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I just received my order of charcoal yesterday. now I can't get into my garage lol. 2000 lbs. now to get it distributed to the grilling guys in my area. And May I ad to all you dads out there have a great fathers day. Sorry about the bike and telescope in the picture, no where to put them.

I've had one of these before and wooooed Mrs skreef with fine dining off it on our honeymoon at a cabin. I ended up getting rid of it (big mistake). Fortunately Chargriller came out with another production run after about 2 years. . Insulated steel with 14" CI grate. I also got the smoking stone deflector. Total with shipping just over $200. Weighs in at 37 lbs so really easy to transport by yourself. Doesn't compare with a KK but it'll do in a pinch. Better than nothing while on vacation. . Anyway needed to season the CI grates and didn't want to waste the heat. Petite sirloin fillets and lobster Tails for two. I could have done 4 of each. . I'm loving these $5 tails from Kroger. They say they'll be on sale all summer. . Reef's Bistro

Day 2 of KK cooking - thought we'd try some tandoori to take advantage of all the space available in the KK relative to other cookers. Turned out very nicely - the skewers sat nicely above the fire, all contained, temperature rock solid at 250C. Served with naan, kachumber, tandoori mushrooms and mint raita.

Not a KK but a Kj whilst I'm waiting on Ora I still need to eat Outback Kamado Bar and Grill ♨

Chicken is so great done on the rotisserie I thought I'd do a couple of slabs of ribs even though I don't have the correct basket for that. They are in the grill @240F. Yesterday I sprinkled the ribs with granulated garlic, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Vacuum sealed and left overnight in the fridge. Ready after 4.5 hours. Cut into the smaller slab. The more meaty slab- Plated with some SV potato salad. Those are the first of the radish for this season and last year's peas. The ribs were perfectly seasoned for my liking and I would definitely use the rotisserie method again.

John over on Guru suggested a no thermometer challenge. See if you can cook a butt without thermometers of any kind. I got a KK who needs a thermometer. . Here's my no thermometer challenge. 6 lb Asian butt. Going to try for 250* but 300* wouldn't hurt my feelings (more on that later). . Last night before going to bed I figured I would start getting things ready. . Lump leftover from last cook and a new bag of Orange wood chunks. . Stirred the leftover lump and added some Orange chunks. Looks like a lot of chunks but not really, I used small chunks. I like small chunks gives me a more consistent burn. . Dumped some lump straight from the bag to fill her up. Had to remove some larger pieces because I find md sized pieces gives me a more consistent burn (recognize a theme going on). . KK is ready for tomorrow, inside I go. Trimmed up the butt and bagged it with some Ponzu sauce. Put that in the fridge until morning. . Made a simple 4 ingredient Asian rub. Ground everything up a little bit before I measured it. 1/4 cup honey crystals 1/8 cup dried orange peel (another theme) 1 Tbsp ginger powder 1 Tbsp Asian seasoning I think that will do. . I woke up this morning and crap somebody stole my thermometer - dang it - LOL . Opened the bottom vent all the way and the top vent 3 turns. Lit in one spot. Added a drip pan diffuser and the main grate. Closed the dome and set a timer for 10 minutes. . Meanwhile back inside got the butt out of the bag and patted it dry. Then rubbed my butt. In the freezer it goes for 1 hour. . My 10 minute timer goes off so I go outside and reset the vents. Top vent at 1/3 of a turn and the bottom just a little bit open. . When the hour freezer time is up the butt goes on at 8:00 am. I really wanted this to go on earlier but I guess that's what happens when you stay up until 2:00 am drinking. I hope it gets done in less than 12 hours because I would like to eat sometime tonight. And that's why I said if gets to 300* it wouldn't hurt my feelings. . Stay tuned will post some more pictures later today. Reef's Bistro

This is the first time I've seen boneless beef short ribs at the local store so I thought I'd give them a try. SV @ 137F for 48 hours. While this was happening look at what was happening at my pot of chives- Dinner- The meat was very tender and tasty.

