Cast Iron Cream and Beer Cornbread Recipe

Cornbread cooked in cast iron recipe. There’s really no other way to cook cornbread, is there? Buttery; soft-centered and crunchy-crusted, no-stick corn bread.

Appetizers, Bread, Dinner, Meal, Supper, Uncategorized

by Sulae @ beerandiron.com

May 13, 2023

Chipped Cast Iron – What Is My Cast Iron Worth…TO ME?

The story of my 16-Inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. What is my cast iron worth? Some of you may ask that question about some of your cookware.

Stories

by Sulae @ beerandiron.com

April 25, 2023

Heating a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Beer and Iron’s Heating a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven

In preparation for more outdoor cooking this summer, we are going to start off our Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven article series with a how-to heat the cast iron Dutch oven. Later, we’ll talk about packing for outdoor cooking. And even later, we’ll get into the recipes and a few hacks that I am sure you will love.

Affiliate Links are Included in this Article

First and foremost and pretty please with sugar on top…don’t overthink this. You will never, ever, ever get a perfect spot-on temperature in your Dutch oven. Heck, even home ovens have variations. “If your oven is well-calibrated and you’ve set it to 350°F, the element might stay on until the cavity hits 370°F, then switch off, then switch back on when it dips to 330°F.”

If you can remember the basic gist of this article, you will feel as free as a bird and appear to be as smart as any great outdoor chef.

Here’s the basics:

Option #1 – The 2x Rule:

Use twice as many charcoal briquettes as the diameter of your Dutch oven. Take ⅓ of those briquettes and put them on the bottom and ⅔ of those briquettes on the top. It’s that easy…ish…there’s always that “ish” part. This article will elaborate on the specifics of heating the Dutch oven with more clarity and accuracy.

Example: Take a 12” Dutch oven. Multiply 12 by 2. That equals 24. Divide 24 by three. That’s eight. Take 8 briquettes and put them under the oven; 8 is 1/3rd of 24. Take 16 and put them on the top; 16 is 2/3rd of 24.

Option #2 – Plus 4 / Minus 4 Rule:

Take the diameter of your Dutch oven and add four; that’s how many charcoal briquettes go on top. Then, take the diameter of your Dutch oven and subtract four; that’s how many briquettes go under the Dutch oven.

Example: Take a 12” Dutch oven. Subtract 4 from 12, that gives you 8. Put 8 briquettes under the oven. Next, add 4 to 12. That gives you 16. Put 16 briquettes on top of the oven.

These formulas call for (what seems like) charcoal count-specifics. They are not really specifics; they are guidelines. Getting your Dutch oven to exactly 350°F / 177°C and holding that temperature for the duration of your cook is not possible. These coal counts are only your starting point. It’s a count to get you started learning how to heat the Dutch oven.

This article and the video will focus on the 2x rule. It’s just a preference. The count does not always match when using the 2x Rule and the Plus 4 / Minus 4 Rule. Truth of the matter is this: There’s a whole lot of other factors that go in to heating a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven and that’s where this article will attempt to offer some clarity.

DON’T OVER THINK THIS…JUST HAVE FUN! The only rule to remember is this: You can cook under-cooked food longer, but you can’t un-burn food.

There are so many Dutch Oven Sizes.

We have a couple of 16” Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Ovens that are some of my most prized possessions. Funny thing…I rarely cook in anything smaller than a 10” or bigger than a 12”. That leaves only about 3-4 sizes we cook with and will primarily be the examples I give in this article (affiliate links).

Let’s look closer at the 10” and 12” inch cast iron Dutch ovens.

10” Regular – 10 Inch / 4 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven

10” Deep – 10 Inch / 5 Quart Cast Iron Deep Camp Dutch Oven

12” Regular – 12 Inch / 6 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven

12” Deep – 12 Inch / 8 Quart Cast Iron Deep Camp Dutch Oven

My suggestion is to start with a 12” deep Dutch oven. Lodge and Camp Chef have an 8 Quart, 12” deep Dutch oven that are great go-to Dutch ovens. I ain’t gonna call them “Starter Ovens” because they are “Finisher Ovens” too. A 12” deep camp cast iron Dutch oven is a good size to start cooking with and it’s one you’ll keep using as you “age” and grow in your outdoor chef skills.

I like the Lodge version for its family-owned, USA-made quality and proven durability; I am USA based and like to support local folks. Lodge makes a great Dutch oven. And, though Camp Chef ovens are made overseas to my location, the quality is very good and so is the durability. Truth be known, I have a few pieces crafted in Asia and they are wonderful ovens.

One of the things about Camp Chef that I will have to brag about and that’s the little thermometer notch. Some folks call it a steam vent. But, I use it for meals that I am cooking and need to monitor the temperature more closely.

I am just naming Lodge and Camp Chef. There are many, many other brands out there. And, don’t underestimate the found-in-the-wild, Asian-made pieces that have no markings or very vague markings. Some of my favorite Dutch ovens are these heavy-duty beasts that gives me the option to feed a dozen people out of a single pot.

In the video, I even show a Dutch oven from Cabela’s. It’s a 12” that I picked up a few years back after forgetting my Lodge at home (yes…it does happen). It’s been a pretty good pot.

Heating Sources are Varied and Plentiful

The Popular Charcoal Briquette
Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal
Wood Fire like a Campfire

To start, use charcoal briquettes to heat your Dutch Oven. They are easy to obtain and the formula a bit easier to follow. Get the “how” down and then experiment with other heat sources.

Truth be known, nothing is going to give you an even temperature when cooking with any heat source while you create meals in the great outdoors. Your Dutch oven temperature will vary based on the number of coal or amount of firewood, the distance from that heat source, the stage at which that heat source has burned down to, the size of the Dutch oven, humidity, even elevation, and the weather (raining, windy, hot, or cold outside).

The best way…the very best way to heat your Dutch oven to the optimum temperature…you ain’t gonna like this…the very best way to learn how to heat a cast iron Dutch oven is to cook, cook, and cook some more. Like the old adage: Practice makes perfect. It’s so true in cooking and especially with cast iron cooking.

I have folks all the time that ask, “Sulae! My food didn’t turn out like your recipe said it would. I did just what you did and (insert any number of problems here). A lot of times, no! They didn’t do “just what I did.” I’ve cooked the same recipe two or three or more times a week when I am stuck and needing to perfect that dish. My family will love the dish the first night. Me. I’m like “meh.” The second night, my family is like, “this one is good; but so was last night.” By the time I get to my own “YES! This is perfect!” They are like, “Meh. We’ve had this same meal 10 nights this week! Please make something else!”

They love me.

I am not saying that you should cook the same meal 10-nights a week; I am suggesting that you use your outdoor camp cast iron Dutch oven more than 3-5 times a year. Get out on the back patio, have a beer, make some fire, and cook dinner. Get good in the back yard and you’ll be good at camp.

