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Saturday's cook of marinated chicken thighs ready for the grill. Plated with some air fries. Sunday dinner with some leftover KK thighs, rice and first of the season spinnach with some real farmer's butter. The butter is just over $10 a pound and it is worth every penny.

Father's Day Meal I took a Porter Road flap steak out of the freezer. Never had that cut but it is similar to flank/skirt and looks like a huge skirt steak. It didn't disappoint. Started with some beverages including this margarita I made for the wife. Next up, put this huge steak on the 23". Took it to just over 120 or so and removed it while the 23 went nuclear. Got a nice sear. Sliced it up. Plated with some chimichurri and box mac n' cheese (It is fathers day and I'm pleasing all palates) And this was a nice instagram post from my daughter. She really knows me.

It's Raneir Cherry season again. They are a hybrid cherry with very limited harvest. You will only be able to get them another 2 weeks or so. Get em while you can.  If you've never had a Raneir cherry they are super sweet and taste more like a peach than a cherry. Mother Nature's finest candy. Do yourself a favor and get some while you can. Warning: Raneir Cherries are extremely addictive - you've been warned 6 lbs    Just shy of 5 lbs. Pitted, cut in half, and ready for the first freezer stage. 

Most folks here know how much I don't love fish so today I was feel brave. Sure don't want to ruin my KK by putting fish on that grate. I decided to cook rather than throw out 2 year old haddock fillets. No guarentee that I was going to eat it but I was going to cook it. Started off by marinating cauliflower in a mix of melted butter and Frank's Hot Sauce. Breaded the cauliflower just before putting it in the air fryer for 15 min @ 350F. It turned out to be a little over done but still good. I am sure my KK will never the same after seeing this go on the grate. Oh well it will be out of my freezer. The miracle of a KK cook. Fish is done. Plated. I'll live to cook another day. Now I have to go out and air-out my KK.

You know, if you can’t get that nasty fish smell out, Dennis would probably let you buy a replacement KK! You could turn the old one into a planter or fountain or something🤪

Yes I see this convincing argument throughout the site, however, by my calculations the 32" takes a little less than 25% more charcoal to heat sink the larger area to the same temperature and hold it when compared to the 23". I reckon it'll be 1 in 100 cooks where the 23" may be too small. Given this, there is a truckload of extra charcoal being burnt during 99 cooks, and for the 1 in 100 where I need more space, I'll just have to get organised with my other toys. If I was planning a commercial operation, there is no doubt that 42" looks good for the job.

I didn't know there was so much hate for a simple Miller Lite. I will try and find a micro brew that is free range, cruelty free, filtered through a hobo's beard, and funded only through micro transactions for my next post.

If you ever doubted that Syz knows a thing or two about smoking pots...

Looks similar to my cowboy ribeye that I did for dinner last night. Loving the half-grate for doing the corn while reverse searing the steak on the lower grate. Plated with some Melting Potatoes. I can't wait for the local corn to start coming in, as the stuff from the supermarket is just not that great - very starchy (several days old).

Here's another cauliflower recipe that works great on the grill, from Ranjit Raj's Tandoor cookbook (highly recommended).

Cheers mate .I think you hit the nail on the head with sauces and someone had a bad day condiments is the way to go Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

@tony b, @Aussie Ora, I hid that post so the world doesn't know your address. "So now the question is - how did BBQ sauce & rubs suddenly become "Hazmat??" Everything is clearly described on the shipping label and customs forms. " My guess is the sauce being a liquid. When you click through the keypad at the post office one of the things you agree to /certify is that the package doesn't contain any liquids. Somebody down the line was having a bad day and felt like being a jerk. I've put vinegar on the declaration form in the past and worried about it so I started putting condiments. I figure condiments is about as vague as I could get.

I'm still airing out the KK, don't want any carry over taste that's for sure. For Newbies, please realize we are just teasing here, all part of the fun on the KK forum.

Mac the pioneer woman,you go girl. Even though you don’t care for fish that’s a yummy looking meal. Did your KK air out ok lol

I give you a big for even trying it!

My latest brainstorm that keeps me from sleeping is to take the #1 - 3 liter cast iron potjie pot with legs and attach a 3/8" threaded stainless pipe to the bottom which will go down and have a T bit pointed like an arrow with small holes drilled in it. This will nestle down into the burning charcoal and ensure all vapor travels thru the hottest part of the burning charcoal and burn off any gas that might be released. This will also ensure that the pot does not smother your burn. The lid would have a threaded shaft dead center with a butterfly bolt to tighten so it stays put. Whatcha all think about my KK pot smoker on steroids?

Smoke pot plume in a (not recommended) off-brand K7, before I came to my senses and bought a 23" Ultimate KK. One only sees such a plume in too-hot conditions for reasonable smoking, but the experience is nevertheless amusing.

Ranier are the best. I haven't spotted any in the market here, but I'll look when shopping this week.