At last; my friend came up from Fresno and helped me move my kk32 to the backyard and onto the patio. Sorry I don't have any pictures of the move but at least here is one after we were finished. We had to take down 2 fences one in front and one in back. Got Permission from my neighbor and promised to cook something for him and family. Everything went smooth but it was heavy work moving BB, at least I won't have t worry about anyone walking off with it LOL. Now I need to cook something any suggestions for a beginner who hasn't done and grilling in 40 years? As you can see from the picture I also have a treager grill (never been used) and that other thing that's covered up is a Disc-it (also never used however) I did season it. With all this cooking stuff out there I'll never have to use my kitchen again especially when I get my cabinet from Dennis. It will hold everything I hope. Sorry about the two pictures but you get the idea. Ok suggestions for first cook?

A trial run for the pizza challenge on the KG site. I made one of my favorite pizza's for taste and picture quality, my breakfast pizza. The pizza is topped with sauce, mozzarella, goat cheese, mushrooms, red peppers, bacon, sausages and garnished with parsley. I may try my hand at a deep dish pizza, but I've never made one so I don't know how it would turn out.

I went down to my local grocer but couldn't find a parking spot, its like this every Sunday. I'll pick up my butt tomorrow. I guess I won't have a problem with charcoal LOL. think I should just play with the vents or use my cyber-q? I'm a real novice. I think vents is probably the best bet I'll get some practice. Plus I told my neighbor I would do some pulled pork for my first cook. and yes sirs I'll take plenty pictures. I'll have to, almost all pictures I send turn out sideways for some reason. To all you Dads out there have a happy fathers day.

Well said CC. Wasn't a challenge between people it was a challenge between ones self, their equipment and their skills. Pointless for some but probably a really good learning adventure for others. . Just so I know how close I got it Mrs skreef has been inserting the dome thermometer every few hours and recording the temperature (but not telling me). After its all over I'll post the results she got. . On a KK it's all in the ramp up to temperature and the vent settings. I usually do it a little differently but wanted to play it safe without a thermometer. . ................... . Here we are at 8 hours. Looks like 2 more hours to me. Meanwhile wanted a BBQ sauce to go with this Asian butt so how about an orange BBQ sauce. . Reef's Bistro

It's not that I didn't know about it, it's just that I never made one for breakfast;)

@CeramicChef - corn was tasty, but not the good local stuff yet. Won't start seeing that until late July. Driving out in the countryside yesterday, corn is only about 2 ft tall right now. Remember the old saying - knee high by the 4th of July. @bryan - no, it didn't. Hence, thinking it might have needed an extra day. @ckreef - I toyed with an actual side-by-side cook, but I've cooked these TJ steaks a few times now and have a pretty good feel for what they taste like and their texture. One of the reasons I chose this steak for the trial, is that they are a bit on the chewy side, but have great flavor. What would be fun to do is a sirloin, cut it half, do one half with the koji for 3 days and second half just plain, dry aged for 3 days. Cooked side-by-side. I've done bigger steaks in the fridge for up to a week and like the way they turn out. Been meaning to try the UMAi bags, but haven't broken down and ordered any yet. So many things to try, so few meals!

Here are my garlic chives, they come up every year also -

Been using my smoker pot for years now. I plan to use it tonight on the whole chicken cook. Works great on longer cooks. And the fun part is, if you use bigger wood chunks, you get a couple of pieces of charcoal at the end.

Thanks for the recipes. Never seen it done in 2 steps before. Will definitely be trying this one, as Tandoori chicken is a favorite, especially wings! Tell the little guy, I heartily approve of the Pink Flamingo cup. I do a charity dinner periodically, where the theme is Pink Flamingos. I have just about everything from tablecloths, napkins, glasses, plates, S&P shakers, decorations, you name it. Here's a picture from a previous one. Those are a couple of the guests in the picture.

@bosco - you said it, buddy! Like handing Jacques Pipin a cast iron skillet and a non-stick pan, then asking which one he'd rather use for making a fritatta. Tell me it's the cook and not the equipment then!

Thanks guys Looks like pork butt. I'll get one tomorrow and let you know how it turns out.

If you want a lo/slo, nothing is easier that a butt. If you just want quick and simple, burgers of chicken parts are always a hit. Rob

Squirrels, birds and chipmunks. I try to avoid the raccoons.

Charles - you've got this whipped! Congrats and kudos to you! I'll join you in this "challenge" next weekend and we'll compare notes over a couple of tall frosty ones. Looking forward to the money shots.

@ Bruce, this shot of my chives was taken early this morning as I went out to feed the wildlife.:) They come up year after year. BTW, Bruce, the more you cook the better you'll get at it and before you know it you won't want to eat out any more, things will just taste better and it might even turn into a big hobby.:)

Really interesting to see a no-thermometer challenge. Maybe sometimes we do rely too much on our tools & toys and not enough on our own expertise. Looking forward to seeing more pictures and hearing how it went...

