Scones

I am posting these recipes at the request of a follower on Instagram (@fuegobbqco). Since I'm accustomed to preparing scones in bulk, I scaled my professional recipe for 100 scones down to 8. This is a straight-forward process using baker's percent. I'll let you read up on the baker's percent process on your own.

Along with biscuits, scones are a favorite at my summer camp. Scones appear on the menu each week or so during family camps. In the beginning, I'd scoop the scones onto a sheet pan.

Today, I roll the scone dough on the bench in the same manner as biscuits. The only time that I cut the scone dough into wedges is at home. I generally use a 2½" biscuit cutter to cut the scones.

SCONES

This recipe calls for less than one whole eggs. A whole large eggs weighs 1¾ ounces. Since this recipe requires 1⅛ ounces of egg, I used about two-thirds of the whisked egg in the wet ingredients. The remainder was used as the egg wash.

If desired, you could use a medium egg if you have one, or add a whole large egg. To compensate for the additional moisture, begin with 5 tablespoons of milk. Add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the right consistence is achieved.

8 ounces all-purpose flour (1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons)
1 ounce sugar (2¼ tablespoons)
½ ounce baking powder (3½ teaspoons)
¼ teaspoon salt
3¼ ounces butter (6½ tablespoons)
1 large egg, whisked, divided use
7 tablespoons milk

Mix dry ingredients until blended. Add butter to flour mixture. Using fingertips, rub chilled butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add ⅔ of the egg and the milk. Stir until wet ingredients are incorporated. Do not over mix. Dough should be as soft as can be handled. Place dough on lightly floured board or table. Knead 15-20 times, turning 90 degrees each stroke. Round up and flatted to ½-inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges.

Place on greased or lined sheet pan. (I like to bake them in a skillet.) Egg wash tops with remaining egg. Bake in a 400° oven for 15-20 minutes.

NOTE: I used the King Arthur Flour "Ingredient Weight Chart" to convert ingredient weights to volume measurements.

Grilled chicken tacos

Earlier this week I wrote about my love for tacos. 'Round the Chuckbox featured tacos al pastor on Monday. I cooked the shepherd style tacos on a cast iron grill pan. These tacos mimic the well known Mexico street food.

With a package of chicken thighs thawing in the fridge, I thought tacos de pollo were in order. This morning I quickly assembled a marinade from orange juice, lime juice, white vinegar, olive oil and spices. I let the chicken soak all day in the fridge.

As the chicken marinated, I prepared salsa verde from tomatillos, fresh chili peppers, onion and garlic. The vegetables were cooked over high heat in the grill pan. The char added extra flavor.

At dinner time, the chicken was cooked in the grill pan, condiments prepared and tacos assembled. Although it's not included in the recipe, I shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese because my wife likes cheese on tacos. The homemade hot sauce and salsa verde compliment the tacos well.

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate 4 hours or over night to impart flavors. Chicken and marinade can be placed in a  large zipper lock bag if desired. Discard marinate.

To prepare the salsa verde: In a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat, char 8 small to medium tomatillos, 1 seeded poblano chili pepper, 1 seeded jalapeño chili pepper, 1/4 medium onion and 3 garlic cloves.  Place in food processor bowl with a splash of extra virgin olive oil, squeeze of lime, some chopped cilantro and salt to taste. Pulse to desired consistency. Leave chunky. If desired, remove some of the char on the chili peppers before placing in the food processor.

Grill the chicken thighs, skin-side down, until browned, about 5 minutes. After turning, dial the heat down to medium and continue cooking until done, about 20 to 25 minutes. Covering the chicken at this point will help cook them a little quicker.

For each soft taco, quickly heat two corn tortillas. Each taco gets chicken, diced red onion, chopped cilantro and salsa verde. Avocado and sliced radish add color to the tacos (not pictured). Homemade hot sauce adds extra spice to the tacos (recipe coming soon).

GRILLED CHICKEN TACOS

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used for these tacos if desired. Add additional dried chili peppers to the marinade for additional spice. Ground chipotle chili pepper or smoked paprika can be added to marinade to add a smokey flavor.

