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Live update. Now understand Christmas in July- there were presents inside the grill. I did mash the holy crap out of one finger. Glad the kids were inside. New pics

Big Bad 32 - Levi Blue tile Happy to show it off- email or private message

Yesterday I ground a chuck roast and took the opportunity today to use some of it to make 1/4 pound meatballs to go along with some homemade spaghetti and roasted red pepper. Here they are on the grill and looking pretty small. Cooked. Plated. The meatballs were very moist, but then again they were cooked on the KK.

Really great looking pizzas in the Guru pizza challenge but what a close finish . Bosco and one other tied for first place. Congratulations. . Aussie Ora, ckreef, shuley, skreef, tinyfish and 2 others all tied for second place. . Cschaaf and 4 others tied for 3rd place. . A really good showing for KK owners. Reef's Bistro

Ok - perhaps a stupid question from the newbie... Themchar appears to be fairly large and is uniform in size. Does anyone take a hammer and bust these up and then load the firebox or is this really more dependent on whether your are after a hot/fast cook vs. low/slow?

Go KK team, the top of the pile.

Finally done. Wow what a task but so worth it. Targeting Saturday for burn-in. Can't wait to sweat in 97 degree heat while getting a grill slowly to 500.

If I am lucky I might have my KK 23 TerraBlue sometime on Friday and if not, then certainly should see on Monday. Almost certainly would've had it today but for the 14 boxes of charcoal that took me past one pallet worth of goods, which delayed shipment due to lack of room on the truck - that coco & coffee char sure as heck need to be stellar stuff! Big grins!

So these were my first attempt at ribs on my kk. Seasoned these up with 2 parts pappy`s to 1 part brown sugar and getting koko kamado up to and stay at 225 was easy. They stayed in the fridge all morning and then I loaded them up on the main grate. I sprayed with Apple cider vinegar and liquid aminos. I tried this really cool technique where you brine/par cook the vegetables and then grill them. These went on the akorn 1st about 500 degrees...I really like having two kamados so I can do veggies 91st different temps. Veggies done...the potatoes benefited but the carrots were outstanding. I also did foil these ribs (i know it is heresy to done， but I wanted to keep my method identical， so that I will have a benchmark and can change one variable at a time. Next cook I will attempt with no wrapping.) After I unwrapped it was time to brush with glaze. And done. So I forgot to do a plate shot. And my plate was so loaded that it wouldn't have made a good picture. In addition to the ribs and grilled veggies， I also made a creamy dill cucmber salad， and my brother in law brought smoked shredded pork belly with bbq sauce and a garden salad. All of our kids were rib monsters that night!

No pictures! Sorry! I was just doing a quick simple meal of grilled salmon， risotto，and a salad last night. I fired up the kk before going to the store， set my vents and went to get my fish. Well， once at the store， things didn't quite go to plan. All of the salmon they had was pre cut into fairly small portions. I grabbed 3， and they were out of asparagus. (who knew it was so popular???) my son has been on a prosciutto wrapped aspargus kick， and I'm glad to encourage vegetable eating. So I nixed the vegetable and went home. Surprise! My kk was right where I wanted it to be-350. These were very small portions of salmon， but I seasoned them how I normally would. Kosher salt， fresh pepper， dill， and mustard powder. I put them on. Well， since I'm normally used to doing a large piece of fish，I kind of guestimated my cooking time. I was way way off. The first time I took the temperature， the fish had to be way over cooked. I pulled them off and hoped the risotto would save dinner. Well， even though according to the thermometer my salmon should have been dry as a bone， it was delicious! And moist?!???!!!! I couldn't believe it. My husband said it was the best salmon he ever had in his life. Other than maybe a really good salmon nigiri. Thank you， koko kamado! You saved dinner!

Why do these things always happen on a Fri. when there is no delivery on Sat.????

I feel like Charlie Brown… I went to kick that darned football and Lucy pulled it away at the last instant and I landed flat on my back – good grief! Just sent delivery driver away having refused the entire shipment because guess what – the grill was not there! Everything else was but no grill. The driver while a nice guy, kept telling me the count of items was correct. I finally got out my iPad and showed him a picture of a crated KK and then he understood the problem. He wasn't willing to write anything on the paperwork indicating a missing item so I rejected the entire shipment. I called Dennis and he was most apologetic and right on top of it, indicating he was going to call his cargo warehouse company that assembles the order for end shipper pick up, and have them deal with the shipper to figure out what the heck is going on. He promised someone would get back to me, but frankly I'm not exactly sure when this will be resolved. I think it is time for a big a** Sapphire gin & tonic, w/lime of course.

