Flashback comfort food

[bigG]

My grandma, though straight from Wales, made sauerkraut by the 5 gallon, food grade bucket. I got so sick of eating kraut, I never wanted to see it again...until she busted out the big guns. She had a neighbor from Austria who taught her this dish and I still make it for my family but I get the flashback effect of sitting in my grandma's kitchen smelling it all come together.

Polish Chop Suey. Be sure to use Kluski noodles and beware they take much longer to cook than any Italian type pasta. They's thick. Drain that kraut, though. You'll have leftovers, which are even better than fresh. I can hear her kitchen radio now "the REST of the story."

2 to 3 lbs. boneless pork steak (cut into small pieces)
1 lb. Kluski noodles (Polish noodles)
1 lb. can sauerkraut
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
2 onion (chopped)
1 soup can water
sliced fresh mushrooms


Brown meat, add onions. Cook until meat is tender. Cook noodles, drain. Add noodles, sauerkraut and other ingredients to meat. Bake at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours in low oven at 300 degrees.

[ramjet]

My oh my that sounds fantastic.

My flashback is good ole Pot Roast.

Cast Iron Dutch Oven

2-Sweet Onion cut into 1/8 you can sub pearl onions.
Carrots cut into 2-3" lengths spilt length wise.
Potatoes quartered.
Lipton onion soup mix.
Fresh Rosemarry
3-4 lb roast
couple table spoons of olive oil
Freash Garlic chopped.
1/2 cup, but of dry red wine

Heat the cast Iron up to a Temprature to allow a sear the roast.

Dredge the roast in flour mixed with the seasoning to taste. I like teaspoon of Lowerys season salt fresh ground pepper and some medium seasalt. Sear the roast on all side till you get nice brown then reduce the heat and remove the roast.

Mix a qtr cup of water and the onion soup pour it into the cast iron Dutch oven along with the garlic and wine.

Put in the roast then top it off with the veggies and the Rosemarry. Cover and cook at 350 until veggies are done about 2.5 hours.

use the drippings for gravy for the roast and potatoes make the gravy in the cast iron Dutch oven.

[bigG]

I think many of these flashback dishes stay with us because of the smell the leave in our memories. I love the smell of the potroast. Rich meat that flavors the vegetables. Heaven. I still use the same CI dutch that my grandma had. She knew who would be the cook in the family.

[ramjet]

Agreed I am remodeling the kitchen and am working on the cast iron hooks from wrought iron on wheels like the barn door is on.

Cast Iron is THE ONLY way to cook meat not sure the reason for all the magic but it is awesome.

I have two a very large one and picked the other one from my brother with no cover found a cover seasoned it three times and it works great.

[bigG]

Carbonized steel is similar the best woks are thick carbonized, and they have made cast iron woks since forever. People don't like them because they require maintenance; but the little you do to maintain them allows them to last forever. CI has always been my meat searer. There's no steak ona  grill, or anything else I'll use for steak, and other meats that need that heat to seal up.

[ramjet]

My cast iron is used frequently on my BGE searing burgers or steak even chicken.

[bigG]

How hot can you get a BGE?

[ramjet]

How hot can you get a BGE?

700 def F but even pizza I do at 400 with the convector in place. Direct heat I would guess in the 1200 deg F or close to that. Cover closed though 700 good way to clean it  Oak lump charcoal will really get things going.

[bigG]

Dang dass hot!!!

Oak works pretty good in my woodburner, too.

[ramjet]

The great thing is I can cold smoke with the BGE too.

[bigG]

Nice feature to have. I find trout can only be cold smoked. They just don't have the fat for any heat.

[Full Nelson]

My grandma, though straight from Wales, made sauerkraut by the 5 gallon, food grade bucket. I got so sick of eating kraut, I never wanted to see it again...until she busted out the big guns. She had a neighbor from Austria who taught her this dish and I still make it for my family but I get the flashback effect of sitting in my grandma's kitchen smelling it all come together.

Polish Chop Suey. Be sure to use Kluski noodles and beware they take much longer to cook than any Italian type pasta. They's thick. Drain that kraut, though. You'll have leftovers, which are even better than fresh. I can hear her kitchen radio now "the REST of the story."

2 to 3 lbs. boneless pork steak (cut into small pieces)
1 lb. Kluski noodles (Polish noodles)
1 lb. can sauerkraut
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
2 onion (chopped)
1 soup can water
sliced fresh mushrooms


Brown meat, add onions. Cook until meat is tender. Cook noodles, drain. Add noodles, sauerkraut and other ingredients to meat. Bake at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours in low oven at 300 degrees.

bigG,

I tried this last night, turned out very good!!!!

I used homemade Kraut

Thanks for sharing

[bigG]

Homemade kraut is the only way to go. Something about the store stuff. Too sour for me. I want to know it's fermented cabbage I'm eating.

[ramjet]

I like my kraut sour not overwhelming but definitely sour.

Took out the Wagner cast iron Dutchoven and made some fantastic potroast and my wife made German  Chocolate cake from scratch ate like royalty last night. The roast was from a friend we buy a 1/2 beef every year from him red angus raised right, slow roasted taters and onions and carrots home made gravy wow my favorite way to have beef.

[bigG]

Big difference among beefs. My locals grow the best I've ever tasted; but I'm sure you have great sources. People don't picture WI as beef country; but I'd put my local guys against anybody.