By default, you cook in the kitchen most of the time. You have a large box in your kitchen that regulates its own temperature. The stove top has dials that help you quickly regulate the heat from Lo to Hi by turning a knob. You have practiced and now you are on your way to perfection (in our dreams).

Camp Dutch oven cooking is rough and tough cooking. And, you’re going to burn something; I guarantee it. Something is going to stick; you know it will. Something is going to disappoint. I don’t want to be all doom and gloom. No sir! No Ma’am! The chance of failure is what makes the successes so incredible! You can make chicken pot pie all the live long day at home…in your kitchen…and in your oven. Is it good? Sure! It’s good!! Now, create that recipe in a camp cast iron Dutch oven. Is it good? NO! It’s GREAT! You’ll be amazed how delicious nostalgia tastes.

Where most camp Dutch oven chefs struggle is the temperature. And that’s where we are going to start. Learn to heat with charcoal briquettes first and then you’ll get that eye and the feel for heating with other sources.

A Comment on Temperature

First and foremost! We are initially looking to learn to heat a Dutch oven to 350°F / 177°C. I’ll give more advice later for lower and higher temperatures. Let’s stick with learning the basic heating of a camp Dutch oven at the very common 350°F / 177°C (though a friend of mine in Mexico says that most home ovens default to 190°C whereas the USA ovens default to 350°F). To all y’all that are looking for exactness…y’all gotta give that up. We will “try” to reach 350°F / 177°C and in our attempt we may reach 374°F…or 190°C. That bit of difference is expected and ain’t in no way and no how worthy of a discussion. Just sayin’

Considering the camp Dutch oven, our food will cook the very same at 350°F / 177°C as it will at 374°F / 190°C. If it’s perfect at 350°F / 177°C, it’d been perfect at 374°F / 190°C. If it burned at 374°F / 190°C, it would have burned at 350°F / 177°C.

For now remember “around” 350°F-374°F and “around” 177°C-190°C. The outcome of your food will be the same (good or bad…LOL).

There are three ways you will cook in your cast iron Dutch ovens:

Baking
Frying, Searing, or Sautéing
Roasting

Heating your cast iron camp Dutch oven starts by identifying the type of meal you are going to create.

Baking will require less heat directed to the bottom and more heat directed to the top.

Frying, Searing, or Sautéing or even boiling something requires all the heat on the bottom of the Dutch oven.

Roasting is usually an even distribution of heat with a few caveats we’ll likely discuss briefly today and really cover in individual recipes.

The Commercially Common Charcoal Briquette

Regardless of the type of cooking you are going to do, using charcoal briquettes will give you a defined number to use based on the size of your Dutch oven. They say that 5 out of 4 people struggle with math. You don’t have a problem with math. Not you! But folks I know. And for those folks, here’s your formula: Take the diameter of your Dutch oven and multiply it by two.

The Times Two Guideline

Identify a starting number of charcoal briquettes you need to heat the Dutch oven. Your starting point will always be the times two rule. From there, we can “turn up” the heat or “turn down the heat.” It does not matter if you are baking, roasting, or frying, the times two rule will show you how many briquettes you need to start.

Take the diameter of your Dutch oven, multiply it by two, and that is how many briquettes you will need to cook with (for the most part and with some specifics we will cover later).

You have your 12” Dutch oven and need to know how many charcoal briquettes to use. You will need 24+ briquettes to start. And, like giving someone a birthday whippin’, you’ll need one (or more) to grow on. Remember the birthday whippin’ reference.

Okay. So, you have your 24 charcoal briquettes and they are glowing red hot (some more red hotter than others). Where on or around the Dutch oven do you place these briquettes? That depends on what kind of cooking you are doing.

Are you baking, roasting, or frying?

Baking

For the most part, I bake. Cakes, pizza, and bread…I do a lot of baking. There are some dishes that seem like they should be boiled or fried but really should be baked. Consider a pasta-based dish like a goulash or a rice-based dish like jambalaya. They start off very soup or stew-like but end up turning into a dish that would be better “baked” with most of the heat on the top like baking (or even roasting with an even distribution of heat on the top and the bottom).

There’s a lot of air above the food you are creating. The food is often sitting on the bottom of the oven and almost in direct heat to the heat source. Actually, the oven is “almost” in direct heat whereas the food IS in direct heat. We need to be gentle to the food and not burn it. After all, you can continue cooking food that’s not fully done, but you can’t un-burn food.

To bake in your Dutch oven, take the size of your Dutch oven and multiply it by two.

Now, take that number and divide it by three. Take two parts (2/3rds of the briquettes) and put them on the top of the Dutch oven. Take the one part (1/3rd of the briquettes) and put them on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Here’s some real math:

You are cooking with a 12” Dutch oven. Take 12 and multiply it times 2
12×2 = 24
Take twenty-four and divide it by three
24÷3 = 8
Take 8 briquettes and put them on the bottom of the Dutch oven and put all the rest on the top or the lid. That will be 16 briquettes on the top and 8 briquettes on the bottom.

With 16 briquettes on the top and 8 briquettes around the bottom, you will essentially be cooking in a 350°F-374°F and 177°C-190°C oven.

Note: You may end up with an uneven three parts. No worries. Put the extra briquette wherever you want to…top…bottom…it’s all good.

Roasting or Broasting

Let’s say you want to cook a whole chicken in camp. Or you may have a prime rib you are going to cook in a salt crust. Maybe a nice tenderloin…stuffed and wrapped in bacon!!! You need to Roast or Broast (braising and roasting). Do the same math in relation to the diameter of the Dutch oven. A 12” Dutch oven calls for 24 briquettes. Now, put half on the top and half under the Dutch oven. There’s a bit more to it…but…for the most part…this is your formula.

I seldom use this method to heat my Dutch oven. I usually follow the baking or frying methods.

Frying, Searing, Sautéing or Boiling

For soups, stews, chilis, gumbo, and a whole bunch of other meals, you will place ALL of your briquettes under the bottom of the cast iron Dutch oven. If you are cooking in a 12” Dutch oven, all 24 briquettes will go under the oven.

However, there’s a quick word on frying, searing, sautéing, and browning: You’ll likely need to add more briquettes sooner rather than later to keep the heat high enough. I often will “turn up the heat” by about 50°-100°F (10°-38°C). I’ll talk about turning up the heat (and turning down the heat in a bit).

Combining Heating Methods

What you will find more common than not is when you need to first fry or sauté and then bake. Let me give you an example. You plan to make a wonderful goulash and need to “brown” your beef first as well as sauté your onions. Using my 12” Dutch oven, I will first place all 24 briquettes on the bottom and get that pan searing hot! After I brown my meat and sauté my onions, I will “turn down the heat” by placing 16 briquettes on the top and 8 under the Dutch oven to let the meal cook and the noodles soften. To mix things up a bit, at the end I may want some cheese on the top. I want that cheese to be melted and maybe even a bit toasty. I will add ALL my briquettes on the top of that Dutch oven and BROIL the meal (keeping an eagle-eye on it so I don’t burn it).

