Have you ever wondered how you could restore that old jambalaya pot your Grandpa gave you? What about an old Dutch oven or cast iron skillet you found at the hunting camp or in Grandma's kitchen. Have you wondered why you should even restore either of these classic pieces of history? If you have ever wondered how to "bring back" any piece of cast iron cookware from an old rusty state, you've come to the right place.

Let's first address the question, why should I restore an old jambalaya pot? The fact is, an old hand-me-down jambalaya pot, or Dutch oven is a priceless heirloom that could be passed from generation to generation. Cast iron products like jambalaya pots and Dutch ovens are made of, well, cast iron, which is virtually indestructible. If properly maintained, they will last for a very long time, making them perfect gifts to pass on to your children or grandchildren. A gift like this will help them appreciate their heritage and a little bit of history.

So what do you do when you find this old gem and it's in less than desirable condition? Don't throw it away! As a good friend of mine from Cajun country says, "Let's bring the black pot back." What he means is, let's restore this rusty jambalaya pot. There is a process to bringing it back. The process is as follows:

1. First take care of the inside by using a piece of fine steel wool to remove any rust. After loosening the surface rust, dust out the jambalaya pot and repeat the process until no more loose rust is present.
2. After you have removed all of the surface rust possible with the fine steel wool, the pot may still have a red tint to it. There is still rust in the pores. To remove this rust you need to place the jambalaya pot on your cooker or over an open flame and fill it with water. As the water begins to warm, use a coarser piece of steel wool to scour the inside. The warm water helps to loosen the embedded rust and the course steel wool will then remove it. When the water gets so polluted you can not see the bottom of the pot, dump the water and begin again. You may have to repeat this step several times. Be careful not to bring the water to a boil, it just needs to be very warm, as warm as you can stand it.
3. When you are satisfied that you have removed all of the rust from the inside of the jambalaya pot, it is time to season it. There are several ways to accomplish this but we will concentrate on the easiest way for large pots. Place the jambalaya pot on the cooker or open flame again and begin to heat it up. Once it is hot, take three to four pounds of bacon and place it in the pot. Cook the bacon as long as possible without burning it. While it is cooking, take a paddle or big spoon and move the bacon around so that it covers all internal areas of the pot.
4. Just before the bacon burns, remove the heat from the pot and remove the bacon. Take clean WHITE paper towels (not designer) and dab all of the excess grease from the jambalaya pot. Take this opportunity to smear the grease again on all internal surfaces. Place the pot back on the cooker and turn the heat down very low. What you want to accomplish here is, maintain a steady even heat on the pot for about an hour. This allows the pores to open up and soak in the grease.
5. Step three and four needs to be repeated at least two more times with one exception. Instead of using bacon, you can use lard or fat but do not use vegetable oil or shortening. When you see your jambalaya pot begin to take a nice shine on the inside surface you have successfully seasoned the cooking surface.
6. Now you just need to touch up the exterior. Unlike the inside surface, you don't have to remove the rust if you don't want to. Some people think the rust adds character. However, whether you remove the rust or not, you should take some of the grease from the last round and wipe down the outside of the jambalaya pot.

I hope you enjoy your jambalaya pot and can successfully restore it to proper cooking order.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/restore-an-old-jambalaya-pot-3733019.html

Ardy Reed enjoys restoring and cooking with cast iron cookware. He is the owner of www.thejambalayapot.com. He believes holding on to your heritage is a gift that needs to be shared.

www.TheJambalayaPot.com can provide you with all of the jambalaya pot products you need.

One of the most satisfying and delicious home cooked meals you will ever make is a pot roast cooked in a slow cooker, also known as a crock pot. It is especially wonderful during cold winter months. This easy to make, tender and savory pot roast recipe is sure to be a huge hit with your friends and family. There are many variations to this dish and if you ask 5 different people how they prepare a pot roast, you will more than likely receive 5 different answers. While the ingredients for making pot roast may vary from cook to cook, the method is generally the same: Season then brown a piece of meat on all sides and then slowly cook the meat along with a mix of vegetables in some type of broth mixture until the meat is fork tender.

CHOOSE YOUR CUT OF MEAT

The very first step to cooking a pot roast is to choose a cut of meat. There are several cuts of meat that will work for pot roast, but some are better than others. I recommend that you visit your local butcher and ask him or her to recommend a good piece of meat for your pot roast. If however, there is no butcher shop close by, visit your local supermarket. Most supermarkets will put helpful labels on the meat telling you what that cut of meat is generally used for. Common cuts of meat used for pot roast are Chuck, Brisket, Top Round and Bottom Round. Most people prefer chuck as the meat of choice, but I find it a bit too fatty and prefer to use Bottom Round. Experiment with different cuts to find the one you like best. For the purpose of this recipe, choose a cut of meat that is 3 - 5 Pounds.

THE VEGETABLES

I like to use a variety of different vegetables when I make this dish. It makes it more interesting than the usual carrots, celery and onions that many recipes call for. The best vegetables to accompany pot roast in my opinion are carrots, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, turnips and rutabaga. You are free to use all of these or just a few. The choice is yours and nothing is written in stone. I just love the different textures and flavors that these different vegetables provide. Here are the measurement estimates for the veggies I like to use. Use more or less depending on how big your crock pot or slow cooker is. You don't want to overcrowd the crock pot.

1/2 Cup of Chopped Turnip
1/2 Cup of Chopped Rutabaga
1/2 Cup of Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup of Chopped Carrot
1/2 Cup of Chopped Celery (Look for celery with celery leaves still attached. The leaves impart an excellent flavor to the broth)
3 Garlic Cloves Minced

THE COOKING LIQUID

People use a variety of liquids to braise a pot roast and add their own unique flavors to this dish. People use a combination of water, beef stock, red wine (choose a wine that you would drink, not a cooking wine) and even beer. I like to use simple water mixed with beef stock. I usually use one part water to one part beef stock and use enough to where the roast is only submerged half way.

LET'S GET COOKING

Ok, we are ready to start cooking this beautiful dish.

Step 1

Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meat on all sides, in a tablespoon of vegetable oil.

Step 2

Place your chopped vegetables in the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the meat on top of the vegetables and then pour your liquid over the top.

Step 3

Cover the slow cooker and cook at the lowest setting possible for roughly 8-10 hours. Meat should easily fall apart when pierced with a fork and vegetables should be soft. Remove meat and vegetables and place on a serving platter.

Step 4

Now to make the gravy. Whisk together, in a sauce pan, 1/4 cup of cold water and 2 tablespoons of flour until smooth. Slowly incorporate 1 cup of the hot broth from the pot roast and bring to a simmer stirring constantly until thickened.

Enjoy!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/recipes-articles/cooking-pot-roast-in-slow-cooker-recipe-and-instructions-1348872.html

Ralph Serpe is a passionate home cook and founder of http://www.chefability.com. Visit us today for more free cooking recipes like this.