break down…ESPECIALLY the chicken bones and connective tissues. Eventually you will notice as you are turning and rotating the pot of “stuff” that the bone ends are bare and without any cartilage. The joints that were connected even after roasting the chicken are now broken apart and separated.
This is EXACTLY what we are looking for. And, we’ll let it simmer even longer.
Most of the ingredients are below the liquid level now. They are soft and fragile and some are almost liquified. We’ll call it broth-ified. The collagen from the chicken bones and the broken-down parts and pieces of meat and vegetables are creating a nice and heavy broth full of nutrients.
As you cook, and if you notice the liquid level is getting too low, add more beer, water, or boxed broth.
I set things aside and let them cool down but don’t let things cool down to room temperature. I let the liquid cool to about the temperature of a cup of coffee.
We are going to put the broth in the canning jars for refrigerator storage. THIS IS NOT A CANNING RECIPE. The broth created by following this recipe will have to be refrigerated. It will spoil at room temperature. With that being said, you can pressure can this broth following a canning recipe.
You will see in the video that I make a huge freakin’ mess while I pour the broth over to the jars. Even with the canning funnel. It is what it is. It’s likely because I am a male and prone to making messes (my wife has me convinced that I am handicapped because of a genetic issue: my Y-Chromosome).
My suggestion is to use wide-mouth jars. This broth will jell-up and it’s easier to get out of the jars with the wide mouth.
Place a metal strainer in the bowl to catch the solids. Using a ladle, we scoop up the solids and pour them over to the strainer. Then we stir the mash around and try to get as much of the liquid from that mushy stuff as we can.
Like in my beef bone broth recipe, you can “wash” the used material by placing it back in the pot and adding some fresh beer over the mushy stuff and spent bones. There will be enough of the broth and collagen left to actually jellify the beer when cooled. Message me if you need more explanation.
You can then use the drained solids for compost (except the bones), feed them to a worm bin, or throw them away.
Scoop up the liquid and solids and ladle them over into the strainer over the bowl. We are actually focused on the solids here. We want to get as much of the solids out as we can, so we are able to pour the pot over the strainer and get all the broth out and free of the solids.
If you don’t have any quart-size canning jars, you should get a set. They are so very helpful and handy. They can handle the extreme temperature changes like Pyrex glass can. And they are not too spendy. If they break or crack, we just recycle them (they take our glass here!).
Place a canning funnel over the mouth of the canning jar and pour the broth into the jars. The sad thing is: you’ll get far less broth than you think you’ll be getting. It is what it is.
The jars of broth will not last indefinitely. My suggestion is to use the broth in a soup, stew, chili, or something else before you start wondering, “is this okay to eat?” How long will that take? I don’t know the answer to that question. But, when I have broth like this available, I plan on a meal that will allow me to use the broth within a week.
And there you go! You did it! How did it turn out?
When pouring in Step #10, you’ll note the chicken parts are “sunken” to the bottom of the pot and will remain at the bottom of the pot until the angle of the pot during the pouring has reached a certain point. THEN the parts and pieces will “fall” to the side of the pot you are pouring toward.
It’s hard to pour this “away” from you and you will likely be inclined to pour “towards” you. When these ingredients “fall,” that liquid will splash. There are hot oils in that broth and the hot broth itself that will burn you or, in the least, make a mess on your counter or floor.
When about half of the liquid has poured into the colander, stop and “help” the chicken parts to gather on the side of the pot that you are pouring from. Then slowly continue pouring and let the parts and pieces slide into the colander to continue draining.
We use a copper-bottomed stainless 6-quart pot for making broth from one or two chickens. We use stainless because the simmer time is so long. Beer and anything that contains alcohol is going to be acidic. And, truth be known, I’ll cook up a tomato dish in any of my non-enamled, well-seasoned cast iron pots and will not lose a wink of sleep over it…and…I create broth in my cast iron too…just like in the video.
Though the likelihood of metal molecules leaching into my food likely happens every single meal, we’re not cooking in lead or aluminum; we’re cooking in cast iron. Iron is both a material and a mineral. We need iron to have good health (https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-Consumer/). I don’t worry about my cast iron dissolving or becoming damaged by the acid foods and liquids I cook in them. I worry about the possibility of a metallic taste that may form with foods that need to simmer for longer periods of time like broths.
Some of my broths will cook for 24 hours (not this recipe). And, from what I understand, 2-8mg of iron will leach per cup of acid food/liquid per 30 minutes of cooking time. My 12-inch skillet is about 3,628,736mg of iron; 2-8mg is not a big deal even every 30 minutes for 24 hours…that broth would need to cook for something like 25 YEARS to melt my pan (LOL)! But, if off-flavors are a concern, then use a stainless pot…we have that one and only and use it for broth-making and noodle cooking.
With that being said, I use my 9-quart cast iron pot to create a beef broth (https://beerandiron.com/beer-beef-bone-broth-recipe-in-a-cast-iron-dutch-oven) that has a 24-hour cook time. It’s always been a great recipe and I have never had a metallic taste to my meals. So, if you are a purist cast-iron person, rock on with a cast iron Dutch oven to create your broth.
Storing in canning jars is not “canning” per se’. We are using the jars because of their convenience. Don’t store this broth in plastic. You can use something like Pyrex if you like. You will NEED to refrigerate this broth after you “jar” it and after it’s cooled a bit. You can “can” the broth but this canning process is beyond the scope of this recipe.
Note: canning jars are commonly made of annealed glass. Pyrex glass is made of borosilicate glass, which is more resistant to thermal shock than annealed glass. We let the broth cool a bit before pouring over into the container we are planning to store the broth in.
And, it’s okay if that “skin” forms on the broth’s surface before storing; it’ll “dissolve” into the broth once the broth is in the jar.
When you are done with your broth creation, you’ll have your broth and your meat parts separated. Depending on how long you simmered your broth will affect the present “durability” of the connective tissue. Many times I am surprised as to how much “meat” is left after I de-bone the chicken and create my broth.
We have pups in our home; two hair and poop factories on four legs. I will take some time and remove all the big, little, and even TINY bones from the “trash” that’s left in the colander and pull out some meat to use as “treats” for the dogs. My suggestion is to only give them a little at a time. You will likely get anywhere from ½ to a full cup (or more) of meat parts that are not bone.
I have a recipe on how to create dog cookies using scraps of meat. Check it out here:
Throw the bones away; don’t feed them to your dogs. Also, consider the other ingredients in your broth creation. Did you use any garlic, onions, or other ingredients that are not OK for dogs? Use your good judgment when feeding your dogs from this recipe.
Broth-making is more passive than active. Once you put those ingredients into that pot for simmering, you’re pretty well free to create another meal or prep for the meal you are going to use that broth with.
Sometimes I will save the parts and pieces from many different cooks. They may be frozen or refrigerated. A nice rainy or snowy day makes a good day to create broth for the future. Once you put it on the heat, there’s little to do but wait and stir things once in a while.
You better have something planned for dinner later that will taste as good as that simmering broth will smell. Once that aroma permeates the home, your family will definitely ask, “what’s for dinner?” That anticipation doesn’t need to be disappointed by, “What’s this? What was that you were cooking earlier?”
A good broth jells (like Jell-O / Gelatin) when cooled. But, if yours does not, it’s likely one of two reasons: 1) You didn’t simmer it long enough for the connective tissues to dissolve into the broth (this is a molecule-by-molecule process and takes time). 2) There just wasn’t enough connective tissues in the scraps themselves to dissolve (common with small broth batches).
If your broth does not gel; then no worries! Just cook with it; it’ll be A-OK!
If you’ve got minutes, then cook for minutes. But, if you have hours…simmer it for hours and add more beer as it reduces to keep the liquid level up.
Actually, I did not. Salting a dish is a tricky deal to say the least. I don’t know what your “salty” tastes like. So, I wrote an article on how to salt a soup, stew, chili, or bisque. It’s a how-to-salt-just-about-anything-perfectly article. READ IT HERE.
So, no. I don’t add salt to this broth recipe. I add salt to the recipe I am going to cook with this broth but not during the broth creating process.
One of the reasons I don’t add salt is that I am usually using a brined chicken…and the amount of saltiness depends on so many factors that occurred from when you first put that raw chicken in that beer brine. Read my article on “Salt” to learn how I perfectly salt a recipe.
You’ve had those thin, watery soups before. You’ve struggled to bring body to your stews. We’ve added this and that and still feel, “it’s missing something.” What your soup, stew, or chili is missing is body and the core flavor. It’s the broth that will make or break a pot of soup, stew, or chili.
Take the time and save the week’s trimmings, bones, and scraps. Keep them refrigerated until you have enough to make your broth. Give this a try and let me know what you think.
ENJOY!
I’m talking about coffee. There are so many things to create with coffee as an ingredient.
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Chile Relleno Con Cerveza – Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Casserole Version
Sausage and Tots Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe – Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
I am always sharing fresh, flavorful, recipes cooked up in well-seasoned cast iron awesomeness with a bit of my liquid, hop-based, happy-maker as an ingredient.
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