Okay…

So far, we have learned how to heat a 12” cast iron Dutch oven depending on if we are baking, roasting, or frying and we are looking for the equivalent of a 350°F-374°F and 177°C-190°C oven. You’ll be asking about that temperature range if we are frying with all the heat under the oven. And YES! It will be hotter at the surface than 350°F-374°F and 177°C-190°C. Much hotter. We also know that a meal that needs to be boiled or fried needs to have a higher surface temperature because the oil or the liquid will distribute the heat. We still follow the times two guideline.

Cycling Briquettes

As briquettes burn to ash, they cool down. A full, red-hot briquette will burn hotter than a smaller half-spent briquette. This is logical. Most of the time you will need a 2nd batch of charcoal briquettes. And, sometimes a third batch and even a fourth batch.

Here’s how you will manage that.

Let’s say you have a chicken that needs to cook for an hour. You figure you need to roast the chicken. Taking your 12” deep Dutch oven, you know you will need 24 briquettes. Perfect!

And like giving someone a birthday whippin’, you’ll need more “to grow on.”

If you need 24 briquettes to start cooking, then place 26-30 briquettes (give or take a couple) in that chimney. We’ll use 24 and leave the rest of the burning briquettes in the charcoal chimney or wherever you are lighting them. While they are all getting fired up, set your Dutch oven up. When the coals are ready, place the coals as you would for roasting, frying, or baking depending on your preference. That will leave extra briquettes in the chimney. Just leave them there.

About 10-15 minutes later, after you have placed the first round of briquettes on the Dutch oven, toss in about 26-30 fresh briquettes in that chimney and on top of those (now) burned down briquettes you left earlier…those are the extra briquettes we left in the chimney “to grow on.” Let those burning briquettes fire up or help fire up your new briquettes. By the time the new briquettes are ready to go, cycle out your old briquettes for the new ones.

Then, about 10-15 minutes later, do the same thing. Add enough briquettes to use on your Dutch oven and add a few more “to grow on” or to start your next batch of briquettes on. Keep going until you are fairly sure that your chicken (or whatever meal you are creating) is going to be done before that last batch runs cold.

Note: You can remove the spent briquettes before adding the new ones, or you can just add the new ones in between the spent ones.

How to Increase or Decrease Your Dutch Oven Temperature

Now, we know how to get our ovens to about “around” 350°F-374°F and “around” 177°C-190°C. But, what if we want to turn down the temperature or turn up the temperature?

The range I give of “around” 350°F-374°F and “around” 177°C-190°C is to try to get your oven at around those temperatures as a guide. Consider 350°F-177°C our base temperature. This method will allow you to calculate and better “turn down” or “turn up” the temperature by about 25°F or about 14°C (not down to these temperatures but adjust the temperatures by 25°F or 14°C intervals from the base 350°F-374°F to 177°C-190°C).

To reach about 350°F or 177°C in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven, we know we need to take the diameter of our Dutch oven and multiply that by two. This tells us how many briquettes we need. To turn the heat up or down by about 25°F or 14°C, you will need to either add or take away 2 (two) briquettes for every 25°F or 14°C adjustment you would like to make.

For example, let’s say you are cooking a recipe that calls for 400°F / 205°C that is about 50°F / 28°C warmer than our base 350°F / 177°C. We add 2 briquettes for every 25°F or 14°C [approximate]. That means we need to add 4 (four) more briquettes.

Considering the 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven, you will need 24 briquettes for your base 350°F / 177°C and then to reach 400°F / 205°C, you will need to add four more for a total of 28 briquettes.

24 plus 4 equals 28. Twenty Eight briquettes divided by three is: 9.33…put about 18-19 on the top and about 9-10 on the bottom.

What if your goal is to low-and-slow a coffee crusted pork roast for 8 hours at 200°F / 93°C.

Fahrenheit

350°F – 200°F is 150°F difference. 150°F divided by 25°F intervals is six. 6 x 2 briquettes is 12 LESS briquettes to keep a Dutch oven at 200°F. If we need 24 briquettes to reach 350°F, we’ll need 12 (24-12=12) for 200°F (8 on the top and 4 under the Dutch oven).

Centigrade

177°C – 93°C is 84°C difference. 84°C divided by 14°C intervals is six!! Look! At! THAT!! It’s magic!!

There’s no need for exact because exact is not possible.

Placement of Your Charcoal Briquettes

There are all kinds of patterns that folks use to organize the briquettes on and under the Dutch oven. I usually start in a ring around the top and cross over. Think of the lid like a clock. Start placing the briquettes at 12 and 6, then 3 and 9, then the spaces between. Then start filling in the middle.

Evenly distribute the across the top in a circle starting from the rim working your way in toward the handle. Just space them out as evenly as you can. On the bottom, place them just on the edge of the diameter of the Dutch oven’s bottom if you are baking or roasting. If you are frying or boiling, place them under the Dutch oven in a circular, evenly-spaced circle working from outer to inner.

Turning the Dutch Oven

This will keep a hot area of coals from over-cooking part of your meal and leaving the other parts underdone. Inevitably, one briquette will burn longer than another, the wind will be blowing in from one side or another. And as you cook, the cast iron Dutch oven will be cooler in one spot than another. We will turn the Dutch oven and the lid periodically to even this out.

After about 10 minutes of cooking, use your lid lifter to turn the lid ⅓ turn clockwise. Don’t lift the lid; just turn it in place. Then, using the Dutch oven handle, turn the whole Dutch oven ⅓ turn counter clockwise. You find that the lid will be right back where it started in reference to the outside world but the food on the inside will be over and under different heating spots.

Some folks turn their ovens ¼ turn. And that’s okay. Heck, a ½ turn is okay too.

Me? I just turn in 3rds.

Conclusion

And that is the end of the charcoal briquette heating method. I started with this method both because it’s the most popular and because it offers the Dutch oven chef the opportunity to fine tune her or his techniques to better judge how to heat with other heat sources like hardwood natural charcoal or even a campfire.

The reason I wanted to start with charcoal briquettes is to become accustomed to the briquette size, rate of burn, and how to manage the briquettes. Other ways you can heat your Dutch oven is by using Natural Premium Hardwood Lump Charcoal or by using the hot coals created in a campfire. Though they are not as easy to use, they are completely and perfectly suited to cook with. You will run into challenges with size and distribution. A large lump of hardwood charcoal may not fit under the Dutch oven, or one lump may be larger and therefore closer to the bottom of the Dutch oven.

There’s some tricks to the trade and I plan to create an article on heating with other sources than the common charcoal briquette. Be sure to sign up on the email list and I will keep you updated.

Hey! Did you make it this far? Look! At! YOU!! I am proud of you. I hope you have your questions answered. But, if you do not…feel free to send me a message or comment below. I love to talk and I really love talking about Camp Dutch Oven Cooking.

Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)

Supplies and Equipment Seen in the Video:

A version of the item. All links are affiliate links.

Interesting:

Dutch Oven Charcoal Briquettes Magnetic Cheat Sheet (https://amzn.to/3VigTrb)

Lodge Dutch Ovens:

Lodge 10” Regular – 10 Inch / 4 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3L1BpY8)

Lodge 10” Deep – 10 Inch / 5 Quart Cast Iron Deep Camp Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3L3j64P)

Lodge 12” Regular – 12 Inch / 6 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3An8xEG)

Lodge 12” Deep – 12 Inch / 8 Quart Cast Iron Deep Camp Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3LpWyN7)

Other Lodge Ovens:

Lodge 14” Regular – 14 Inch / 10 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/41UXHli)

Lodge 8” Regular – 8 Inch / 2 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3AnM9v2)

Camp Chef Versions:

Camp Chef Classic Dutch Oven 12″ Dutch Oven – 6 Quart (https://amzn.to/3mXpFOt)

Camp Chef 12″ Cast Iron Deep Dutch Oven – 8 Quart (https://amzn.to/43XwEaM)

Camp Chef Classic 10″ Dutch Oven – 4 Quart (https://amzn.to/41rqjCN)

Camp Chef Classic 10″ Deep Dutch Oven – 5 Quart (https://amzn.to/3N9rHpa)

Other Supplies:

Dutch Oven Lid Lifter (https://amzn.to/41S4XhN)

Dutch Oven Lid Stand (https://amzn.to/3mRXZus)

ThermoPro TP07S Wireless Meat Thermometer (https://amzn.to/3oDDHoV)

ThermoPro TP19H Digital Meat Thermometer for Cooking (https://amzn.to/40uJM4g)

Camp Chef Camp Table with Legs (https://amzn.to/3N6BLzt)

Aluminum Camping Table 3 Foot, Portable Folding Table Adjustable (https://amzn.to/3H5SrTV)

Heat Resistant Fire Protection Fireplace Gloves (https://amzn.to/3Apthfb)

Teak Long Wooden Spatula, Heavy Duty (https://amzn.to/43WQT8z)

Charcoal Chimney (https://amzn.to/3LoKFa6)

Kingsford MatchLight Instant Charcoal Briquets (https://amzn.to/3oIwSm8)

Lodge Camp Dutch Oven Tongs (https://amzn.to/41DbT2w)

Ready to Cook

This is not a recipe article. But, I figured y’all may want a copy of my chicken and rice recipe for the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven.

Baked Chicken and Beer Rice Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Baked Chicken & Beer Rice – Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Use either Chicken Breast, Bone-in / Skin-on Chicken Thighs, or Skinless / Boneless Chicken Thighs…in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings

Ingredients

8 Pieces Chicken – (6-8 Pieces of Chicken – Brined)
1 Green Bell Pepper – (Chopped)
3 Stalks of Celery – (Diced)
1 Onion – (Chopped)
3 Cloves of Garlic – (3-6 Cloves; Minced)
2 Cups White Rice
10 Ounces Cream of Mushroom Soup
10 Ounces Cream of Chicken Soup
8 Ounces Sour Cream
24 Ounces Beer – (20-24 Ounces of Beer – Mild Lager)
1 Tablespoon Poultry Seasoning – (1-Plus Tablespoons)
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch – (3-Plus Tablespoons)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce – (1-Plus Tablespoons)
Salt and Pepper – (To Taste)

Instructions

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).
Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the Dutch oven.
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.
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.
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.
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 saute the onions and garlic. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sauté until translucent(ish).
Add your chopped green bell pepper, diced celery, and rice. Stir it all about for a few minutes to sauté and deglaze that pot.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Remove the pot from the heat and serve the chicken and rice hot straight from the camp cast iron Dutch oven.

Notes

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.

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.

Chef Tip #5: Save that oily paper towel; it makes a great fire starter.

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.

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.

Keyword baked chicken, camp dutch oven, chicken, Chicken Breast, chicken thigh, Rice

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Camping, Iron, Uncategorized

by Sulae @ beerandiron.com

March 9, 2023

Beer and Chicken Bone Broth

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…

Beer, Chicken, Chili, Dinner, Iron, Meal, Meats, Soup, Soups, Stews, Supper, Uncategorized

by Sulae @ beerandiron.com

February 6, 2023

Beer Brined Coffee Crusted Pork Roast

I’m talking about coffee. There are so many things to create with coffee as an ingredient.

Dinner, Meal, Meats, Pork, Supper, Uncategorized

by Sulae @ beerandiron.com

January 22, 2023

Beef BEERguignon – A French Recipe with a Hoppy Twist

Beef ain’t all we’re discussing here. What about the bacon?

Do you know what a Lardon is? What about cutting batons? And, how about Charcuterie? Sure you do. Nonetheless, let’s do a refresher. First, here’s what a lardon is not: cut up sliced bacon pieces. Will cut up bacon pieces work? ABSOLUTELY! But, if you are truly wanting to use lardons, then you’ll need to dive into the world of Charcuterie (shar-KOO-tər-ee). Yes. Another beautiful French word for cooking prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, and sausage to name a few.

“Baton cut bacon batons” – Sulae

Baton cuts are usually seen when cutting vegetables with root vegetables often prepared this way. Before the “baby carrot,” do you remember when veggie trays had those square-cut / rectangular-cut carrots? That “cut” is known as the “baton cut,” and the process would be described as “baton.” It’s not “how to make baton cuts,” but “how to baton.” And the cut vegetables or meat that is cut this way are known as batons. So, when you baton bacon, you are making bacon batons. Get it? And since we are all talking and cooking French stuff, baton comes from the French word, “Bâtonnett.” After all, what else to you know that has been baton? How about French fries (BOOM! Mind Blown!).

Finally, Lardons. Bacon Lardons are created when you take a whole, unsliced bit of bacon and cut it into batons that are about ½ inch thick and about 1 inch long. These will brown beautifully as the fat is rendered and then available to sear your beef in. In the bowl at the dinner table, they will be like little flavor bombs and have the effect of inspiring those “Yummmm” sounds people make during a meal with a full mouth as they bob their head up and down.

Smoked bacon is A-OK. Charcuterie is cooking with prepared meat products and bacon is usually prepared with salt and has a smoke flavor added. Some recipes suggest blanching the bacon in water to remove the smoke taste…and that’s A-OK. Me? I ain’t doin’ that. I just baton the bacon into batons and rock on! With that being said, avoid flavored bacons like honey and those that have “too much” smoky flavoring. Charcuterie offers another challenge as to the salt content. But we’ll talk about that next.

Beef Beerguignon – A French Recipe with a Hoppy Twist.

Y’all, I’ve gotta tell ya. I can sure ‘nuf run my mouth. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that once Sulae gets started telling a story, it’ll start with truth and end in more embellishments than a rhinestone cowboy on a Las Vegas Saturday night.

And, when I get to going, I’ll end up down a few rabbit trails that leaves me wondering what was I actually talking about. Needless to say the last thing I need in that cast iron pot is a meal that has a “timer” on it because inevitably that preverbal dinner bell will ring just about the time my tall tale is about to reach ne plus ultra!

There’s times when we want to spend time with family or are planning to have company over and we…the cast iron chefs…are usually busy cooking and prepping while all the visiting and company-ing is going on elsewhere. Beef Bourguignon is the recipe I go to when I have some day-time hours to prepare the ingredients, a moment to get them seared and started, and leave the stew on the stove at low-and-slow while I enjoy the “visiteuse et visiteur” (that means “visitor” for all y’all English-speakers).

Beef Bourguignon (pronounced “beef bor-guh-nyaa” on this side of the big pond or “beef baw-guh-nyo” if you are the English-speaking type in Europe [or if you are an Idahoan with a Southern twang like me, it’s “bour-g-in-Ya” – “g” like in girl and not “g” like in gin]). The French say it best because it’s traditionally a French dish that (as rumor has it) is from a region in France known as Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Bourgogne is translated as Burgundy in English. Bourgogne-Franche-Comté is the region in France that is known for its red wines (correct me if I am incorrect on any of this…please!).

Though I do enjoy cooking with wine, we’re going to stir things up a bit (pun intended). We’re going to cook this recipe with BEER! And today, Beef BEERguignon (beerg-in-Ya) is born.

Note: The steps here are written out with much detail. The printable recipe below is written out in brief, to-the-point steps. I know the world likes fast and to-the-point. And, in the interest of brevity and to-the-pointness, many recipes out there omit the little intrinsic details that leave the one trying to follow the recipe to figure-it-out-on-their-own. As with any new recipe you follow on Beer and Iron, this recipe article is here to answer your questions as you create the recipe successfully. After you have created it once, the printable, brief version of the recipe will be just a memory-jogger. It’s one of the reasons I create read-along podcast-like recordings. I want to make sure you don’t miss the tiny details that may ruin your cooking experience…and worst of all…must sit there with your friends and family enduring a meal that you cooked that you are not even enjoying.

Beef Beerguignon is a recipe with some complexities and yet is so simple. Create it once and the second time will be a walk in the park.f

First, let’s talk MEAT!

Traditionally (as the story goes), folks in the old country (when it was very old) used to “use up” their left-over, cooked meat to create this recipe (using wine). Maybe a bit of lamb, rabbit, or whatever they had. Nowadays, beef is considered the meat of choice for this stew.

(What makes it a stew?)

I’ve cooked it with Tri-Tip, chuck, round tip, and even corned beef (but careful with corned beef). Ingredients and cook times equal, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference in cuts of beef with this recipe. I created two pots of this “magic” when preparing for this article, one with Tri-Tip and the other one with Round Tip. The end results were indistinguishable, no joke.

Three to four pounds of chuck or any other stewing meat or meat that the butcher labels as “slow roasted” or “slow cook” is what you are looking for.

We’ll cut the beef into bite-sized chunks. “Bite-sized” is subjective. How much can you put into your mouth (LOL)?

For me (and what you too will find to be the case), the roast will “cut” in irregular-sized pieces, and I do good to maintain the 1-2 inch chunk-sized cuts of beef (with 2 inches my goal but I ain’t about to throw out a ½ inch piece).

Note: I’ve also seen this recipe cooked with leftover roast that was just pulled-apart and added to the pot. Yes, that works too. Instead of chunks of beef, you’ll have “strands” of beef and that’s A-OK! Just low-and-slow a roast until fork tender and have it at the ready. Put that seared roast in the oven by 9am, pull it out around 5pm and dinner is ready by 6pm. Suddenly, you’ve got a quick and easy, busy-weekday-evening-dinner that will taste like you’ve been cooking all day.

Beef ain’t all we’re discussing here. What about the bacon?

“Baton cut bacon batons” – Sulae

Baton cuts are usually seen when cutting vegetables with root vegetables often prepared this way. Before the “baby carrot,” do you remember when veggie trays had those square-cut / rectangular-cut carrots? That “cut” is known as the “baton cut,” and the process would be described as “baton.” It’s not “how to make baton cuts,” but “how to baton.” And the cut vegetables or meat that is cut this way are known as batons. So, when you baton bacon, you are making bacon batons. Get it? And since we are all talking and cooking French stuff, baton comes from the French word, “Bâtonnett.” After all, what else do you know that has been baton? How about French fries (BOOM! Mind Blown!).

Smoked bacon is A-OK. Charcuterie is cooking with prepared meat products and bacon is usually prepared with salt and has a smoke flavor added. Some recipes suggest blanching the bacon in water to remove the smoke taste…and that’s A-OK. Me? I ain’t doin’ that. I just baton the bacon into batons and rock on! With that being said, avoid flavored bacons like honey and those that have “too much” smoke flavoring. Charcuterie offers another challenge as to the salt content. But we’ll talk about that next.

Salt Considerations

SALT: As all recipes say, “salt to taste.” That’s because saltiness is not objective (what I think), it’s very subjective (what you think). Here are the considerations before adding salt:

The biggest consideration is your broth. Are you using broth from a box or your own home-made broth? I will often use broth created when I cooked a roast. How salty the broth turns out is extremely variable. Some boxed broths don’t have any added salt.
Bacon is often a raw but processed meat. How salty are your bacon lardons?
Are you using a meat that is already salted? Is the meat cured or did you brine the meat before you started cooking it? Brined meat will have a nice supply of salt that the meat will “hold on to” until the salt “balances” during the cooking process.

Cured meats and salted meats will not “render” its share of salt to the stew’s liquid until late in the cook. When you taste-test the stew at the first, it may taste perfectly salted as it initially simmers. An hour later, the stew may taste TOO SALTY after things “balance” in the pot. Paradoxically and more likely, the meat is not cured or brined and the meat “takes in” the salt making the stew taste NOT SALTY ENOUGH.

The struggle is real. Perfectly salted meals…including this one…does take some creativity. Rule of thumb: You can’t make a cooked meal less salty; but you can make it more salty at the table. Our goals are to get this salting down in the pot to where there is no need for table salting and, most importantly, keep from over-salting this stew.

My suggestion is not to use seasoned or already-salted meats like corned beef. This is not the case for salted bacon; there’s not much bacon in this recipe and the salt in the bacon will not change the saltiness much to worry about.

The amount of salt is not the only consideration as to how salty a recipe turns out to be. An equal and yet often ignored (rather not thought of) is the end-of-the-cook volume. A recipe like this one where it will simmer for hours, and hours will “thicken up” not only by the action of the flour but also the “thickening” nature of being reduced…losing water through steam over the hours. As the volume reduces, we might have to add more liquid. If the added liquid has salt, the final dish may taste too salty.