8 chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed

Marinade:
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 chilies de arbol, stem removed and broken into pieces
1 teaspoon dried oregano, rubbed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

 Condiments:
Corn tortillas

Salsa verde
Diced red onion
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place in bowl or other suitable container. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over chicken. Turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Turn chicken every couple hours to ensure coverage.

Pre-heat a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and discard. Brush grill pan ribs with oil. Grill chicken skin-side down until skin is browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until done, about 20 to 25 minutes. Do not crowd pan. Grill in batches.

Remove chicken to platter. Loosely cover with aluminum foil. Rest 5 minutes, then shred chicken. Serve with corn tortillas, salsa verde, diced red onion, chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Serves 4 to 8.

Tacos al pastor

Tacos and hamburgers are two things that I can't get enough of. I've taken to ordering a hamburger and French fries at our local Mexican restaurant. It's not that I don't enjoy their food. I do, especially the chili verde. I simply want hamburgers.

And there are no shortage of tacos near our home. They abound on Taco Tuesday. Debbie and I frequent the local take and bake pizza joint, where -- on Tuesday -- ground beef tacos are the special of the day.

This pleases my wife. She only orders three things at any Mexican eatery -- one, two or three tacos, crunchy shell, no tomato with lettuce of the side. In nearly 37 years, I've never seen her deviate.

This brings us to tacos al pastor. Cooked "shepherd style," traditional tacos al pastor are prepared by stacking marinated pork slices on a spit and roasting on a vertical rotisserie, much like Greek gyros. The meat is slowly roasted as the spit turns. Each time a taco is ordered, the cook shaves the crisp out layer off onto a handheld tortilla.

Yet, tacos al pastor can be made without a spit. A cast iron grill pan stands in for the rotisserie. After grilling the onion and pineapple over intense heat, marinated pork slices quickly caramelize on the ribs of the grill pan. The result is a wonderfully charred taco filling.

The marinade is prepared with garlic, spices, achiote paste and guajillo chilies. The achiote adds color and a "earthy, peppery flavor with a hint of bitterness" to the marinade. When combined with guajillo chilies, the deep red hue imparts an amazing bit of eye appeal, to say nothing of the rich level of spiciness. Stir in pineapple juice and vinegar and the flavor of the tacos are out of this world.

This is my new favorite taco.

Serve tacos al pastor with Mexican rice, lime wedges and a spritz of chopped cilantro. This may not be authentic, but I enjoy a side of grilled onion with the tacos.

TACOS AL PASTOR

This recipe is attributed to the Food and Wine website. I have adapted the directions to cast iron grill pan or skillet. Purchase guajillo chilies and achiote at well-stocked supermarkets or your local Mexican market.

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for brushing
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 guajillo chilies, stemmed, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons achiote paste
Sea salt
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 medium pineapple, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 medium red onion, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
Warm corn tortillas, chopped cilantro and lime wedges, for serving

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in the oregano, cumin, pepper and cloves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the chilies and cook, stirring, until blistered in spots, about 30 seconds. Add the pineapple juice, vinegar and achiote paste and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and steep for 5 minutes.

Transfer the chili mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt. Place the pork in a large covered dish or storage container. Pour the marinade over the pork and turn to coat. Set the dish in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat a cast iron grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the pineapple and onion with oil. Grill over high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

Remove the pork from the marinade. Grill over high heat until lightly charred and just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

Cut the pineapple, onion and pork into thin strips and transfer to a bowl. Season with salt. Serve with corn tortillas, chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Makes 8 to 12 tacos.

Scrambling eggs in a cast iron skillet

Cast iron cookware has been an American icon of cookery for centuries. When given reasonable care, it will outlast the cook. And it's often passed on to the next generation.

Readily available at a modest cost, millions of cooks rely on its properties to cook good food, which include the ability to generate a good crust or sear, maintain even heat over a low to medium flame and clean up with little fuss. And it's easily placed in the oven to finish a dish as most cast iron cookware is ovenproof.

