**SPECIAL** Discussion/Entry Thread -> "Crockpot!" Throwdown (Entries and Quality ON TOPIC *CLEAN* Discussion Only)

[Moose]

Our new Special TD category is...

[FONT=&quot]"Crock Pot!"

[/FONT]CATEGORY DESCRIPTION - READ BEFORE ENTERING

NOT a legal entry!

Don't you think it's time you took that Crock Pot out of the box finally and figured out how to use it?

SPECIAL RULES ARE IN EFFECT (duh)

1. The main ingredient you put in the crock must be grilled or smoked.
2. See above.


Please Note:

• This is a totally open category as long as you cook your dish in a Crock Pot and the main ingredient you place in the crock pot has been grilled or smoked. Simple enough

• Standard Throwdown rules apply (except for the fact that you have to cook in a crock pot this time).

• Multiple entries are both allowed, and encouraged. :thumb:

You may submit entries that are cooked from Friday 5/2 through Sunday 6/1/14.

Entry pictures must be submitted by 6 a.m. Central US Time on Monday morning 6/2/14.

Click here to READ THE RULES for the BBQ Brethren Throwdowns...

***The below disclaimer is intended to prevent any and all douchebags from committing any and all forms of douchebaggery in the wrong place. BE ADVISED***

The ENTRY and VOTE threads will follow Q-Talk rules, meaning QUALITY ON-TOPIC discussion of the category or entries only, please. Discussion is encouraged to take place in the DISCUSSION THREAD, but if you want a recipe, or are looking for details or have QUALITY ON-TOPIC comments to make about an entry or the category you can make them in the ENTRY or VOTE thread. Non-quality posts that are made here will be deleted and the offending member will be asked why they couldn't just post in the DISCUSSION thread instead, and in extreme cases or repeat offenders, disciplinary action WILL happen.

Best of luck and even better eats to all!

 

[Big George's BBQ]

Sounds Great Love crock pot meals

 

[deguerre]

A whole month? Now that's a slow cooker.

 

[cirk]

Are we cooking a crock pot?

 

[deguerre]

It just so happens that USDA choice CAB briskets went on sale today...

 

[cirk]

It just so happens that USDA choice CAB briskets went on sale today...

I hope chuckys are next!

 

[BobBrisket]

So the main ingredient must smoked or grilled first and then cooked again in the CP?

 

[deguerre]

Yep. Way I understand it anyway. Take a chuck for example. An IT of 160 is "done" and will have some good smoke, but then it can be finished off in the crock pot to fork tender.

I may, or may not, haven't decided yet, do something with one of these...

 

[bigabyte]

Another way to look at it is the smoked angle. Say you smoke up some sausages or bacon? Use those in the crock. It doesn't have to be "leftovers" necessarily, but we can't just remove the live fire or smoke action from a Throwdown because....well......fark it's a farking BBQ site for cripes sake!

But....

We are also the BBQ Masters of the Universe!

If anyone can make the most stellar BBQ in the universe using Crock Pots, it is THIS PLACE!!!

 

[deguerre]

Or, cold smoking a cut for a few hours?

 

[bigabyte]

Or, cold smoking a cut for a few hours?

That would be "smoked", yes.

 

[Ron_L]

Yep. Way I understand it anyway. Take a chuck for example. An IT of 160 is "done" and will have some good smoke, but then it can be finished off in the crock pot to fork tender.

I may, or may not, haven't decided yet, do something with one of these...

Nice briskies!

I've done pot roast in the past by giving the chuck a good sear on the grill and then finishing it in the crock pot. I think that would count, too.

 

[bigabyte]

Nice briskies!

I've done pot roast in he past by giving the chuck a good sear on the grill and then finishing it in the crock pot. I think that would count, too.

Yep!:thumb:

I think I mentioned that somewhere...I think.

Seared on a grill would definitely be legal...it was grilled.:thumb:

 

[deguerre]

Here's a good example. Chuck taken to 160:

Then cubed and finished off in the crock pot to make these:

A three step dish.

 

[oifmarine2003]

My humble entry

Cook thread:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2908109#post2908109

Please use the following as my official entry photo:

 

[Kathy's Smokin']

Official entry below.

 

[Kathy's Smokin']

Please accept this Official Entry into the "Crockpot!" TD.

This is my entry titled, "Smoked Beef Pho".

My name is Kathy and I am addicted to pho. :mrgreen: Special thanks to my pho mentor, Buccaneer, for without you I'd still be making that mediocre stuff instead of this excellent bowl.

I pulled what looked to me like a small beef roast that my butcher labeled as "Steak Tail" with "Smoke" underneath. I've never heard of steak tail before but it looked like a small roast and if my butcher says it's good for smoking, I'm not arguing.



