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Really lovely food story from the weekend. We had a couple over for Sunday lunch and I was worried that the two small lamb loin chops that I had allocated for each person would not be sufficient. I bulked the meal out with Brazilian sides like coconut rice, farofa and beans. I also had a back up with a rather small brisket joint that I had untied and unrolled (they are usually roasting joints here) and put on the 21" early that morning. Well, that brisket became the star of the show. Our friend is in her 80s and from Brisbane and she said the last time she had eaten brisket was when her mother cooked it for her many years ago. There was no appreciation shown for my smoke ring but much love for the rub (coarse Dizzy dust) and the "crunchy bits" (burnt ends). Needless to say, there is no meat left but I have lots of rice and beans to eat up. Hurrah!

Ok, after a great experience with the owner and creator of Komodo Kamado, the transition from payment to delivery was a breeze and painless, big thank you to Dennis and his team Dewi and Rini. Was supposed to be delivered at 1pm today but got the call while at motherinlaws couple of hours early said he'd be at my place in 20, any way its here now, close but no cigar still got to manoeuvre it from front to backyard, definitely going to need at least 3..... 4 people would be better to control this things weight once it gets a roll going, my front has about a 15% slope, me and the delivery guy struggled to stop it at one stage. Finally got it to where i want to unpack and roll off the pallet, will probably start to do that tomorrow. I get more pics up later

I have a little more prep work before I dive head first into building the stand. Tonight I cut my "counter top". Here is the before picture. A rock slab counter top, just a little long. I screwed two pieces of wood together clamping the rock slab. These are actually saw guides so I can cut from both the top and bottom sides and have the cuts parallel to each other. I borrowed a friend's tile saw. It's a small circular saw with a water jet and a thin, diamond encrusted, blade. I made 2 passes on the top side then flipped it over and finished the cut with 2 passes from the bottom side. This is an awesome saw. Cut through it without issue and did a great job on the cut. Here is the after comparison picture. One step closer to final completion.

I started this recipe 3 days ago when I made the Bolognese Sauce. Yesterday I made the Bechamel and today after grinding the corners of my s.s. dish so it would fit the little KK I put everything together. REady for the KK. Baked at 350F for about 90 mins. Plated. Layers and layers.

Thanks all. They both love to eat and the added dimension of feeding her a long lost cut was great @Bruce Pearson. @amusedtodeath, I was laughing out loud most of the time - she tells some very bawdy jokes! @MacKenzie, I was planning to use the one KK but the brisket stalled for ages and so, in a panic, I lit the 23". Didn't need it in the end. I broke the stall by raising the temp in the 21", pulled the brisket when it hit temp and while it was resting I cranked up the 21" for the chops and turned off the 23". First World problem - how many KKs shall I light today???

Wonderful story, and having that second KK certainly paid off.

Yes, very relieved. I was going to do a dry cut with an angle grinder and masonry bit. I was a little worried as that was the best slab the landscaping place had and I didn't want it to crack in a funny way. Once my neighbor offered up his awesome tile saw most of the worry went away.

That's just STOOOOPID!! And, on top of the amazing lasagna, you chamfered off the corners of the pan to fit the grill, too?? A true Renaissance woman!!!

I think it's going to be a pretty kewl counter top. Just needed a work space where I can potentially sit 500* pans down without worrying. Fits right in with the rustic theme I have going on. It's a deep not wide counter top so I'm probably going to buy another/smaller slab and make a back upper shelf. That slab weighs around 60 lbs after cutting off the end and only cost me about $23.

It was really nice that you brought such nice nostalgic memories for your friend while having such a nice meal

That's a very nice story. I know you were smiling on the outside, and absolutely beaming on the inside.

Hurrah! Show us more!

woohoo!! That's really exciting, cant wait to see more unpacking and setup pics!!

Wow! We just finished dinner and I'm stuffed, but looking at that still makes my mouth water...Outstanding.

It's arrived. The unveiling should commence at your earliest convenience or sooner. Wake up!!

Indeed!!

That’s going to be a beautiful setup once you are done. I’m looking forward to your first cook in it, yum yum

Great job and I'm sure you are relieved that it all went as planned.

Astute eye! They were made by the blacksmiths down in the Amana Colonies as part of a Churrasco setup. They did several other pieces for me over the years - a custom pot rack for my kitchen remodel, and the BBQ table on my deck.

I am mining a rich seam of Turkish recipes from the cookbook Oklava at the moment. On the assumption that there are probably copyright issues if I simply type out the recipe, I thought I would look to see if the recipe had been published online. It has been, here https://myhungryvalentine.com/en/chou-fleur-roti-selin-kiazim-oklava/, in French. Translate into language of your choice. Here are my non-copyrighted photos. You rub large chunks of cauliflower in a mix of two bottled Turkish tomato sauces - one hot, one mild - and some olive oil. Alongside is a copy cat "road kill" cook in the style of @Aussie Ora. Two lumps of frozen tarragon butter under the skin and covered in Dizzy Pig's swamp venom. No sriracha stix yet @tony b. The chicken was cooked to the right temp but came out blacker than I would have liked. Any tips? Should I have oiled the skin? Maybe ambient temp too high? The cauliflower recipe called for blackening the cauliflower in a dry pan after cooking for 15 mins. I baked for half an hour in the KK instead and then browned on the grill bars. Add toasted pistachio nuts, parsley, onions and a sumac dressing. Super delicious.

Yeah, 515F is a bit high for chicken, especially direct on the main grate. Next time, use the upper grate and keep the dome temp/MEATER in the 425F range.