Tony - bacon grease was a staple around my Mom's kitchen. It's a staple in mine as well. Ex-wife #2 didn't like bacon grease in her kitchen … to unhealthy. I should have known there would be trouble!

My wife likes her chicken breasts 'charred'. I really have to work at it to get them to char and still, they could out moist and tender. Also am I the only one that sings this in my head when @Shuley references her koko kamado? "I cooked on Koko, Koko Kamado" Just me then? Not anymore after you watch this video. Seriously, do yourself a favor and watch this whole video - it is spec-tac-u-lar

I hope you did eat lunch, you'll need your strength to unpack all the boxes

HaHa- it is only 12:19 PM here on the west coast...still a bit to go. Patience Grasshopper!

I have said this before and I will say it again. The KK will never burn or dry out a meal. Try as you wish but something magical happens under that lid. I forgot chicken for over 20 min and when I went to rescue it, it looked a solute let perfect

He can't quit now, there are only 4 or 5 more months to go and it's all over. Currently he's in position to win overall guru of the challenge series. I'd love to take it from him but not by default because he didn't get his final ending bonus points. I'd have to get past tinyfish too and that is a challenge in itself. Reef's Bistro

My hubby also enjoys fall of the bone ribs. It`s just a matter of personal preference.

Thanks! I am planning on trying unfoiled next time. It seems like that is more popular with kamado cooking.

No big diff between lo/slo and hot grilling as far as the size of the chunks. Agree with CC. Just hit one stick with another and they break off nicely. One piece of upfront advice - Coco by itself in the basket will take some effort to light. I like to put some smaller chunks of lump on top and light those first. Once they get going, they'll light the Coco and you're good to go.

Welcome back. There are efforts to recapture some of the old pictures. However, many folks back in the day used 3rd party hosting sites to store the pictures. Those are gone forever.

Yummy looking spuds, CC. And of course I keep a jar of bacon grease next to the stove - I'm from the South, duh! Will do a 2x baked spud with my steak tomorrow evening. Definitely gonna smother that sucker in bacon grease - thx for the suggestion!

Wow, you guys and gals are good. Congratulations

hmmmmmm meat candy! Charles, I agree...the ability of the KK to hold temps is unreal! I woke up from my sleep and couldnt believe it held so well for so long, but I do understand why people like controllers.

bosco! Kudos to you as well Aussie Ora! Shelly, you're getting closer every month. We expect you to win very soon! Tiny - You're just a cooking machine and I love your cooks. Charles, well done as is the norm for you. Congrats and Kudos one and all!

Go Bosco that was a real close challenge was good to see so many great entries Outback Kamado Bar and Grill♨

Looks good but they look a little lonely on that big KK. Needed some potatoes or vegetables on there to keep them company. Reef's Bistro

Great looking burnt ends Rakesh. I never worry about the KK holding temp. As long as it's stable it'll be really close to the same temperature when you look again hours later. . I know controllers give people a peace of mind but the KK alone gives me peace of mind - especially after coming from an Akorn. Reef's Bistro

Ken your just killing it with all these great cooks.

Rubbed in bacon fat, topped with cheese, what's not love about this dinner.

Chris - the humble potatoe is so dang amenable to just about any type of cook. You can do just about anything with this type of cook. Delicious cook. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed!

Stuffed potatoes rock yours look fantastic CC Outback Kamado Bar and Grill♨

I am not the biggest potatoe fan， but those look delicious!

Did he really mean "900 C" at the 0:54 mark? Aluminum melts at 659 C. Bronze melts at 913 C. Fat on a steak pretty much vaporizes well below this temperature, a stunt I don't find enjoyable.

Burnt Ends = Meat Candy! Nothing better in the whole BBQ world. @JimBob67 - I'm a big fan of Aaron Franklin's brisket method. Similar to what Rak did. Simple rub - S&P, garlic powder, and some cayenne. Low & slow (250F) over some nice post oak, with a baby chunk of mesquite. Once you're through the stall, around 170F, then wrap in the pink (non waxed) butcher paper, finish until 203F. Awesome!