I frequently use a Lodge cast iron skillet to cook scrambled eggs at home and in camp. At home, my skillet of choice is a 10-inch cast iron chef skillet (model LC3S) with sloped sides. This is the ideal for two to six eggs.

When feeding larger groups, I scale up to the 13.25-inch skillet (model L12SK3), the larger 17-inch skillet with loop handles (model L17SK3) or the massive 20-inch skillet (model 20SK). (The 20-inch skillet is no longer produced by Lodge. It does show on eBay.com from time to time; however, be aware it comes with a hefty price tag!)

I find the Lodge 13.25-inch skillet ideal for cooking one to three
dozen scrambled eggs in a single batch.

IRON SKILLET SCRAMBLED EGGS

Cooking scrambled eggs in a cast iron skillet is straight-forward, so let practice guide you. Practice will teach the right heat setting when preheating, how much butter to use and the right setting for cooking the eggs. These basic steps will ensure perfectly scrambled eggs:

• Select the right size skillet for the job. A six- to ten-inch diameter skillet is best for a family, while the larger skillets (see my notes above) work best for large groups. I find it's best to stick with a familiar skillet, one you frequently use. The advantage is that you know what heat setting to use as it preheats, when to turn the heat down and its capacity.
• Preheat the dry cast iron skillet (without oil or butter). Medium-low to medium heat is best for scrambled eggs. Any higher than medium and you run the risk of scorching the eggs and creating a burned-on mess that's difficult to clean.
• Crack two to three eggs per person into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then vigorously whisk to combine.
• Add butter to the skillet and let it melt. The fat adds flavor to the eggs and helps ensure a non-stick surface (when pared with a properly seasoned skillet). Olive oil can be used in place of butter. Use one tablespoon butter or oil per serving.
• Pour the eggs into the skillet. You should hear a slight sizzle. Any louder means that the skillet is too hot. Immediately turn the heat down a notch or two.
• Using a spatula, slowly move the curd from the edge of the skillet toward the center. Continue until the egg is set, but still a bit runny. Take care not to overcook. I always remove scrambled eggs from the skillet when they reach the soft-set stage. The eggs will continue to cook for several minutes as they cool. If desired , top eggs with cheese. Serve immediately.
  

A typical breakfast at Star Valley Outfitters in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Western Wyoming. This meal included scrambled eggs with cheese, pork breakfast sausage and cottage fried potatoes.

Sicilian-style cast iron skillet pizza

I haven't prepared skillet pizza in over four years for 'Round the Chuckbox. In February 2012, I baked a pizza in a 17-inch cast iron skillet when my baking stone "bit the dust." Three month later, when the home oven quit working, I baked a take 'n bake pizza in an inverted 14-inch Dutch oven. I felt it was time to feature another cast iron pizza.

After testing a recipe from the Serious Eats website two weeks ago, cast iron skillet pizza sounded good. I wanted a recipe that I can use at my summer job and when camping. This recipe will serve both purposes. It can either be baked in a half-sized (13x18-inch) sheet pan or in two large cast iron skillets (10- to 12-inch diameter).

The camp edition of the pizza can be baked with charcoal briquettes or inside the home oven. While this recipe uses a stand mixer (I use a Kitchen Aid 5-quart mixer), the Serious Eats website has instructions for hand-mixing the dough. You can use an inverted Dutch oven as well. I will post hand-mixing instructions when I get a chance.

The full-sized (18x26-inch) sheet pan will be used for the camp. It takes six to eight sheet pan pizzas for each 100 campers. Pizza is often pared with honey barbecued chicken wings, pasta salad and a loaded salad bar. We typically feature cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza, vegan pizza and a meat-lover's pizza.

I proofed the dough on the picnic table on the patio. The skillet in the foreground in a Lodge No. 12. The other one is a Wagner 1891. My wife and I purchased the Wagner in the early 1980s when we were first married.

The pizza is ready for toppings. Each skillet pizza needs 1/4- to 1/2-cup sauce, 3 to 4 ounces shredded cheese and 2 to 4 ounces meat (if used). I added a bunch of sauteed spinach to both pizzas. Four ounces sliced chicken sausage with feta and spinach was used on the larger pizza.