Sounds great, ck. I'll be watching for more pics.

Charles - that's one very tasty looking surf and turf cook! Kudos to you, my Friend!

The fact that I have not received any notifications concerns me given that my event will be on 6/25, just one week away. I hope to get it by 6/22 so I can try it out in time before I do the real cooking on 6/24 to feed over 100 people on 6/25. If it does not come by 6/22, that will be very unfortunate because I will have to start cooking on my oval two days before the event.

OK, so here's the koji rice steak aging experiment results. Here's the setup - a Trader Joe's strip steak (moderately tender cut) and the koji rice. Ground up some of the rice and rubbed all over the steak. Into the fridge on the rack. Here's what it looked like after one day. Things are starting to happen. Here's the result after 2 days. The grid marks are from turning the steak over after the first day. Rinsed, dried, and simple rub of Trader Joe's Steak rub (coffee based) and some Sucklebuster's SPG (salt, pepper, garlic). Onto the KK, direct @ 325F, bourbon barrel chunk, with some corn. 5 minutes on each side. (Note: corn had been on for 30 minutes already) Finished on the sear grate. 2 minutes on each side. Plated with some parsley potatoes w/black truffle oil, cooked SV @ 183F for 35 minutes. Some sauteed mushrooms on the side. And, don't forget that corn on the cob! So, what was the outcome? Will definitely try this again to see if first impressions hold. Steak was slightly more tender, but not dramatically so. I chose this rub combo, as I have used it on the same steak cut before, so I knew what it should taste like. There was a slightly noticeable taste difference this time - slightly sweet/malty, especially on the fatty outer layer. Not a bad thing, but different. Maybe next time, I'll keep it super simple and just use the SPG alone, to see if I still notice this sweetness. I might also go 3 days in the fridge, to see if that further improves the texture/aging. All in all, fun with food! My favorite hobby!

Thanks. It wasn't on the website so I didn't order it. I will have to email Dennis.

Make sure that you order the maximum number of cocochar and/or coffee char boxes that will fit on the pallet. It's the cheapest shipping per box you will ever pay! Cover is a great accessory, depending on your climate. You will need to order a second charcoal basket to go with the basket splitter. Makes things sooooo much easier. Just swap out baskets. No assembly required.

I don't own a 32", but when I ordered my basket splitter, I ordered a second charcoal basket for it. It's a must do! When you order, send them an email with the order number and specify that you also want a second charcoal basket.

I've been doing this a long time. What do I actually use, some or all of the time? A second charcoal basket, to save extruded coconut charcoal between low & slow cooks, while I use lump charcoal for high temp cooks. A terra cotta plant saucer for storing the spare basket, to contain ashes. (If one can afford to do so, one could simply use charcoal from KK for everything. We've thought about it, even 500 F chicken tastes better over charcoal from Dennis.) A basket splitter, to make more efficient use of good lump charcoal for small cooks. The splitter constrains the airflow to pass through the fire, even for a small fire. A cover. It rains here part of the year, and this keeps moisture out. Two long neck "weed burner" propane torches, with hose clamps added on the neck so that they balance on the rim of the KK, for lighting fires. A paint brush and a soft cloth dust mask for removing ash. A plastic painter's pan to set below the ash door, for collecting the ash as one brushes it out. This lives in the most recent empty charcoal bag converted to ash storage. Obviously, cold ashes only. Silicone heat resistant gloves. And other gloves, but these take the most heat. There are many options. A 3/8" wrench for scraping grill grates. Get one with the correct round to match the grate. (This is radically better than grill floss or countless other options. Anyone in a reasonable state of mental health will tell you that they're happy with the best solution they've found so far for a problem. Only trust comparisons, when someone has alternated between the two best candidates long enough to break their prejudices.) A metal water heater pan, some improvised way to plug the hole (figure this out at the store), and heavy duty scrubbies from the painting aisle (these blow away anything for the kitchen) for soaking and cleaning grills. (I'll sometimes trust a high heat cook instead, after a good wrench scraping.) I happen to have an electric pressure washer, for deck maintenance. After large low & slows (feeding 60 with pulled pork or brisket) it does a wonderful job of cleaning all grates (again, in the water heater pan). A paella pan, to use as heat deflector and drip pan. Line with foil for easy cleanup. (An official KK drip pan looks worth it to me; it will likely be my next purchase.) Two bath towels, and a cooler, for resting and transporting monumental meats. Heavy duty aluminum foil, for lining the plant saucer (easy disposal once the fat cools) and for wrapping monumental meats to rest in a cooler. Pink butcher paper, for following Austin Franklin barbecue technique. (The white is no better than aluminum foil; the pink breathes.) The official KK pizza stone, for bread or pizza. (I used to use a custom rectangular FibraMent-D baking stone, for two loaves of bread. Dennis got the pizza stone right, and I no longer use anything else.) A Baking Steel, for burgers or Japanese or Spanish griddle technique. The 15" by 1/4" round also fits an indoor oven and can be lifted by anyone. A 16" by 1/2" can be custom ordered, for more thermal punch. A Steam Pan, as described in KK as Steam Oven for Bread. A giant cast iron frying pan with the handle sawed off, filled with two spools of stainless steel chain, to go on the lower rack for bread cooks. (A KK single bottom drip pan would work here without rusting. Buy two, or keep moving the chain as needed.) Freeze 350g of ice in ziplock or vacuum seal bags, and slide the ice in to generate (after a delay making it possible to close the lid safely) enough steam to replicate a commercial bread oven. This is detailed in Keller's Bouchon Bakery but not original to them. This is superior to baking bread in a Dutch oven. Keller took much flack for this on other forums, from fools with zero understanding of physics who think that 10g of water from a plant spritzer suffices. A Smoke Pot, as described in A Dutch Oven Smoke Pot. Find a one or two quart cast iron Dutch oven, drill three 1/8" holes in the bottom, add smoking wood, and seal the lid on with flour paste. Nestle in with the charcoal, and heat it as much as possible while torch lighting the fuel directly under the pot. For low & slow cooks this controls smoke, avoiding nasty combustion byproducts; above 300 F even smoke from such a pot will taste as nasty as open wood. Try this at your own risk, you may be ordered to never use smoke any other way. I'm planning to test an all metal Kleen Kanteen as an easier alternative; I haven't yet. (One needs to work through an obsession with excessive smoke, if one has had one's heart broken too often on the BBQ trail from restaurants with inadequate smoke. There's a sweet spot where smoke is one more flavor in balance; find it.) A DigiQ DX2 BBQ Guru setup, for absolute control of longer cooks. This is indeed optional but very nice; I went years without after my previous unit died of old age. Then I committed to some major cooks for parties where I needed to be sure. A KK is remarkably stable, but if one goes eight hours without checking it can find a new equilibrium as the fire evolves. A Solo Stove Campfire, as described in Solo Stove. It provides a nimble way to make small fires away from the KK. For example, I now use mine to preheat my smoke pot. The applications are endless, and it's fun to use. What have I tried and discarded or given away? A rotisserie. Have you tried cleaning one of these!? I have found ways I actively prefer for cooking anything on the KK that one might use a rotisserie to cook. Chicken, direct at 500 F over a nearly spent fire, and tend it a few times. (If you do have an electric pressure washer handy, then cleaning a rotisserie would not be an ordeal. I don't miss mine. It was fussy.) As a rule, avoid all aspirational purchases in life. There's only so much one needs to do before baby comes home, one can figure out the rest as one goes. Try life without a rotisserie, for example, and see if a BBQ Guru is indicated.

Chris - id definitely get the second basket. I use both mine all the time. It's so very easy pulling one and putting in the other. I'd also get the cover. Weather here in OKC is much like what you have in Perth. My Father always said "Take care of your tools and your tools will take care of you."

@Aussie Ora - no worries! not much to do with me, tbh - it's the kindness and expertise of our fellow forum members that make it useful! I'd definitely advocate the cover, though. It's a typical summer here in London (rain, rain, grey, thanks) and the cover is brilliant - water just slides off it. The one accessory I'm not so sure of is the roti basket - I much prefer a 'naked' spit rather than all the metal around the bird. Also, the unscrewing issue is... perplexing, but Dennis already has a new design to take care of that. I understand he's also working on the naked spit model, so it might be worth chatting the whole thing through with him.

Yea I was waiting for Homeland Security to come knocking on the door within the next couple of days - LOL Reef's Bistro