grilled chicken cutlets

[JackieR]

I have a new cast iron enameled stovetop grill (thank you, Costco, have been coveting the Le Creuset forever). I want to inaugurate it this shabbos, and what I am thinking is grilled chicken cutlets with herbs and garlic. I do not want it sweet and i do want it to stay moist. Methods and recipes, anyone?

[JackieR]

Reporting back after a delay. I decided to keep this grill pan for pesach the first year, figuring it might add somehting new to my menus. I have made grilled cutlets twice. I squeezed the juice of two lemons on about 6 cutlets, splashed in a bit of olive oil and some cut up garlic (which I removed before grilling) and marinated for a few hours. When it was time to grill, I lightly sprayed the pan with oil (probably unnecessary) and heated it until a drop of water skipped on the surface. The cutlets took 6 or 7 minutes on each side. We had them cold and they were moist and flavorful, but missing something, so second time I put some finely chopped thyme into the marinade. Perfection.

[cheesecake17]

I do my chicken the same way, but on an outdoor grill. I usually use the Dorot garlic- it doesn't burn

[JackieR]

Interesting and helpful. I wonder why it doesn't burn. In any event, I will try that! Thanks

[cheesecake17]

Maybe because its so finely minced? And I believe it had a tiny bit of oil.

My marinade:
Fresh lemon, lemon zest, evoo, Dorot basil and garlic, fresh parsley (bruised, not chopped), salt/pepper

[JackieR]

That's pretty much mine but I used fresh thyme (and had larger pieces of garlic in while it was marinating). I am really enjoying this grill and looking forward to trying other things on it. If you have any ideas, pass them on!

[cheesecake17]

I love to grill eggplant on it. It's nice to cut slices lengthwise, grill, and use it as a wrap.

Also, I once used my grill pan for planks or sticks of butternut squash. Steam (to soften), grill, then drizzle with miso/tahini dressing.

[JackieR]

That sounds terrific. Thanks. DD loves butternut squash. I was looking at turkey tenders at Costco last week and wondering. Have you ever grilled them?

[cheesecake17]

I haven't. I usually dip them in egg whites/mustard/apricot jam and then in cornflake crumbs and bake. They might be dry if grilled..

[helou]

I couldn't wait. I made wonderful chicken cutlets on the Costco grill which we had for supper last night, and the one that was left over, I sliced into a salad for lunch today.
After my experience with the salmon, I followed the suggestions and let the grill heat up for a long time, and this time the chicken pieces lifted ver easily for turning.
The marinade I used was very tasty - olive oil, sweet white wine, garlic powder, chopped basil, cilantro and some of that Pereg Fish spice. I find it's a nice mix of cumin and Israeli flavors.

Cleaning the grill was less fun. I had it soaking in water with soap. When I went to wash it tonight a lot wiped right off, but the places where it didn't soak right off were a real pain. I'm afraid stainless steel will scrape off the finish so I ended up using progressively stronger and stronger dish detergents. What finally did the trick was some Shumanit (that I get from our local butcher/kosher market). It's the "mild for every day" version of Shumanit.
I'm very happy with the grill and I'm keeping it, but I just can't understand how everyone else manages to get things like this clean. It's heavy, and it takes time.

[JackieR]

What you made sounds delicious!! Maybe some thin-sliced zucchini grilled next to it?

Every time I see it in the closet I reconsider waiting for pesach. But it is just such a nice idea to have something new and exciting for pesach plus I am recovering from a broken hand and thought it would be better to wait until I can actually lift this thing....

What you say about cleaning it makes me think this is the right decision.

[helou]

Oooops. I meant to write I'm afraid of using steel wool (not stainless steel) to clean it. Also, forgot to mention I used a little bit of soy sauce in the marinade - really just a little for color. I kept the cutlets in their store bought state - didn't pound them flat or cut them them open. Otherwise they'd dry out.
I grilled themonly about 3 1/2 minutes per side, and an extra minute at the end for a particularly chubby one.

[shoelace]

when theres stuff stuck on the bottom of my le creuset i scoop out everything else, and then put in 1 part vinegar 8-9 parts water- and then let it sit on the oven with the fire on low for a while

i dunno how it works,. but usually in like 25 minutes everything is floating on the top

my aunt, who gave me my le creuset, insists on bar keepers friend and a regular sponge

[queenscook]

So what is so special about these pans that people are willing to go to these lengths to clean them? In my opinion, nothing should take 25 minutes to clean!