You have to pile the charcoal briquettes to achieve a close approximation of 550 degrees F. Lighting 10 extra briquettes will give you extra heat should you need it.

Finished pizzas. The crust could've been a bit more crisp. The smaller pizza is vegetarian.

Sheet pan pizza prepared from the same recipe. I will use this recipe to bake pizza in full-sized (18x26-inch) sheet pans for Oakland Feather River Camp, where I am the executive chef. Four sheet pans yield 96 slices.

SICILIAN-STYLE CAST IRON SKILLET PIZZA

This recipe requires two large cast iron skillets, 10- to 13-inches in diameter. Match each skillet to the rimmed Dutch oven lid (or camp-style Dutch oven) that fits best. The 12-inch lid will fit the smaller skillet while the larger skillets will require the 14-inch lid.

To bake in a rimmed 13x18-inch half-sized sheet pan, pour remaining oil (in second paragraph of instructions) into a half sheet pan. Place dough on sheet pan and let rise as directed. About 30 minutes before baking, preheat home oven to 550 degrees with rack in the middle position. Proceed to stretch dough to the sides and corners of the pan, as directed. Double toppings and bake 15 to 20.

This recipe was adapted from the SeriousEats.com website.

17-1/2 ounces bread or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
12-1/4 ounces room temperature water

Combine flour, salt, yeast and 2 tablespoons oil in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk to combine. Add water and mix on medium speed until it comes together and no dry flour remains. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until the dough is stretchy and smooth, about 6 minutes. The dough should stick to the bottom of the bowl but pull away from the sides.

Divide oil between 2 cast iron skillets and spread over surface with hands. Divide dough in half and place one piece in each. (Add slightly more dough to the larger skillet when using mismatched pans.) Rub top surface with oil until thoroughly coated. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise at room temperature until dough has spread out to nearly touch each rim of each skillet, about 2 hours.

Carefully remove plastic wrap. Using oiled hands and being as gentle as possible to maintain air bubbles, push and stretch dough into corners of each skillet by pressing out from the center and lifting and stretching it beyond the rim of each skillet. The dough should pull back until the skillet is just filled with dough.

Light 45 to 60 charcoal briquettes in a charcoal chimney about 30 minutes before the dough is ready. One lid is needed since you will bake the pizzas one at a time. For 550 degrees, use around 45 briquettes (30 on lid and 15 under skillet) on the 12-in camp-style Dutch oven lid. The 14-inch lid requires around 60 briquettes (40 on lid and 20 under skillet).

Top each pizza with about 1/3- to 1/2-cup sauce, 3 to 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, plus additional toppings as desired. Place the first skillet on trivet. Place the lid from a Dutch oven on top of the skillet. Bake with charcoal briquettes for 550 degrees until bottom is crisp and top surface is bubbling, 15 to 30 minutes. Repeat for second skillet. Allow to cool at room temperature for 5 minutes. Slice as desired.

Meatloaf flop

I won't be posting the recipe to cheeseburger meatloaf anytime soon. After testing the recipe last night, I wasn't pleased with the results. Though the recipe appeared to be straight forward, it needs re-working before I can give it the 'Round the Chuckbox stamp of approval.

I must confess that the failure of the recipe isn't entirely the fault of the source. It was located on the ChefRef cell phone application by Sysco. A major contributing factor was my selection of the wrong measuring cup, something that I rarely do.

The recipe called for a mixture of bread crumbs, chopped pickles, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, egg and mustard. Once mixed, it was worked into ground beef and shredded cheddar cheese. Since the initial ingredients were portioned in quarter and half-cup increments, I had intended to select the quarter-cup measure.

There's one problem. Our quarter-cup measure has been missing for some time. (It's likely buried in the rice or flour container.) Instead, I absentmindedly selected the third-cup measure. While I enjoyed the basic flavor, I couldn't move beyond the pasty texture. And I couldn't slice it for the plate without it falling apart.