Was I surprised to see it unfold into this! :shock: I made a rub of Chinese 5 Spice, granulated garlic and ginger and left the meat to rest in the fridge one day. I use very little salt when cooking, my partner struggles with edema, so I add salt to my finished bowl rather than the ingredients, rub or pot. If you use salt please add it to the rub.



Next day I started on the broth and the 'aroma'. I decided to try making broth in a crockpot this time. I couldn't find the two we have somewhere so went to a few second hand stores and discovered this vintage avocado beauty that was made in Montreal, Quebec. :mrgreen:





Before making the broth it is important to boil the bones 10 minutes, toss the water and clean the scum off the bones with water. Buccaneer also introduced me to Helen, a young woman who makes youtube videos of Vietnamese cuisine. She promises no flavour is lost in such a short time and it greatly reduces the need to skim the broth as it cooks. One hallmark of good pho is a clear broth. I put my beef bones in a 16 litre/quart pot and after 10 minutes boiling emptied the pot onto a sink sieve.





When the bones are clean of scum put them in the crock pot. Cover with water about 1 - 2 inches above the bones. Helen puts her beef meat in at this point but I was smoking my beef so I didn't. Put half an onion raw and peeled in the crock pot and used half unpeeled for the char. For this size crock pot use ⅓ tsp each salt and sugar. For a large crock pot use a whole peeled onion raw, a whole unpeeled onion to char in the next step and a full tsp each of salt and sugar.



Now it's time to focus on the aroma. For a full batch use two pieces of ginger about the size of your thumb, three pieces of star anise, two cinnamon sticks the size of your finger, two to three pieces of cardamom and one onion still in its peel. Cut the ginger lengthwise, no need to peel it. For this small crockpot size cut the amounts by 2/3, for a large crockpot, use the full amount. I split my aromatics volume between this small crockpot and a larger vessel I was making additional broth in. Char the aromatics on an open flame, electric stove burner or in the oven. Scrape off char from the onion to help keep the broth clear. What a delight cinnamon sticks and star anise are when they catch fire and burn like incense. The ginger skin and hairs and the onion skin will catch fire, tamp the fire out with your tongs or throw separated burning pieces in the sink. When done wrap in cheesecloth or a parchment pouch as a tea bag and nestle it under the bones to anchor while cooking. You can cook the broth anywhere from 5 or 6 hours or all day. I used the high setting on this crockpot for 6 hours and the marrow stayed intact and did not muddy the broth but if I were to let it cook all day or overnight I would use the low setting.









Once the broth was cooking I started the kamado and smoked the steak tail at 250F for just over 2 hours and pulled it at 170F. Because the grain of this cut runs lengthwise it helps to section it for cross-grain cutting. It looks a lot like brisket.





About 6 hours later I removed the bones and tea bags from the broth and ran it through a sieve. Then I used a fat separator to further clean up the broth. Returned the broth to the crock pot and added the beef slices and 1 Tbsp of fish sauce to heat up. When making pho always preheat your soup bowls either with hot water or a warm oven. Once I learned that my days of eating lukewarm pho ended.







To finish I boiled pho noodles about 5 and one half minutes. Carol likes the medium size noodles so I used those. If you like thinner noodles cut down the boiling time. I used to have a lot of trouble making asian rice noodles until Buccaneer told me to check them every minute with a pinch because it's a narrow margin between undercooked and overcooked. Since using that piece of advice I'm getting better and better at judging their doneness. Garnishes are blanched bean sprouts, Thai basil, squeeze of lime and Sriracha in my bowl.









Please use the photo below for voting.



That was excellent pho. I love the different textures of the noodle mass, bean sprouts and meat. I love the balance of sweet, salt, heat, spice and lime against the wondrous flavour of Thai basil. I just love pho. I smoked the steer tail for a bit to ease off the rawness but maintain bone integrity against splintering. I don't know who loved what they were eating more, me or my dog.

Thanks for looking! :grin:

 

[deguerre]

My humble entry

Cook thread:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2908109#post2908109

Please use the following as my official entry photo:

I so want to taste that. It's a brand new idea to me.

 

[deguerre]

That was excellent pho. I love the different textures of the noodle mass, bean sprouts and meat. I love the balance of sweet, salt, heat, spice and lime against the wondrous flavour of Thai basil. I just love pho. I smoked the steer tail for a bit to ease off the rawness but maintain bone integrity against splintering. I don't know who loved what they were eating more, me or my dog.

Thanks for looking! :grin:

I think the Viet community in Memphis would welcome you with open arms.

 

[bigabyte]

Two nice strong entries to get it started!:whoo: