It's something you read everywhere...

In sports, you're only as good as your last game.
In your career, you're only as good as your last job.
A company is only as good as its last product.

So you're only as good as the last dish that came out of your beautiful black pots.

What did you cook most recently, and how did it turn out?

That is one of my favorite recipes, Darren.  It always pleases a crowd.

I made these two recipes on Sunday:

http://dutchovenchef.com/smf/main-dishes/mushroom-chicken/
and
http://dutchovenchef.com/smf/side-dishes/potatoes-au-gratin/

Both were excellent.  I'll have pictures posted in the next day or two.

Got pictures working, and I remembered to take pictures...

Made a little pulled pork and rolls on Sunday. I refitted an "apple brine" that I found on a Smoking forum, and tweaked it very little. I put in the brine water, apple cider, salt, brown sugar, and I cut up a few oranges and key limes. Then I submerged a 9 lb Pork Shoulder (bone in) and let it sit overnight in my fridge.

After brining overnight, I pulled it out and rinsed it off, and let it dry.


While letting some coals get up to heat...

...I mixed up a bit of a dry rub..

Brown sugar, chili powder, pepper, a little more salt (I believe I under-salted the brine...  <!-- s:( --><!-- s:( -->  so I compensated here a little ), pepper, garlic granules, and some onion flakes.

Here's the Pork Shoulder all rubbed up!


Here's the 14 inch oven coming up to heat...


And here's that beautiful shoulder FILLING the 14 inch oven...a little bit of the rub crusted on the lid!


So...that is in for the long haul. Had a friend come over to chat while it was smelling WONDERFUL!

After a couple of hours, I put a standard slightly-sweet Dinner Roll dough in my mixer. After kneading it for about 5 minutes, I let it rise for about 45 minutes, punched it down, and broke it up into 24 balls. Then I put those balls into two 12 inch ovens and set them in the sun to rise again.


Of course, for MOST of the time, the lids were on... <!-- s:) --><!-- s:) -->

Anyway, after about 4 1/2 hours of cooking time, the pork was done, and I believe that the Rolls took about 25-30 minutes. (I don't remember exactly...)

Here's the pork, all done!


And the Rolls...


Pull a roll off, put on some pork, a LITTLE bit of BBQ sauce, and some homemade slaw...


Mmm, mmm, good!

-darren

I hear you cooked in your cast iron for Fathers Day yesterday, Darren.  What did you make?

I opted for smoked baby backs myself.  Four hours with hickory and cherry...  Perfection!