I do intend on presenting a Dutch oven meatloaf recipe on these pages in the coming week or two. I will place the recipe for cheeseburger meatloaf on the back burner for now and work on a basic comfort recipe.

Pie dough for a 12-inch skillet

Use this recipe for pie dough with the iron skillet apple pie in a 12-inch pan.

PIE DOUGH FOR A 12-INCH SKILLET

Keep butter and shortening in the refrigerator to ensure a flaky crust.

18 ounces all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons table salt
9 ounces unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 ounces shortening, cold
3/4 cup ice water

Place flour and salt in a mixer bowl. Using flat beater, mix flour and salt on low speed 15 seconds. Place cubed butter and shortening in bowl. Mix on low speed 1 minute, or until mixture resembles cornmeal. Some butter lumps will remain.

With mixer on low speed, gradually add ice water. Mix just until water is absorbed. Do not over work the dough. Scoop dough onto counter. Gently press into a large ball and cut in to two pieces. Flatten each piece into a rounded disk. Place the disks in a zip-top bag. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Lightly dust each piece with flour. Flatten gently. Using a floured rolling pin, roll lightly with quick strokes from center out to edge in all directions. Form a circle 13 to 14 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Bottom crust will be slightly thicker. Shift or turn dough occasionally to prevent sticking. If edges split, pinch cracks together.

BOTTOM CRUST: Fold each piece of rolled dough in half. For iron skillet apple pie, proceed with instructions in the recipe. For other applications, such as chicken pot pie, carefully place in ungreased 12-inch skillet with fold at center. Unfold and fit carefully into skillet, being careful not to leave any air spaces between skillet and dough. Place contents over bottom crust, being careful not to overfill.

TOP CRUST: With top crust folded in half, make several small slits with a knife near center fold to allow steam to vent during baking. Brush outer rim of bottom crust with water. Lay top crust over filling with fold at center. Unfold and press edges of two crusts together lightly. Trim overhanging edges of dough by with a knife or spatula. Seal pie by pressing edges of crust firmly together or crimping with thumb and forefinger to make a fluted edge.

Brush top crust with 1 whisked egg. On fruit pies, sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over crust. Do not use sugar on savory pies. Bake pie as directed in recipe. Place pan under skillet to catch syrup spills. Watch skillet pie in oven as it requires longer baking than a traditional 9-inch pie. If needed, shield crust with foil sheet in last 15 to 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning.

Iron skillet apple pie in a 12-inch pan

I presented my version of the iron skillet apple pie last night to a potluck Thanksgiving dinner. The pie was baked in a large cast iron skillet. We arrived just as the last diners we filling their plates. I placed the pie among the other desserts and cut it into 12 servings.

I thought that the crust was the best part of the pie! The crisp crust, both top and bottom, complimented the soft and sweet apples. A clean skillet was all that we brought home. Word of mouth quickly brought diners to the dessert table to try a slice of pie.

Enjoy ...

Iron skillet apple pie in a 12-inch pan will feed a crowd. 

IRON SKILLET APPLE PIE IN A 12-INCH PAN

This is an enlarged version of an on-line recipe MyRecipes.com, from the September 2011 issue of Southern Living. Amounts have been adjusted to fit inside a larger cast iron skillet. I used an 11-1/2-inch Wagner skillet for the test run.

Purchase 5 large Braeburn and 5 large Granny Smith apples. Yield will be approximately 4 pounds, give or take, of apple slices after peeling, coring and slicing. You may need to prepare your own pie dough since the skillet is several inches larger than a 9-inch pie pan. Or you can use my recipe.

2-1/2 pounds Braeburn apples
2-1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups sugar
Pinch salt
6 ounces unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 pounds 4 ounces pie dough, rolled into 2 pieces
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and core apples. Cut into 1/2-inch wedges. Toss with cinnamon and 2 cups sugar. In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Do not caramelize. Remove from heat.

Place 1 pie crust over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apples over bottom pie crust. Top with second pie crust (with several slits cut in to vent steam). Pinch crusts to seal. Whisk egg. Brush top crust with egg wash. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over crust.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Place pan under skillet to catch syrup spills. Shield crust with foil sheet in last 15 to 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool before serving. Serves 12.

