Random Cravings

One of my favorite things to do during the wintertime is to put a big cast iron pot of stew or chili on the stove, or braise meat in my cast iron dutch oven, and let it cook slowly all day, allowing the aroma and warmth to permeate my kitchen, wrapping my senses in comfort.  Of course, that stew or chili is best served with sweet, crispy-edged cornbread, which I make in my cast iron skillet.  Considering my wintertime love affair with cast iron, you can imagine how excited I was to check out The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook: A Treasury of Timeless, Delicious Recipes:

Lodge has been manufacturing cast iron cookware since 1896 - and now they have put together a collection of over 200 recipes from some of America’s best cast iron cooks, along with stories and nostalgic memories to provide inspiration for your cast iron cooking.  In addition to chapters filled with recipes for Breakfast, Sides, and Soup, Stew, Gumbo and Chili, there is a chapter devoted to outdoor cooking, and even an entire chapter completely dedicated to cornbread!

As I looked through the pages of The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook, looking at the tempting photographs and trying to decide which recipes I would make for this review, I decided to select one traditional cast iron recipe, and one recipe for something I never thought of making in cast iron.  The result? A happy surprise, and a whole lot of YUM!

Even the traditional recipe I chose teetered slightly on the edge of the non-traditional.  The Flat-Iron Cherry-Bomb Chili Texas Red (how awesome is that name?) is not your everyday chili!  In addition to chile powder and cayenne pepper, this delicious creation made with flat-iron steak and breakfast sausage is spiced with hot cherry peppers and green Tabasco sauce.  Cinnamon and chocolate give it the most amazing depth of flavor, and a finish of fresh lime juice brightens the whole insanely yummy dish!  I have to tell you – this chili is absolutely fantastic after it has simmered on the stove for a few hours in a cast iron pot, but if you let it sit until the following day, and simmer it again to reheat it, it becomes the most drool-inducing, craving-causing chili I have ever tasted!  In fact, I loved it so much I just had to share the recipe with you – with permission, I have included it at the end of this post.

After thoroughly enjoying that chili, I looked through The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook, trying to find something that I would never in a million years think  of making in cast iron.  There are so many unique recipes in the book, like Skillet Cauliflower-Feta Pizza and Dutch Oven Danish Cake, that I was actually pleasantly surprised at how many non-traditional dishes can be made in cast iron pots and skillets.  And then I found it…something that has been a sacred staple in my kitchen…noodle pudding (or as we call it in my family, noodle kugel).  I have my own treasured recipe for noodle pudding, and if I do say so myself, it is pretty darn yummy.  I make it with egg noodles, cottage cheese and raisins (along with some other secret ingredients), and it is always, always made in a glass 13×9″ baking dish.  Always.  But in The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook, Nurit’s Noodle Pudding is not only made in a 12″ cast iron skillet, but it’s topped with some non-traditional ingredients, like corn flakes and crushed pineapple.  This recipe toyed with tradition and tempted my sense of adventure.  So of course, I just had to make it – and it was SO good!  The cast iron gives the pudding an addictively crunchy outside, and keeps the inside soft and comfort-foody.  And I really liked the topping – the corn flakes added even more crunch (who doesn’t love crispy edges?), and the crushed pineapple added a nice sweet touch, without overtaking the whole dish.

For more about The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook, click here.  I guarantee you will fall in love with this cookbook – for the classic comfort food recipes as well as all of the new ideas for what to make in cast iron!  As I mentioned before, to give you a little taste (pun intended) of the delicious recipes in the book, with permission, here is the recipe for that amazing chili: 

Flat-Iron Cherry-Bomb Chili Texas-Style Red (Reprinted with permission from The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook: A Treasury of Timeless, Delicious Recipes, compiled and edited by Pam Hoenig, Oxmoor House, February 2012.)

Serves 6 to 8

•  1 pound breakfast sausage
• 3 pounds flat-iron beef steaks, chopped
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 to 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans chicken broth
• 5 hot cherry peppers, chopped
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons California chile powder
• 3 tablespoons New Mexico chile powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt
• Tabasco green jalapeño pepper sauce
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Juice of 1 lime
• Sour cream (optional)

1. In a hot large cast iron skillet over high heat, brown the sausage and beef about 1 pound at a time. Transfer the browned meat to a large cast iron Dutch oven.
2. After all of the meat has been browned, add the tomato sauce, 1 can of the broth, and the cherry peppers to the Dutch oven. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons each of the cumin and both chile powders, and add the onion powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne. Cover and cook over low heat 1 hour.
3. Stir in the remaining 1 1⁄2 tablespoons each cumin and chile powders. Add additional broth, as needed, to achieve the desired consistency. Cover and simmer until the meat is tender, another 1 to 2 hours.
4. Season with salt and Tabasco to taste. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and well blended. Stir in the lime juice just before serving.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

(Note from Random Cravings: I was unable to locate the separate New Mexico and California chile powders, so I opted to use regular chili powder instead.  Considering how insanely delicious the chili was with my substitution, I can only imagine how incredible it must be if the correct chile powders are used – I’m definitely going to find them before I make it again!)