Salt will make or break a recipe regardless of the quality of the ingredients and the perfection of cooking the meal. It’s why most chefs and recipe authors say, “Salt to taste.” That three-word suggestion is not a simple process. Salt is not like other ingredients such as shrimp in a gumbo or smoked paprika. We can omit the shrimp and still have a delicious gumbo or substitute the smoked paprika for just paprika. Salt? The authors of recipes know this about salt: That you need to add it to THEIR recipe. They do not know as to how much to add to YOUR recipe.

Full mouths don’t speak.

Potatoes…mashed…and this stew ladled on the top of those mashed potatoes. Trust me on this one. There’s not a side in the world that will work better than mashed potatoes with this recipe. It’ll turn this recipe into a one-bowl meal.

My suggestion is to bake a few potatoes about an hour or an hour and a half before the stew is done…bake them skin and all…then make some mashed potatoes. A scoop or three of those skin-mixed-in mashed potatoes with the Beef Beerguignon ladled on the top of those mashed rhizomes-ala-nightshade will make this a dinner of quiet time. Full mouths don’t speak.

The Beer

This recipe traditionally uses a red wine (to put it simply). We are going to use a beer but one that is made with fruit (or not…it’s up to you). Fruit Beers are not drinks with alcohol that are flavored with fruit; fruit beers are beers that are brewed with fruit or fruit juices as an ingredient. If you ferment fruit or fruit juices, you end up with wine. For a beer to be a beer, there must be a minimum of these four ingredients: grain, hops, yeast, and water. We are not necessarily looking for a fruit beer, we are looking for a beer with hints of fruitiness. It may have absolutely no fruit as an ingredient but may still have fruity notes.

Like with every Beer and Iron recipe, there are no rules but only suggestions. The two biggest points here are to remember that beers that are good to you as a drinking beer may not be good to you as cooking beer. Second, one beer that works well in one recipe may not work well in another. It’s one of the reasons you have beer-pairing with different foods. You may cook with a beer that is MUCH different than the beer you may enjoy drinking with your meal.

Like I mentioned earlier. You’ll cook this with a sour but enjoy it with a porter or stout. Those beers are as different as tea and coffee.

For this recipe, I suggest using a Sour, Kolsch, Wheat, or a Lambic. I’ve used everything from blueberry sours to cherry sours and it’s all been amazing.

In this presented recipe, I am using a 4-year-old bottle of beer from a local brewer called 10 Barrel Brewing Company. This beer called “Pyka” (2018), is a Berliner Weisse (a regional variation of the wheat beer style from Northern Germany, dating back to at least the 16th century). This Berliner Weisse was brewed with Blackberry and Apricot. YUMMMM!!!!

The Cast Iron

5 or 7 Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven (a 5-quart will work well unless you are like me and always over-add ingredients. Also, the pot may initially look FULL. But, as it cooks and reduces, there’ll be plenty of room.
Cast Iron Skillet (10.25” to 12”) for braising the pearl onions and the mushrooms at the end.

The Supplies

Cutting Board
Wooden Spoon or Spatula for Turning and Stirring.
Vegetable peeler
Knife to cut the meat and vegetables
Fork for mixing the flour with the liquid
Bowl to mix the flour and the liquid in
Spoon for tasting
Bit of Food-Safe String for tying the Herb bouquet like butcher’s twine
Scissors to cut the string (or just chop it with the knife).
Teaspoon and Tablespoon measuring spoons
Small glass container for storing the left-over tomato paste (we’ll use about half [or less] of a 6 ounce can for this recipe).
Tongs for easier turning of the beef during searing.
Optional: Rubber spatula for scooping and “squeegee-ing out” the ingredients from the preparation bowls

Ingredients

3-4 pounds of Tri Tip, Chuck Roast, or other low-and-slow cuts of meat
6-8 ounces of whole, unsliced bacon (we are going to create bacon lardons out of this bacon)
1 Onion Finely Chopped
3 Large Carrots Thick Sliced
2-6 Cloves of Garlic
1-3 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
2-3 Tablespoons of Flour
2-4 Bay Leaves
Thyme – Sage – Bouquet (or dried equivalent – see below)
10-15 Pearl Onions
8 Ounces of Whole Mushrooms (or more)
12-16 Ounces Beer (or more)
8-16 Ounces Beef Broth or Beef Bone Broth (Broth from Roast and Bone Broth Video)
Salt and Pepper to taste (I’ll add as I cook).
NOTE: We will need just a bit of liquid to cook the mushrooms and pearl onions in during the last few steps of this recipe. Reserve about ½ cup. We usually have a bit of beer in the bottom of a glass that didn’t get drink, drank, or drunk (no pun intended). But, visitors may not like your left-over, back-washed beer used in this recipe. But then again, what they don’t know…

I’m joking(ish).

Prepare the Ingredients

When I cook, I will prepare all the ingredients first and before starting to cook. This way I am not racing when something is ready, and the other ingredients are not. It’s nice to have everything cut and prepped and ready to go. I cut, chop, and keep nearby each ingredient in a bowl or plate waiting on its turn in line…or when its step comes up in the recipe. Likewise, having all the cooking equipment at the ready keeps you from hunting it when that moment comes.

Step 1 – Get everything out and let it warm to room temperature. This is most important for the broth and the beer. We will be adding these to the pot when the pot is wicked hot! Drink cold beer; cook with warm beer. Do not pour cold beer or cold broth/stock into your hot pot.

Step 2 – Prepare the Herb Bouquet. Truth be known, you can just chop up all these herb ingredients or use them dry. We tend to get the “fresh” stuff in the winter from the grocery store’s produce section or harvest them from the garden during the mid to late summer. But we also use our own dried herbs from our garden or from a commercially-available shaker or bottle. I do prefer the bouquet-style option.

The Bouquet – Using a few thyme and sage tips and spriggles (and even a bit of rosemary), tie them together in a little bouquet-like arrangement with the butcher’s twine. You’ll just toss these in when the moment comes.

Fresh Chopped and Dried Herbs – There are many conversions out there, but we keep it simple. Three teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of fresh-chopped herbs will equal about 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. But, you know the caveat here, right? How fine are they chopped and is it a leaf or a needle-like shape and the drama goes on and on. Like salt and pepper, “herb” to taste. If you are looking for a starting point, put a teaspoon of dried thyme and a teaspoon of dried sage in this recipe and make note for next time you create this recipe.

Fresh Chopped and Dried Herbs – There are many conversions out there, but we keep it simple. Three teaspoons or 1 tablespoon of fresh-chopped herbs will equal about 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. But, you know the caveat here, right? How fine are the fresh herbs chopped and is it a leaf or a needle-like shape and the drama goes on and on. Like salt and pepper, “herb” to taste. If you don’t want to use the herb bouquet or don’t have access to fresh or store-bought “fresh” herbs, add a teaspoon of dried thyme and a teaspoon of dried sage in this recipe and make note for next time you create this recipe to remember if you need more or less.