Throwback Thursday: Frank's killer breakfast

Today's throwback blends two posts from August 2005. Frank and his lovely wife, Ann, have since moved to Boise, Idaho, and have become grandparents. Debbie and I need to travel north and hold a reunion camping trip.

All camp cooks savor a day off from the kitchen. Yesterday was my day off. My duty was to make coffee, lounge beside the campfire and dish out advice. A buddy handled all culinary tasks.
Jacob and I went camping with Frank and Hunter Friday evening.

We spent the night at Wench Creek Campground on the east shore of Union Valley Reservoir in Eldorado National Forest. Camping is pleasant now that the heat wave has subsided in the Sacramento Valley. Friday’s high was about 75 degrees. The overnight low was 50.

Frank prepared a killer breakfast for us. He got up about 45 minutes ahead of me Saturday morning. Frank had a good bed of coals for cooking by the time I got up at 6:30 a.m.

Frank’s breakfast is hearty -- an epicurean contradiction -- good tasting and not-so-good for you, all in one setting. A carpenter and general contractor by trade, he cooked  breakfast in two large cast iron skillets, each course in succession. He normally cooks breakfast in one skillet. When Frank told he about breakfast plans last week, I threw in an extra skillet.

Bacon and sausage patties and links inaugurated the morning meat-egg-potatoes fest. Then in quick succession, Frank fried potatoes to a crisp in the bacon fat and scrambled eggs, again in bacon fat. Lastly he cooked gravy from more bacon grease, flour and milk.

Build a roaring cookfire. I follow two rules: First, build a fire that’s twice to three times the size that you think you need. In pine and cedar country it’s easy to underestimate the amount of wood.

The second rule is equally important. Keep the fire going and avoid the tendency to let it burn out once you start cooking. Otherwise Murphy’s Law steps in and kills any further plans for breakfast.

"I love the smell of bacon in the morning."

Use this time to dice the potatoes, crack and whisk the eggs and form sausage patties. The fire will take 30 to 45 minutes to burn down to a nice bed of coals. Don’t forget to add fresh wood as the fire burns.

With the fire ready, it’s time to cook breakfast. I said that Frank cooks each course in succession. The bacon goes into the first pre-heated skillet.

Push the bacon aside if you’re using a large skillet (14 inches or larger) and add sausage patties to the skillet. You may want to cook the bacon and sausage in batches if you’re using a smaller skillet. Once browned to the desire color, the move the meat waiting plate covered with a double layer of paper towel. (I’m not sure why the paper towels are necessary—you’re going consume enough grease to worry your cardiologist!)

Don’t discard any of the rendered bacon fat. Frank divides it between three dishes (health warnings aside). The potatoes, eggs and gravy all receive generous portions of the swine nectar.

You're allowed to break one egg yoke over a campfire.

A pot-full of diced potatoes are next poured into the meat skillet. Watch for splattering grease! Crumble a few bacon strips and sausage patties into the potatoes if desired.

Fifteen to 20 minutes over a hot fire will crisp the potatoes to a nice golden color. Move the skillet to a cooler spot over the fire. Stir the potatoes occasionally to keep them from burning.

At this point, turn your attention to the scrambled eggs. It’s important to pre-heat the egg skillet over a medium fire. Otherwise, you’ll burn the eggs and ruin breakfast.

Slow cooking is best for the eggs. Stick around once you pour the whipped eggs into the skillet. They require constant stirring until cooked. Frank never left the fire until the eggs were cooked.

The secret to moist scrambled eggs is to cook them over low heat. Remove the eggs when they’re still moisture seeping out. Remember, overcooked eggs in the skillet become overcooked eggs on the plate.

Place the eggs into a waiting bowl, cover with a sheet of foil and wipe the skillet clean. The pour the remaining bacon fat into the skillet and return it to medium heat. Next place enough flour into the skillet to absorb the fat. (You’ll have to judge quantities for yourself.)

