Month: January 2018

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Grilled Chicken Alfredo Sauce

Grilled Chicken Alfredo served over shells with Yeast Rolls

Saturday night I made Grilled Chicken Alfredo with mini shells because that’s what my daughter wanted.

I know that most people make it with fettuccine noodles but she wanted “little shells.” So, that’s what I made.

I used a Lodge 10 SK for the sauce and a Lodge 8 SGP. My wife wanted Yeast Rolls so I fired up a Wagner Sidney -O- #8 and made those. They both wanted a brownie and ice cream so, out came another Wagner Sidney -O- #8.

Everyone was happy including our company.

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Square Grill Pan

Amazon has a great deal right now on a pan that I use every day. I cook breakfast in it every morning and I use it very frequently for meats and vegetables for supper as well.

It is a Lodge Square Grill Pan that looks like this…

These pans are absolute bacon cooking machines… The excess grease drains away from the bacon and you get nice, crispy bacon. I really can’t imagine cooking bacon any other way any longer. You can cook the bacon on the stovetop or bake it in the oven in the same pan, whichever way you like. (Not microwave safe though)

Bacon and a “Round Egg”
Reheating some pizza and bacon
Using my fancy grill press for some nice grill marks…
Aforementioned grill marks…
Italian Sausage with nice grill marks
Chicken breast with nice grill marks
Steak on the stovetop
Half strips of thick cut bacon
Kielbasa, Bratwursts and Yellow Squash
Kielbasa and Yellow squash
Andouille and some “Eggs in a Basket”
Bacon and Chorizo
Bacon, eggs two ways and potatoes for breakfast
Pork chops, zucchini and wax beans with peppers
Some Reverse Sear Action

Many people claim that grill pans are difficult to clean. For me, this has not been the case at all. While the grill pan is still warm I use a Dish Brush to scrub it while running it under hot water. It comes clean perfectly. I wipe it off with a paper towel and then, I put it back on the burner and heat it up, making sure that it dries all the way.

If you do this every time, you won’t ever have a problem with cleaning it or seasoning it either.

Here is the dish brush that I use

Disclaimer: The product links on this page are Amazon affiliate links.

If, by some amazing happenstance you find yourself motivated to buy the item, I will receive a few cents from Amazon.

The facts expressed here belong to everybody, the opinions to me. The distinction is yours to draw…

 

If you are interested in more food posts you can visit my Facebook page Jason J Morgan – The Cast Iron Ronin

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How to Strip Cast Iron with Lye

Two Freshly Stripped Wagners right out of the Lye Tank

How to Strip Cast Iron with Lye (Sodium Hydroxide)

This can also be done with Easy-Off Max Strength Oven Cleaner (The one with the yellow lid) and trash bags but it is much more expensive, especially long term.

  • The lye product being used absolutely needs to be 100% sodium hydroxide crystals. Rooto and Roebic are sold at Amazon, Tractor Supply, Ace Hardware and Lowe’s and are 100% lye
  • One pound of lye crystals per five gallons of water is the formula/ratio. Always add the lye to the water, never the reverse— it will create an exothermic reaction, which can boil up and splash on you. Even when mixing and using lye properly, always use skin and eye protection, and protect clothing or wear clothes that it won’t matter if some might drip on them
  • Any sturdy plastic container capable of holding its volume in water, with a secure cover to keep out inquisitive children or pets will work. I use hinged, lidded totes that I purchased at Lowe’s. If they are used outside they will typically only last a couple of years before they get brittle and crack
  • Depending on how thick the build-up on the piece is, it will take from a few to several days for the lye to soften and dissolve the crud. Be sure to rinse the piece well before proceeding with initial seasoning
  • Other things about the lye:
    • The warmer the lye solution is, the faster it works, so in a sunny spot is best
    • Keep another container filled with fresh water or a hose nearby to rinse the item being processed so you can handle it without fear of skin irritation
    • I keep vinegar handy in case there is ever any issue, it neutralizes the lye immediately
    • Even after rinsing, residual lye solution will make the piece slippery, so handle carefully
    • You can leave a cast iron pan in the lye bath virtually indefinitely without concern
    • Even when the solution over time becomes black as coffee from removed crud, it will still be quite effective
    • Rubber gloves are your friend
  • Since lye will not remove rust, the usual protocol when using lye is to de-crud with lye first, then finish with 50/50 vinegar and water soaking in 20-30 minute intervals and scrubbing with 0000 Steel Wool
    to take all the rust right off. Don’t leave the iron in the vinegar and water too long at a time because it will pit the iron
  • It may flash rust as soon as it dries, have your oven pre-heated to around 250 degrees, pull it out of the water, towel dry it and put it straight into the oven to finish drying
  • I have had great luck for some time now actually wiping the piece down with shortening or lard before it is dry. I never have any flash rust when I do that
  • If there is a little flash rust, put a little shortening on it and wipe it all back off immediately and start the seasoning process
Two Wagners Before Stripping

Disclaimer: The product links on this page are Amazon affiliate links.
If, by some amazing happenstance you find yourself motivated to buy the item, I will receive a few cents from Amazon.
The facts expressed here belong to everybody, the opinions to me. The distinction is yours to draw…

 

CI Lye Tank

If you are interested in more food posts you can visit my Facebook page Jason J Morgan – The Cast Iron Ronin