Step 3 – Cut the 3–4-pound chuck roast (or other cuts of beef) into 1–2-inch chunks. Don’t worry with being perfect; longer, shorter, smaller, bigger…it’s all good. If there is a thick chunk of fat on the meat, I usually trim this off (depending on how thick it is). If it’s not too thick, I just leave it on. Tri Tip is “bad” about keeping the fat tucked in under the “displayed part.”

Step 4 – Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. This is a must-do step. The beef will not brown during the sear if you don’t pat-dry the cut beef before you put it in the hot pot. Let the cut beef get to room temperature instead of letting the whole, uncut beef warm up. And, this is not a rule. Warming up a bit from the refrigerator is okay…and also an okay step to skip (the drying part is not okay to skip…pat dry the pieces).

Step 5 – Cut about 6-8 ounces of Bacon Lardons. Alternatives: pancetta or slivered bacon.

Step 6 – Finely Chop the 1 onion.

Step 7 – Dice the 2-6 Garlic Cloves.

Step 8 – Wash or Peel 3 Carrots. Chop the carrots in thick slices or chunks. How big? That’s up to you. I like larger chunks of carrots in mine and cut them about ½ inch to an inch long.

Step 9 – Measure out your flour to the cereal bowl-sized bowl. Add a bit of the beer or broth. Use your fork to mix the flour and the liquid together very well and without lumps or chunks. Smooth… Set aside and keep that rubber spatula nearby too.

Step 10 – Open up the can of tomato paste and set aside.

Step 11 – Mushrooms. Depending on the variety, you’ll prepare them accordingly. How? Button mushrooms or baby bellas should be bought whole and then quartered for this recipe. If you have purchased a different variety, then prepare the mushrooms into sizes about the size of 1/4th of a normal button mushroom

Step 12 – Have your can or bottle of beer nearby. It’s up to you on how much to use in this recipe. “Normally,” you will find beer sold in 12-ounce and 16-ounce cans or bottles. But, don’t fret this part. I’ve seen traditional versions of this recipe calling for a whole, 750ml (about 25-26 ounces) bottle of red wine.

Step 13 – Measure out the beef broth / bone broth. NOTE: When you get ready to add the broth to the recipe, don’t just pour it all in. We want to make sure we pour just enough in. I’ll talk about this more in a bit.

Step 14 – Don’t forget the pearl onions. Most of the time you’ll get these frozen. Just pull out about 10-15 pearl onions and either leave them out or put them in a container in the refrigerator. We kinda-but-not-necessarily need to have them at room temperature when we use them. If you have fresh pearl or tiny onions, prepare them by peeling the tiny onions and keeping them near.

Ready to Cook

We’re going to start by rendering the fat from some of the bacon lardons. Then we are going to sear the chunks of beef in that fat from the lardons. We’ll repeat this cycle of rendering the fat then searing the beef in batches and until all the beef is seared. First, set your 5-7 quart cast iron Dutch oven to medium high heat (or a bit higher). Take the lid of your 5-7 quart cast iron Dutch oven and place it upside down with the inside of the lid facing up like a plate or a bowl to receive the meat (lardons and the seared beef) as we work in batches. Keep the lid near the pot you are searing the meat in; this way the lid (not on a direct heat source) is getting some of the ambient heat from the pot and keeping the seared meat warmer.

You’ll notice that there’ll be some broth that will form as these pieces of meat rest while you sear other batches. Add this to the pot when you add the meat. Also, don’t use heat under your lid; this is just to hold the seared meat while you work in batches. You could use a bowl or a plate instead of the lid; that’d be good too.

Step 1 – Render the fat from the Lardons: The lardons will “create” the oil we need for searing the meat. There should be enough oil for searing and not frying. If the lardons do not produce enough fat, add some oil to the pot before adding the beef to sear.

Bacon fat is variable. Some bacon is fatty and then some packs are meatier. We all tend to lean toward the meaty bacon. Considering this, if the batch of bacon lardons don’t produce enough fat, don’t add more lardons. Add a bit of oil to the pot and let it heat to temperature (whisps of smoke is a good indication of ready-to-sear). We keep bacon grease near and at the ready and we also have beef fat from making roasts and bone broth that we can spoon out and add to the pot as we need.

We need that cast iron Dutch oven hot…very hot. If you have a surface thermometer, get that pot up to 400-450°F (205-235°C) and a good searing temperature. If you don’t have a way to check the surface temperature, no worries. If the oil is smoking a bit, the pot is hot enough.

No need to pre-oil the pot before you do this. Let the lardons cook a bit and brown but don’t get them to the crispy stage. Once they are done (not done enough for snacking), transfer them to the nearby Dutch oven lid for later.

Once this batch of lardons is done, remove the lardons and set aside. But, leave that oil in the bottom of the pot.

Step 2 – Add SOME of the beef to the hot, oiled, slightly smoking pot. SIZZLE!! But, don’t add too much at once. We’re going to sear in batches. Why? We want to sear our meat and not braise the meat (yet). Braising is to cook something, like chunks of meat, in a small amount of liquid. Though we pat-dried our meat, there is still a lot of moisture in that meat. When you put the meat in the pot and hear that sizzle, a battle begins! The hot pot is trying to cook the cooler meat and the cooler meat is trying to cool down the hot pot. The pot’s going to ultimately win. However, during this “battle,” the meat will begin to render its moisture. If you put too many pieces of meat in the pot at the same time, the meat will cool the hot cast iron pot down too quickly, the excess meat’s moisture will overwhelm the cooling pot and not steam off fast enough, and the meat will bathe in its own juices. Then, we will have braising going on and not searing.

Sear each side of the beef chunks by searing-and-turning each as they brown. Use the tongs; they’ll make life easier. When each is seared and browned on all sides, transfer them to the nearby lid and start a new batch. This will take some time but not too much. Searing takes patients.

Step 3 – Now, all the beef is seared, and the bottom of that pot is covered with all that flavor; that is called the FOND. Leave it there! Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions (not the pearl onions) and the garlic, and deglaze the bottom of the cast iron Dutch oven.

Step 4 – Add the chunks of carrots at this point and, using the wooden spatula, mix everything in the pot (just the onions, garlic, and carrots) all about and let things cook just a bit longer…but not too much longer.

We’re about to “get busy” adding most of the remaining ingredients. Turn the heat down a bit to keep from burning anything while we add the ingredients.

Step 5 – Add the flour mixture to the pot, the tomato paste, all the beef, and however many browned bacon lardons you want to add back. Mix everything together and level off the ingredients.

This is kind of an important part of the process: “Level off the Ingredients.” After placing everything in the pot, use your wooden spatula to gently press the ingredients in the pot to a flat surface. We need to know what the level of the ingredients is in order to determine how much liquid (beer and broth) to add.

