New dutch oven, so ... chili

[addicted-to-smoke]

We'd used @chuck s ' #12 Lodge dutch oven (the 6QT "shortie") at his place the other week and while out visiting a brewery, hit up the Lodge outlet. Got my own. There's only so much time a man can look at a new piece of gear and not use it.


I bought just over 1lb of top round steak. Again, this is stealing Chuck S's idea for using steak in the chili. And this "choice" cut turned out great I think, not too thick, not too lean/fat, nice and kinda "soft" when raw. Should be perfect. I cut it up into small pieces, nearly diced actually.

Here it is with the formerly-dry beans draining. I'd soaked them overnight. 1 cup each of red kidney, black and northern.



I wanted the veggies roasted prior to chili insertion. 1/2 each green and red bell peppers, 1 jalapeño, i smaller sweet onion. The sliced peppers you see were the other half of the peppers. I figured I'd cook them at the same time and put 'em back in the fridge for later use. Slathering them with lime juice was a last-second impulse. I'd lightly oiled my Weber 6482 SS basket but forgot to oil up or season the veggies at all. Oh well. Wasn't a problem cooking but they could have had more flavor?

Here they ready for cooking ...



Seasonings. It varies a bit each time, so this picture is only to remind me of what I used in case in turns out brilliant. The ones in the center, chili powder, cumin and cilantro I tend to go heavier on. The 3 cans of sauce (1 large, two regular sized of the diced) are usually the norm for 3 cups of beans (for me). I also like crushed tomatoes instead of plain sauce but didn't have that. To that I did add water, about 1/2 of the larger can, using the various tomato cans to "rinse" them out, you know? The ketchup is because some sweetness is usually a good antidote in case the whole mess gets over seasoned or whatever.




I got started in the kitchen, heating up the new DO, wiping it with some oil and tossing in the meat before it could get too smokey. The meat was only allowed to stay in about 20-30 seconds, quickly stirring, as the pieces are very small and I only wanted a quick brown. Turned off the heat and as the DO cooled I added the space, seasonings, and meat.

Carried it down to the grill. Veggies were done, removed and added to the DO. I have 12 coals underneath and 12 coals on top of the DO.

It's been an hour since then. Gonna go and check on it now.

[addicted-to-smoke]

Which grill got the nod?





"Grandpa," of course! The 18.5" kettle is a perfect fit for the dutch oven inside. The redhead, with some temp showing on the dial in the first pic has been running the leftover coals from the full chimney I lit. They're mostly being wasted (vents mostly closed tho) but I kept them going because I figured I might want more heat later.





So I suppose I got lucky with selecting 24 coals (12 top, 12 below). Chili is nicely bubbling but not dangerously so. Nice and low. When I do this on the stovetop I typically give the pot a short-term high heat "mix" prior to letting everything settle into a 2-hr (or more) simmer but that's not really an option with my outdoor gear right now. And yes I spilled a little bit out when stirring because it's not sitting level on/in the charcoal grate.



I added 20 more coals, 10 each top and bottom. Seems the bottom ones go faster than the top ones, is that normal? Or did my lid coals just die? At any rate for this 2nd (and last) hour I wanted at least as much heat as before. The heat had died down a little and I wanted to ramp it back up and get everything coalescing (see what I did there ... ?) better.

I'll check it again at the 2-hr mark, in about 20 mins as I type this.

[addicted-to-smoke]

The cheese and sour cream didn't make this shot.

[Shoestringshop]

@addicted-to-smoke That looks great! I love cooking chili in my Lodge DO they are great items to have with the grills. Going to be doing some Irish Stew very soon in mine. Keep up the good work! 

[Harleysmoker]

Chili looks really good! It is amazing how things taste different in cast iron. My wife made Bistec Criollo last night in my 10" skillet and it was so tender and very good!

[addicted-to-smoke]

Still slowly working on my two dutch ovens here. I haven't used my other one (the basic 5QT) enough to really season it well, and don't know that until I do that if things are tasting right with it. I have my chili cooked in a SS pot down pretty well and its still my favorite for taste. A lot of that has to do with my futzing around and adding things as it goes and after the first hour. I'll keep working at it with the DO however; I want to see where that leads.

[chuck s]

Well done bro!!   You surely are the creative one!   

Seems the bottom ones go faster than the top ones, is that normal?

Seems mine do the same I had thought it would be the other way around but not so.   I'm sure there is a logical reason why but I don't know it. 

[weldboy]

Looks fantastic!


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[Josh G]

Looks Great!