Stir the roux for a few minutes over a low flame, being careful not to brown it. The last step before breakfast is to pour three or four cups of milk into the gravy skillet. Stir constantly for about 10 minutes to work the lumps out. Once the gravy thickens, you’re ready to eat.

Give the potatoes a quick stir just before serving. Warm potatoes, eggs and gravy are a must. And pour gravy over the potatoes and eggs. After all, gravy is the culinary elixir that brings the whole meal together.

20-inch Lodge skillet at Upper Blue Lake

Debbie and I returned from our annual camping trip to Upper Blue Lake with my sister and husband. This year one of our daughters and granddaughters joined us, along with one of the wranglers from Oakland Camp. We enjoyed six days of sun, wind and cool mountain air.

This is the first article from the trip. As I coordinated the menu with my sister, my thought was to prepare several meals in my "new" 20-inch Lodge skillet (model 20SK). I found the skillet at an Eagle Point, Oregon, antique shop last April. Newly re-seasoned, I used the large skillet to cook four meals for the family. I wanted to cook as many meals as possible to hasten the build-up of patina.

Enjoy these photos.

The Lodge model 20SK skillet awaits dinner Thursday evening. I use the large World War II Navy surplus coffee boiler to heat water for washing dishes. The boiler was manufactured by Vollrath.

Spicy Japanese buckwheat noodles (called soba noodles) was on the menu Thursday evening. The sauce was made from sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce. Two (9.5-ounce) packages soba noodles and two pounds shrimp were used.

I fried 1-1/2 pounds thick sliced bacon for breakfast Friday morning. The small pot holds syrup for hotcakes.

Oat blueberry hotcakes were cooked in the skillet. The batter ran until it set in the less than level skillet 

To make the hotcake batter, I doubled my families traditional hotcake recipe, then replaced 1 cup of the flour with a cup of old fashion oats. I dropped a 6-ounce package fresh blueberries to the batter at the last minute.

Friday evening I prepared succotash with kale to accompany grilled chicken. After sauteing onion, roasted red pepper and garlic, I added a bunch of kale.

After adding two (1-pound) packages frozen whole kernel corn to the vegetables, I scooped the dish into the waiting pot. Garlic bread is warming in the foil packages to the left. My brother-in-law grilled chicken for the entree.

We used Saturday's leftover tri-tip to make fajitas for lunch Sunday. I'm seasoning the meat and vegetables with scratch-made taco seasoning.

Cast iron 20-inch skillet

Here's greenturtle's blog post from this afternoon from Ramblings on Cast Iron. She graciously allowed my to reprint it on 'Round the Chuckbox.

This is a cast iron 20-inch skillet. It's huge.

It's sometimes called a "lumberjack skillet."

These skillets were frequently used by railroad workers, to cook full meals for the crew. It's useful for large group fishing, hunting, or camping trips.

Cook an entire breakfast of eggs, bacon and hash browns, or an entire supper of fish and all the trimmings. Or steaks, fajitas, fried chicken, etc.

Since it takes a lot of heat to use this skillet, regular oven mitts won't do; You need heavy duty oven mitts with silicone.

The only brand still selling them is Bayou Classic, but I have not been impressed with their quality.

If you're lucky enough to find a better quality brand, expect to pay between $500-600. Way more than I'd want to pay!

A more affordable alternative, without sacrificing quality, is the Lodge 17 inch skillet for $69.

It's smaller, but will serve the same purpose, and you can at least use that in your oven as well as outdoors. The 20-inch will not fit in most ovens.

Scrambled eggs in camp

I find scrambled eggs in camp to be an easy process. You can cook the perfect eggs every time by following a few simple rules. The key is to use the right skillet, control heat and stop cooking at the right time.

I start with two large eggs per person at camp at the beginning of each session. We serve scrambled eggs four times during each two-week session. I crack more or less eggs for the next egg breakfast, based on camper acceptance.

The campers at Deer Crossing Camp generally won't eat more than two eggs each. Crack more eggs if you have a group of hearty eaters. I found that 10 dozen was good for the 65 campers and staff during Session 2.