Step 6 – Slowly pour in the room-temperature beer. It will “head up” but that’s okay. The liquid has either reached the top of the level mixture or not. If you still have some room to pour in more liquid, go to the next step.

Step 7 – Slowly pour in the beef broth BUT NOT ALL OF IT. Take your time to fill just to a bit over the top of the meat and vegetables. Let me be clear. To the top of the meat and vegetables and not to the top of the pot. We want the end result to be a stew with the ingredients level and sticking out of the final stew. Too much liquid and you’ll be making soup. It’ll be delicious but we want this to be nice and thick.

We can add more broth during the cooking process as it simmers and reduces.

Step 8 – Add the bay leaves and the herb bouquet (or chopped / dried) and the pepper. Keep in mind that there’ll be ingredients that you will use from time-to-time that have salt. We have plenty of time to test the saltiness and add salt as we cook.

Step 9 – Turn the heat down to medium low or even low. Cover the Dutch oven, and let it simmer for a few hours (YES! HOURS!). Some folks put this all in the oven to bake at 350°F. And, that’s okay too. I usually cook on the stove top so I can monitor the saltiness and stir the ingredients about once in a while. The liquid will reduce, and you can add as needed.

Step 10 – Okay, everything is in the pot except for the pearl onions and the mushrooms. We’ll tend to those in a bit. Cover the pot with the lid and let everything cook until the meat is tender and not chewy. We are looking for the consistency of an all-day-cooked roast and not the chewiness of a grilled steak.

We cook with the lid on. Sometimes we’ll open an edge for venting. And, if I ended up getting too much liquid in the pot, I will leave the lid off. It’s up to you regarding the lid. But, we usually leave the lid on and cover the pot when we cook this recipe.

Go ahead and pull down the pearl onions to thaw (usually frozen) and get the mushrooms ready.

Step 11 – After simmering the stew for 30 minutes, check the saltiness. Use a spoon and dip out just some of the broth / liquid. Taste it. Do you need to add any salt? Do this again after another 30 minutes has passed (1 hour total) and you should have it spot-on. If not, check back in 30 minutes. Add a little salt (less than you think) each time until you find the salt to be perfect. Check the salt again about 30 minutes before your stew is done just to make sure.

Step 12 – Let this all cook at a simmer for about 2 hours. The meat needs to stew and braise in that pot for 3-4 hours total in order to reach a fork-tender texture. At 2 hours, check the meat consistency. Is it fork tender? It will be considered safe to eat as per the internal temperature (145°F/63°C) but may not be “done” as per the meat’s chewability. At the 2-hour mark, the consistency of the meat will kinda…sorta…tell you how much longer the meal will take. Another hour? Maybe 2 hours. This all depends on the temperature (low and simmering is the best; don’t rush it) and the size and quality of the meat.

Regarding “quality of the meat.” Meat considered “low quality” is usually the “high quality” for this recipe.

Time for the mushroom and Pearl Onion Garnish Cook: If you cook the mushrooms in this recipe at the start, they will likely either cook to oblivion or end up over-cooked and rubbery (depending on the variety of mushroom you are using). We’ll braise these and add them to the pot at this point.

Step 13 – Using the Cast Iron Skillet (10.25” to 12”) (we are going to be braising the pearl onions and the mushrooms here at the end of the cook). Place the skillet on a medium high heat and add a bit of oil, remaining fat, or even more bacon lardons’ rendered fat. Add the room-temperature pearl onions and mushrooms to the hot, oiled skillet and mix about. Then, add (slowly) about ¼-½ cup of liquid (beer, broth, stock, or even water). STEAM!!

Step 14 – Sauté the pearl onions and the mushrooms until they go from braising to searing and just as the caramelization “event” takes place. They should (the pearl onions will show this the most) have some areas that are “toasted” looking but not cooked to the mushy, soft stage.

Step 15 – Remove the cooked herb bouquet and the bay leaves. We are about to “ordain” and garnish this pot of stew with the onions and the mushrooms; we don’t want to mess up our masterpiece by trying to fish-out the bay leaves and the herb bouquet.

Step 16 – And at our meal-preparation finale, open the stew pot and add the mushroom and pearl onion mixture to the top of the stew and let settle in. I don’t stir in the mushrooms and pearl onions other than a gentle turning on the top of the stew. If you’d like to mix them in deep into the pot, it’s perfectly A-OK to do so.

For me? I like to present this recipe in a bowl. First, by adding a scoop of mashed potatoes to the side of the bowl and then this stew to fill the bowl with just a bit of the top of the mashed potatoes showing there on the side. A garnish of finely chopped parsley, chives, or scallions really brings it home.

Chef Tip #1: Before you start prepping, measuring, and dicing, preheat your Dutch oven. Set your oven to 450°F/235°C and preheat the Dutch oven while you prep so it’s ready and hot when you are ready to start cooking! Once the oven “beeps” to reaching temperature, your Dutch oven will likely be 100°F/38°C behind the oven temperature. The preheating of the Dutch oven only takes about 15-30 minutes. Any longer and you’ll be “seasoning” your Dutch oven…and that’s okay…just add a thin layer of oil to the inside of the Dutch oven before preheating.

Chef Tip #2: Salt. This is the make-or-break point of any recipe. If you are using broth from a roast that you cooked, there’s going to be a salt factor to work out. DON’T add salt initially. Let the stew began to simmer for about 30 minutes then check the saltiness. Let the ingredients “fornicate” for a bit and then check to see what it tastes like. Don’t add more than 1 teaspoon of salt at a time…I suggest adding less.

No chef can taste what you taste. So goes the “salt to taste” copout. Your saltiness is not the same as another’s saltiness preference.

After the first salt-check, let it simmer for another 30 minutes and check again. After that first hour, it should be perfect. You’ll have to be the judge of this (unless you invite me over for a meal that you are cooking and I will be glad to offer my opinion…and…by the way, Old Rasputin by Northcoast is my favorite beer).i

Summary

This recipe prep does not take long per se…the searing process is the longest hands-on process. You’ll likely spend 30-40 minutes prepping and searing (maybe longer). It’ll be worth it.

For me, I like to get this stew simmering and clean everything up. I will put the potatoes in the oven (for the mashed potatoes) about 1 hour or so before the stew is to be done.

When the stew is done and the baked potatoes are ready for mashing, the kitchen was cleaned already. It’s so very nice to sit down for a meal and have a turn-key, cleaned kitchen that’s not sitting back there as a reminder of a chore-to-be-done after such an amazing meal. It’s blissful!

ENJOY or, since we are cooking in French, we’ll talk in French, “bon appétit!”

Beef Beerguignon

Beef Bourguignon – And though I do enjoy cooking with wine, we’re going to stir things up a bit (pun intended). We’re going to cook this recipe with BEER! And today, Beef BEERguignon (beer-g-in-Ya) is born.

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Prep Time 45

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Servings

Calories 653 kcal