The wife and the neighbors wife got it unpacked. Me, the wife and the sprinkler system crew then got it to the backyard. We played a leapfrog game with plywood sheets to get through the garden and to the patio, when it now rests. Taking a break from the Memphis heat before fully unwrapping and taking further pics. Moving the Bad Boy was a lesson in physics. Objects in motion........don't stay on the path or the plywood. wow.

Rak, those ARE tasty looking burnt ends.

@Rak- so now you've done it! I'm starving after looking at at those burnt ends! Kudos, Rak! Kudos.

I did my first brisket point last weekend! Overnighter and the KK held solid at 250F with no gadgets! I wasnt sure how it would turn out, but I was very happy with its performance and of course the burnt ends

The last of the peaches. Didn't have time to grill all these but the peaches were ready to go so we went for straight up canning. Also froze two packs for use in ice cream. Reef's Bistro

Also, what am I going to do with this drip pan!!!? I can't use this! It's a GD work of ART!! No way I'm using it for its intended purpose. Fortunately I got the double drip pan to catch the yum, but if anyone on here loves great coffee as much as great food, you may have heard of this guy, Kees Van Westin, who makes these insane hand made espresso machines....this reminds me of that immediately.

Sorry for the length of the article but it is interesting. Pitmasters Embrace New Barbecue Truth: Rested Meat Is Sublime Facebook Twitter Google+ Email June 8, 20154:37 PM ET JIM SHAHIN A few slices of Franklin Barbecue's brisket. "Resting a brisket for a long time is really important," owner Aaron Franklin says. Joshua Bousel/Flickr For years, barbecue hounds planned their visits to barbecue joints with the precision of a Special Forces operation. Why? Because they knew there was a narrow window when the smoked meat would be at its juiciest, smokiest best. Once the window had closed, a platter of would-be sublimity typically deteriorated into a pile of dried-out disappointment. The problem was the "hold." After the meat finished cooking, it had to be kept warm for service through the day. That could mean anything from storing it on a steam table, which turned it to mush, or under heat lamps, which zapped the moisture from it, or leaving it on a pit, which further cooked it and dried it out. THE SALT Texas Pit Masters Bask In Moment Of Barbecue Glory With the red-hot interest in barbecuing, restaurateurs have looked for ways to deal with the problem. Their solution? Technology. Barbecue restaurants increasingly now turn to warming units by companies such as Alto-Shaam and Cambro. The pitmaster can take the meat off the pit hours before service, keep it in a warmer at 140 degrees Fahrenheit (the minimum recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and required by city health codes) without fear of drying out. Indeed, the meat improves. "My observation is that this rested barbecue, which could be two to four hours or more held this way, is the best ever produced," says Jeff Savell, professor of meat science at Texas A&M University, who organizes intensive barbecue camps throughout the year. THE SALT The Texas Road Food Takeover: Smoked, Fried And Tex-Mex The challenge of keeping barbecue at its peak also bedevils the backyard host. The home chef can stay up all night, coddling a brisket, feeding the fire every two hours to assure it runs low-and-slow, and getting the meat just perfect for a 4 p.m. slicing, only to deal with guests who don't arrive until hours later. It's hard to know how best to time the meats. The solution: Don't serve the barbecue fresh from the smoker or grill. "All cooked meat benefits from holding," says Savell. "Obviously, the larger the cut, the longer the holding period." Savell points to the distribution of moisture as the key to successful holding. Raw meat, he explains, is 70 percent water. Cooked meat is about 55 percent. Heat disrupts the proteins in the meat. Resting, or holding, allows the moisture to regroup around the proteins. "When the meat is cut [after resting], the moisture does not rush out," Savell says, "and will remain somewhat bound back to the proteins, resulting in the product we all desire." THE SALT The Past Is Where It's At For The Future Of Barbecue Celebrated Austin pitman Aaron Franklin — he of the recent James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest, PBS show and cookbook — says holding is crucial. "Resting a brisket for a long time is really important," he told an audience in January at Camp Brisket, one of the A&M barbecue courses. He said he keeps his in a custom-designed warmer at 140 degrees F for two to three hours after coming off the pit. Back before Franklin had a restaurant, when he was still throwing barbecues in the backyard in 2009, he looked into how best to hold meats. He used an old 1982 Henny Penny warmer, built for KFC. Upon opening the restaurant, he used an Alto-Shaam warmer, which uses what the company calls "halo heat," a form of gentle warming through uniform radiant heat. But Franklin came to believe that the meats could benefit better from something more akin to convection heat. Now, he uses custom designed warmers. "Barbecue is such a variable," he tells The Salt. "You're trying to regulate every aspect, including how quickly it's going to cool down." Wayne Mueller, the third-generation pitmaster at the legendary Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Texas, says he improved an already fabled brisket a few years ago when he changed the holding method his family had employed for decades. For years, once a beef brisket was sliced, the pitman used to put it on a pit and it would be held around 150-160 degrees F. But about five years ago, he made changes based on what he noticed when he catered. He pulled the meats off just before they were fully cooked, at about 98 percent, which he says is more a matter of feel than of temperature. He then wrapped the meat in plastic wrap, which acted as an insulator, and set it in a Cambro warmer for an even heat that did not further cook the meat but let it gently rest. Mueller has since changed from the plastic wrap to unwaxed butcher paper because it breathes better and it's cheaper. "What I was finding was that briskets coming out four hours later were fabulous," he says. "Better than what we were serving in the restaurant." He now holds his restaurant briskets from two to four hours in a Cambro. "It took our quality index from a low A to a high A," he says. "Our holding technique adds about eight points to our quality index, a whole letter grade." This cooler may be the most important part of perfecting your barbecue. Jim Shahin for NPR Whether it's a brisket, ribs or a pork shoulder, the idea is the same: Allowing a big piece of meat to rest for a long period of time improves its texture and the overall eating experience. In other words, don't fear the hold, embrace it. The good news is that a backyard chef needn't invest in some high-dollar gadget to get the same result. All it takes is a cooler, some tinfoil and a few towels: Pull the fully cooked meat from the grill. Wrap it in aluminum foil. Better yet, use unwaxed butcher paper to allow a little air flow, which will help maintain the crusty exterior. Swaddle a few old towels around the wrapped meat and place the whole shebang in the ice chest. Shut the lid and leave the meat alone for a couple of hours, depending on size. Big meats, such as beef brisket and pork shoulder, improve with a long hold. A rack of pork ribs also benefits from some time off the grill, but only about a half-hour to an hour of resting. The technique simulates an actual warming oven and works wonders for home-smoked meats. "In my own limited experience," says meat scientist Savell, "when we prepare barbecue for these camps or in my own backyard, longer resting times always results in a better eating experience." And there's one more benefit. Allowing the meat to rest provides flexibility for barbecue-trail pilgrims and home pitmen alike. Which means the traveling chowhounds and patio pitmasters can rest a little, too. Jim Shahin writes the Smoke Signals barbecue and grilling column for the Washington Post. His work has appeared in Texas Monthly, GQ, Southern Living, Esquire.com, Bon Appetit.com and elsewhere. He teaches magazine journalism at the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

