Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron Round French Oven, 5-1/2-Quart, Soleil

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Price: $274.95 $255.00   

Product Feature

• 45% larger handles that provide a sure grip, even with oven mitts
• The superior heat distribution and retention of Le Creuset enameled cast iron
• An advanced sand-colored interior enamel with even more resistance to wear
• A larger composite knob that withstands temperatures up to 500� F
• Colorful, long-lasting exterior enamel that resists chipping and cracking

Product Description

Designed specifically to enhance the slow-cooking process by evenly distributing heat and locking in the optimal amount of moisture, the Signature Collection round French Oven blends the best of the past with the latest innovations for comfort and functionality. Handcrafted one at a time inside our Fresno-Le-Grand foundry for nearly a century, Le Creuset round French Ovens have been a fixture in homes and restaurants around the world for generations. Their enduring quality, wide-ranging versatility and stylish colors have made them indispensable in the kitchen and cherished around the table.

Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron Round French Oven, 5-1/2-Quart, Soleil Review

I bought this because I had used a Le Creuset dutch oven long ago, in grad school. Several of our professors in the department were very good cooks and they all swore by a particular French pot that was the best thing for stews, braised meats, soups --anything, in short, you wanted to cook in a dutch oven.

We've had ours for quite some time. I leave it on the stove because it's heavy and because I probably use it once a week to cook a dinner to serve for the weekend and then pack up for busy weeknights.

It is true that the enamel is practically non-stick. If you do not let the pot get over heated, which it does NOT like, and which will damage the enamel, it will stay "non-stick" for a long time. If you do not scratch the enamel with harsh scrubbing pads or with metal implements, it will stay in good order.

The pot is HEAVY. Now, this is a consideration if you have arthritis. It sounds trivial until you develop joint problems (my thumbs and one wrist are not what they were....) and so lifting it in and out of the oven is an issue for some people. The lid handle, a flat knob, requires you to use a pot holder, and the same for the stirrup handles. I suggest glove-type hot mitts instead of a pad for a sure grip if you are removing it from a hot oven or hot stove.

Clean-up is easy. Let the pot cool, soak in some soapy water, wipe out and if needed, use a mild nylon scrubbing pad. There will be some staining (or patina) from some foods, and if this bothers you, you can use a special cleanser but I don't worry. Some people do clean the stubborn stains with a paste of Barkeepers Friend, which is said not to be abrasive. If you burn the pot, you can remove the burnt-on crust by an easy technique (applies to any pan.) Boil up some baking soda in water in the pan. Let it sit. The burnt stuff will peel off and you can then wash out the pot.

I will include here my recipe for French-Style pot roast, which we liked a lot and was my husband's absolutely favorite dish.

3 1/2 lb of beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast
2 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
Salt, pepper, and a bay leaf
2 medium yellow onions, cut in chunks
1 leek, well cleaned, just the white part cut into slices.
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/3 bottle of merlot wine
1/2 lb mushrooms (white or crimini brown) cleaned and sliced
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs Minor's Beef Base or substitute 1 cube or packet beef bouillon powder

Method:
Dry the beef and saute in hot oil in the dutch oven. Brown on all sides, remove to a plate to hold. Saute onions and leeks until they just begin to clear, add in crushed garlic and 1/2 of the mushrooms. Let the mushrooms wilt and add in the wine. Cook down until the wine is reduce by at least half. Add in the beef base, tomato paste, seasonings, bay leaf, add back the beef, the wine and reduce somewhat. Then add enough water to cover up to half the height of the meat. Cook on the stove top until the meat is very tender (about 2.5 hours, your time may vary.) Some people do this step in a 350 degree oven and you can certainly do that, too.

Remove beef to a plate, keep it warm, pour off the gravy, skim off the fat (I use a gravy separator) and puree the gravy if you want it smooth. Saute the rest of the mushrooms and add them to the gravy and reheat this sauce. (you can do the mushrooms ahead of time.) Slice the meat across the grain, serve with the sauce.

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