I cracked 12 dozen for the session's first breakfast on Monday, July 6, 2009. After watching campers dump leftover eggs into the garbage, I reduced the number by two dozen. Sessions 2 and 3 ate closer to two eggs per person.

Crack the eggs into the appropriate-sized bowl or bowls. Whisk to combine. Season each dozen large eggs with 1-cup milk, 1-teaspoon salt and white pepper to taste. Whisk to incorporate milk and seasonings.

I like to cook scrambled eggs in a cast iron skillet. While you can use any heavy skillet with a thick cooking surface, I find cast iron to be a good conductor of heat. And with a well seasoned skillet, you won't have any problem with sticking.

Heat the skillet over medium heat until a layer of butter sizzles lightly in the bottom of the pan. Don't over-heat the skillet as this leads to scorched eggs.

I prefer to cook the eggs at a lower temperature than what's recommended by many recipes. I find that I get better quality control.

Pour the eggs into the skillet once it's heated. You should hear a light sizzle. Too much sizzle means that the skillet is too hot. This is where practice will help. About four- to five-dozen large eggs will fit inside a 17-inch Lodge skillet.

Using a steel or wood spatula, gently pull the spatula across the bottom of the skillet. Let the spatula glide. Apply too much pressure and you'll pick up the layer of overcooked eggs on the bottom. The goal is to release newly cooked eggs into the liquid mass while leaving any crust behind.

Watch the heat during cooking. Lower the temperature if the eggs are cooking too fast. Conversely, increase the flame is the eggs aren't cooking fast enough. Again, experience counts here. It takes upwards of 20 minutes to cook a 4- or 5-dozen batch of scrambled eggs in a large skillet.

Cook the eggs to the soft-set stage. A digital thermometer should read between 165 and 170 degrees F. The eggs will continue to cook for the first 10 minutes the skillet. I find that eggs with a slight undercooked appearance will be perfect by the time they reach the table.

While you can cook then to medium-set (about 175 degrees) your group is squeamish about soft eggs, I don't recommend going much further than medium-set. No one appreciates dry, overcooked eggs.

SCRAMBLED EGGS

This recipe comes from Food For Fifty. This recipe varies slightly in amounts than my recommendations. It gives you a good, basic recipe to start, plus some variations.

8-1/3 pounds eggs (about 75 total)
1-1/2 quarts milk
2 tablespoons salt
8 ounces margarine

Break eggs into mixer bowl. If using frozen eggs, defrost. Beat slightly on medium speed, using wire whip attachment.

Add milk and salt to eggs. Beat until blended. Refrigerate mixture, removing small amounts as needed.

Melt margarine in fry pan, griddle or steam-jacketed kettle. Pour in egg mixture (see notes). Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until of desired consistency. Eggs should be glossy and 165°F. Serve with No. 10 dipper.

NOTES:

Potentially hazardous food. Hold uncooked mixture below 41°F and cooked eggs above 135°F.

Breaking and pooling large quantities of shell eggs is not recommended.

Use pasteurized eggs when scrambled egg mixture must be held longer than 2 hours.

The type of equipment used will determine batch size. Eggs should be cooked in small batches and held for a minimum amount of time before serving.

STEAMER METHOD. Melt 4 ounces margarine or butter in each of two steamer or counter pans. Pour egg mixture into pans. Steam for 6-8 minutes at 5 pounds pressure until desired degree of hardness is reached.

OVEN METHOD. Melt 4 ounces margarine or butter in each of two counter or baking pans. Pour egg mixture into pans. Bake approximately 20 minutes at 350°F, stirring once after 10 minutes of baking.

For lower cholesterol, egg whites may be substituted for half of the whole eggs.

VARIATIONS:

Scrambled Eggs and Cheese. Add 1-pound grated cheddar cheese.

Scrambled Eggs and Chipped Beef. Add 1-pound chopped chipped beef. Reduce salt to 1 Tbsp or less.

Scrambled Eggs and Ham. Add 1-1/4 pounds chopped cooked ham. Reduce salt to 1-tablespoon or less.