Berry the Hatches

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Texas Iron Chef

Hatch green chiles in a blueberry cobbler – suprising and delicious!

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I love Central Market!  It is an amazing grocery store filled with an unbelievable selection of fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, fish…. and the list goes on and on and on.  It is truly a “foodie heaven.”  Back in 2007, they held the First Annual Un-Edited & Un-Tested Hatch Recipe Book contest, sharing all of the wonderful, wild, and sometimes crazy Hatch green chile love from across Texas.  The judges selected eight No-Holds-Barred Winners and their recipes, so today I’m going bake a version of the winning recipes in our 12″ camp Dutch oven:  Berrying the Hatches by Kim Ellen Wooton of Lewisville, Texas.20140812-IMG_2816-Edit-Edit-1

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • Zest and juice of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1/2 cup Hatch green chile, roasted and diced
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Fire up a chimney full of charcoal, about 30 briquets.

In a small bowl, mix together the topping of one cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

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In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add the zest of one lemon and toss to incorporate lemon evenly throughout the flour mixture.  Stir in two cups sugar and milk.  20140812-IMG_2832-Edit-1

Set out nine hot charcoals in a circle and place 12″ camp Dutch oven over the coals.  20140812-IMG_2833-Edit-1Add one cup of butter.  When the butter is melted, pour in the batter.  Do not stir! You will be layering the fruit, chiles, and topping without stirring.

Sprinkle blueberries across the batter.  Do not stir!20140812-IMG_2834-Edit-1Spoon the Hatch green chile across the top of the blueberries and, you got it, do not stir!20140812-IMG_2836-Edit-1

Squeeze the lemon juice on top of the chile, then sprinkle the topping and finish with the nuts if you like an added crunchy richness.  IMG_2839-Edit-1

Place the lid on the oven and bring to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with about 15 hot charcoals. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  I had to add more charcoal to the top and underneath the Dutch oven to keep the temperature at 350.  I also rotated the bottom and top every 15 minutes to avoid a hot spot.

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This is a winner indeed!!  This is an easy, quick, and super delicious dessert that is a perfect ending to any southwestern meal.  I love it!!

Enjoy!

 

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Smoked Stuffed Pork Chops

Posted on August 9, 2014 by Texas Iron Chef

IMG_2747-Edit-1Pork chops are such a versatile protein, offer countless opportunities for outdoor cooks, and are a perfect choice for cooking in a camp Dutch oven. Tonight we are trying a new recipe from one of our all time favorite chefs, Alton Brown.  We love his quirky humor to teach about cooking and his dedication to the science of cooking.  Just about every time we watch Good Eats, I want to jump into the kitchen and try what he was cooking.  We are adapting his recipe for stuffed grilled pork chops by smoking them in our Camp Chef Ultimate Dutch oven instead of grilling them.  Lets get started!

Ingredients

  • 2 double thick bone-in loin end pork chops (Note:  Do not skimp on this!  Get your butcher to give you the thickest pork chop possible!)
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tablespoon mustard powder
  • 1 cup cider vinegar, heated
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • 3/4 cup bread crumbs or cornbread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon golden raisins
  • 1/8 cup chopped nuts
  • 1/8 cup dried cherries, halved
  • 1/8 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fresh sage, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon saltIMG_2748-Edit-1

Directions

Prepare brine by combining warm vinegar, salt, brown sugar, mustard powder and stir until sugar, salt, and mustard are dissolved.  Add pork chops and cover. Chill for as long as possible, at least one hour, two is better.

Start five or six charcoals and gather your favorite wood for smoking. (My better half likes apple wood chips.)  Pile the chips on top of the charcoal and watch them start to smoke.20140809-IMG_2774-Edit-1

Remove the chops from the brine and cut a pocket into the biggest section of the chop.  This quick video shows you how.

Stuff as much of the cherry and nut stuffing into the pocket as you can.20140809-IMG_2765-Edit-1

Place the stuffed pork chops on the upper rack of the Ultimate Dutch Oven, then move the oven over the smoking wood chips.20140809-IMG_2768-Edit-120140809-IMG_2784-Edit-1Place the center of the Ultimate Dutch oven over the smoking chips so the smoke and pork hang out together for about 40 to 45 minutes, until the internal temperature is about 110 – 115 degrees Fahrenheit.  20140809-IMG_2788-9Then fire up another chimney of charcoal.20140809-IMG_2798-Edit-1

Add a pile of hot coals on top and underneath to quickly raise the temperature and grill the pork chops for about 15 – 20 minutes.  Remove when the internal temperature is 135 degrees Fahrenheit.  Let the chops rest for 10 minutes.20140809-IMG_2807-Edit-1I love the smokey flavor of the apple wood in the pork chops.  Oh, these chops are so juicy! And the stuffing is sweet and savory….

You can easily double this recipe to serve four hungry friends.  There is plenty of room for four pork chops on the Ultimate.

Next time we make this, I will add a cherry bourbon sauce and work in my favorite Hatch green chiles.

Enjoy!!

 

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