[shoelace]

heh- im not cleaning them for 25 minutes, theyre soaking
u never leave a pot to soak?

my aunt talked about le creusets for years, and i rolled my eyes about them, bc sometimes she just likes things bc theyre more expensive than what she grew up with, or bc they sound impressive,

then she got me one as a gift a few years ago, and i discounted it right away, bc the pot weights an insane amount, even before you put anything in to it, then a few weeks later i was making my jew-balaya and the pot i ordinarily use was already occupied, so i figured what the hell

the way it cooks is different from anything ive ever experienced, and though my regular fleishig pots arent shmancy- theyre more than decent calphalon

i get a great sear, a crispy edge where i want one, and it just has a level of even-ness that i never realized i was lacking till i used one

a couple of recipes that ive tried over the years and havent gotten quite right (like ghameh and khoresh e ghormeh) came out perfectly using the le creuset

im always looking for recipes that i can make in one pot, but i hate that often the different items in the pot kinda shmush together, and everything ends up with the same taste and consistency, except my chicken cacciatore, and somehow in the le creuset, foots maintain their own taste and consistency

the only thing i still havent figured out, tah dig- i cant get done in any pot- if anyone has- id love the key to the castle!

[helou]

Well, did you make the cutlets? How were they and how was the grill?

[JackieR]

Sorry for the delay in answering. Back to back to back deadlines, and didn't try it yet. If I haven't collapsed in a heap by Friday I will try it this week. But, as it happens, I mentioned to someone at a business meeting that I just got it and he said he has one and RAVED. So I am excited. (Albeit exhausted.)

[helou]

I tried mine out last night with salmon. Although i oiled both the pan and the fish, the first side stuck and was hard to turn. The second side, when it was done, slid right off. Four minutes on each side. I let it preheat for 2 full minutes, but maybe that wasn't enough.

Tasted FABULOUS. Even the crunchy pieces that I scraped up that had stuck to the grill when I turned the fish, so the remains kept grilling. I put on some lime-garlic-butter when it was done. Since it was still new the was was pareve, but I'm planning to make it fleishig so the lime butter was a treat.

[JackieR]

The lime butter sounds heavenly. The guy I met today who was raving about his said the key is having it hot enough. The fact that the second side slid right off might substantiate that ?? I will try mine for shabbos and report back. I'd give you my email but not sure how to do that without posting it.

[shoelace]

two minutes does not sound like enough, i usually do my mise en plis while my dutch oven heats up, and all that cutting certainly takes more than 2 minutes

its gotta be hot enough that when u flick a drop of water on it, the drop jumps away

[JackieR]

Hi, all. Just to provide "closure, at least, for now, I decided to save the new grill pan for pesach, although I will use it year round thereafter. I saw a recipe on tv that looked great and is what I will try when I do. Roasted garlic, oilive oil, lemon zest and juice and a pinch of cayenne pureed together. Sort of a paste/marinade.. It "tastes" right in my head. I will report back eventually but there will be a delay. Happy Tu Bishvat!

[ahuva]

i just marinate it in some olive oil, rushed garlic, some shawarma spices sometimes, some 'grilled chicken' spice mixes sometimes, some finely chopped shallots - i usually wind up dicing up cold, cooked chicken and mixing it with some fresh greens and tomatoes, or dicing up the fresh, hot chicken and mixing it with some rice

[GilaB]

The key to moistness is really just not cooking it for too long, which is tough with cutlets because there's perhaps a 60-second window between them being underdone and their starting to dry out.

But for recipes, perhaps you should go to Home Cooking, and specify that you're looking for something dairy-free?

[JackieR]

Thanks.

[helou]

So can we plan to all meet back here next week and hear (1) how you like the grill, and (2) what recipe you used for the cutlets?

[JackieR]

Yes. I just got a sort of recipe from someone who has one. She said you marinate, overnight if possible, in something acid like lemon or wine and a little olive oil, plus herbs or garlic, and grill just till juices run clear. She didn't provide time so there may be some trial and error there. Stay tuned....

[shoelace]

wait, costco was carrying le creuset?

where? how much?

[JackieR]

Costco is carrying their own brand which boards seem to think was private labeled by Le Creuset. Certainly, it compares favorably with Le Creuset pieces I own, and cost a fraction.

[shoelace]

was this in store?

any chance youd tell us which store/give us a price idea

was just in costco last week and didnt see em

[JackieR]

I saw in in Manhattan store a few weeks ago (3 or so but bought it online because of weight. I ordered it about a week ago and it arrived yesterday.
http://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signat...
I am going to Manhattan store again in the next week or so and will report back if it's still there.

[shoelace]

oh, i saw these- they looked decent, but did not feel at all as solid as my le creuset

do me a favor and keep us updated- bc i want a grill pan too and cant legitimize the expense

if you like them, ill try them

[JackieR]

I WILL let you know. I love le creuset but one of theirs at this size would be triple the $$.

And now, folks.. recipes?

[helou]

Went to Costco (Edison NJ) just before Shabbos and bought one. Cost $50 (as opposed to about $58 on the website, but that might include shipping).
Now I want to hear how those cutlets tasted, and, just as important, how easy was it to clean the grill pan.