You win

Couldn't get a more perfect day or weekend for THIS delivery! Happy 4th of July all!!!! (OK...one day early, but still:) Click on the pic for fuller resolution...They're worth it!!

Hi all, sorry, been away with the family. For those asking, the business is still in its fledgling stages, but we smoke alot of fish....Alot! Also, Tandoori styled meats and such as well. Over the last couple years, I've been asked to cater. It's now getting to the point I'd like to do this out of one location, and get folks to come there for food and coffee (our other specialty). They'll be at the house until I get the swing of things. Pictures when it's all done, I promise...

I hear you. Maybe I'm just looking for a level of expertise than I'm not seeing. You're absolutely right, though - an hour spent w Aaron Franklin's Youtube channel gave me much more to work with than the entire first season of Project Smoke. Oh well. I've just lit the BBQ for tonight's grilled chicken, so I'm in a pretty relaxed mood here. Roll on 9th June, when the KK hits these shores...

Dennis, 10 Ideas: 1. How much lump / charcoal should I put in the basket? 2. What are the two different latch positions, and which one should I use? 3. There is black gunk inside the dome of my KK, how do I clean it? 4. Ever since purchasing my KK, my friends have 'bbq envy,' Is there a number they can call for emotional support? 5. Is the KK too heavy for my wooden deck? 6. My lid won't stay open, how do I adjust the spring? 7. What do I use to clean the outside of my KK? 8. How do I move my new KK across grass to get it to where it needs to be in my outdoor space? 9. How do I install the roti itself, meat on the roti, etc.? 10. I forgot to close the vents after a low and slow, my cooker is still going 3 days later, do you think someone snuck in and added charcoal in the middle of the night?

wow! that is DEFO a showpiece! awesome! and, yes, it is SUPPOSED to turn green! i cant wait to see this piece 10 years from now!