Cast Iron Champions and 5 days to go!!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Warm-up/Mobility:
Jog 400 meters
Hip prep
Review low bar and high bar positions for back squat, load up and perform:

Workout:
“Manion”
Seven rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
135 pound Back squat, 29 reps

Cool down:
Roll out back, calves, quads
Samson stretch, 1 minute 

The Cast Iron Cook-off was a HUGE success! Big thanks to everyone for coming out and congrats to the following winners!

3 Cast Iron Category WINNERS!:

Best Appetizer/Side Dish: ARYA
Best Main Dish: BRIAN PINK, by one vote!
Best Dessert: ASSASSIN

2 Non Cast-Iron Category WINNERS!:

Best Guacamole or Salsa: LAURA CLIVE
Best Sangria/Margarita: AIMS, by one vote!

Getting tired of sweet potatoes? Seems impossible, I know! But if you are… try some yuca fries!

What is a yucca you ask? Well, a yuca root is a starchy, tropical, South American vegetable. When peeled and cooked, it resembles a potato; however, yucca root has a more distinct, sweet taste and a slightly firmer texture. Yuca is rumored to have anti-inflammatory properties and also to aid in digestion by maintaining the intestinal flora.

Ingredients:

 2 medium yuca roots (about 6-8 inches long each)

Duck fat, lard or tallow (if you don’t have these, you can use olive/coconut oil – but they won’t be as good!)

Sea salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Bring about 3 quarts of water to a boil.
2. Peel yuca using sharp knife.
3. Cut into the shape of fries, about 2.5 – 3 inches long and 1/2? thick.  (Don’t cut them thinner than this, or they’ll get too tough/crispy when you roast them.)
4. Boil the fries for 12 minutes. You want them to be soft, but not falling apart.  Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 400 F.
5. Put 3-4 TBS of duck fat (or whatever fat you’re using) into a small saucepan and heat until liquid.
6. Drain fries and put them in a mixing bowl.  Pour fat over fries and mix around to distribute evenly.
7. Spread fries on a baking sheet, and season generously with sea salt and pepper and  some Paprika or chili powder if you like it spicy!
8. Roast for about 15 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and flip the fries.
10. Roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Note: each yuca root has a tough, stringy bit in the center of the root.  This will turn up in some of the fries – so watch out for it. You can boil the yuca in halves and remove this stringy part before cutting into fry shapes, or you can just be lazy and avoid it while eating the fries.