I'm all there on this argument. I'm thrilled with my 23" Ultimate. As I said on another thread, I wouldn't swap up if I inherited another comma. Nevertheless, one can practice charcoal conservation with any KK. A tight seal is critical; if your fire doesn't go out right away on an older KK, then a seal replacement is mandatory. I start by lighting (propane burner then leaf blower) the old charcoal again for my next cook, then add fresh charcoal as needed. The official KK basket splitter pays for itself quickly if one has a taste for good charcoal. 23 Ultimate Charcoal Basket Splitter The idea of the basket splitter is to channel the entire airflow through half as much charcoal. This matters if one cares about efficiency reaching an oven temperature. I tend to grill fish, or sous vide meat then sear briefly, where only the radiant heat of the fire matters. For that, I love using this charcoal basket: Broil King KA5565 Keg Caddie Charcoal Basket It holds less charcoal than my 23" Ultimate basket splitter, closer to my lower grate. In summary, one can conserve charcoal while using a larger KK. I conserve charcoal while using a smaller KK, and I'm very happy.

We have a 23" Ultimate KK, and a small Weber I sometimes use for preheating my smoke pot. Our neighbor has our previous K7 ceramic cooker, and a wide selection of other cookers including a pellet smoker, one of those South American grates that goes up and down, and a wood fired pizza oven. I'll go out on a limb and say one can only achieve pizza greatness in a wood fired pizza oven. One can also lose a pizza in a blink of an eye; constant attention is needed. I also have experience with various roadside wood fired pizza ovens; a stand between Salem, OR and Monmouth, OR comes to mind. In general, a smaller wood fired pizza oven than a restaurant in Italy would choose saves fuel, time, space, and money, at the expense of the pizza. While I'm completely happy with my 23" KK and wouldn't change it out if I inherited another comma; my neighbors are already plotting a size up for their wood fired pizza oven. It's very simple: In a too-small oven, the fire is uneven, and the pizza needs frequent fiddling and turning. A larger oven is more stable. If one knows one's KK and one's pizza recipe, and has a good sense of one's fire, one can pour wine at the table like there's no tomorrow, armed with only a timer for retrieving a credible finished pizza. The main issue with the KK (once one learns to get a hot enough but not excessive fire) is that the heat comes from below. I like using the KK double-walled drip pan as a heat deflector, to protect the KK pizza stone (as good as a Fibrament stone, and it fits) from radiant heat from the fire. For a wood fired pizza oven, go big or go home.

Delish nicley done Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

Steve, that drink is looking delicious and dinner is tasty looking too. Love the cartoon.

Love the look of that dinner, Tony.

I attended a high school graduation party last nite. They were serving miller lite on tap. I tried to put miller lite out of business last night and I’m paying for it this morning.

I dry aged some bone in rib eye roast. This batch was aged for 33 days. -1 Salt, pepper -2 Grill at 200F, starting reverse sear -3 Cooked internal to 126F, took it off the grill. -4 Open all vents, searing all sides -5 Resting -6 Sliced. Family loved it.

Wow Aussie, those sliced beef ribs look amazing juicy. I love bone-in ribs...

How to Drill Into Cast Iron The main point is to be patient, let the bit do its work. I use cutting oil or any handy lubricant e.g. soap. Drilling the first smoke pot (still in use), my thinking was the fewest, smallest holes that would keep the lid from blowing off. The smoke pot was inspired by how one makes charcoal: Seal a container with holes underneath, start a fire underneath, and soon gases will flow from the container and burn, sustaining the fire needed to complete the conversion to charcoal. One doesn't get any nasty byproducts from the wood burning completely. This is selecting the best components of more wood than one would ever use loose in a fire. Think armagnac versus moonshine. The easiest way to be a good cook that doesn't require talent is to practice selective yields. I've never liked the results over 300 F; at higher temperatures considerable pressure can build. I remember various experiments that made flames the size of the smoke pot itself, shooting out the bottom holes. Were this to instead blow off the lid, causing two quarts of chips to catch fire, dinner would be ruined. I chose 1/8" thinking that going much smaller would create undo pressure; I'm sure 3/32" is also fine. I could picture an unlucky chunk blocking a single hole, again causing the lid to blow; three holes is insurance. Too many holes risks a fire inside the pot, defeating the idea. I usually get the smoke pot hot enough while lighting the fire, by using a propane weed burner aimed under the pot. However, sometimes for a winter low & slow I'll start the KK well in advance of adding the meat. In this case I'll heat up the smoke pot over a small side fire, to add with the meat. This is obviously working far too hard, but if 80 people are expecting pork butt I want to get it right. One could probably / most days get away without the flour paste to seal the lid. However, fires shift, charcoal collapses as it burns. Again, if the lid bounces free and two quarts of smoking chips catch fire, the cook is ruined. I don't mind the flour paste bit. I mix up flour and water in a little baggie, nick the corner to make a dispenser, and apply to the lid like squeezing toothpaste, with paper towels handy for cleanup. There's a romance here: In Morocco, where pots rarely fit well together in days of lore, one would use flour paste and towels to secure a good fit for making couscous. At some point in the past, I decided that "fearing complexity" was holding back my cooking. If one could measure manual dexterity output, most of us do less in a day than a concert pianist in ten minutes of practice. I find that downright embarrassing, an outcome I refuse to accept, so I go out of my way to find opportunities to keep my hands moving. The flour paste bit isn't that bad.

That's my formal name. I only use it on official business stuff. Hope to be able to ask the Postman tomorrow what's up with it not being delivered AND as noted, do I get a freebie "do over?"

I've done several Prime Rib roasts (although boned). This is the method I use. Trim, tie and apply chosen rub to roast and refrigerate overnight. On cook day, remove roast to counter to warm slightly (insert temperature probe to monitor), start and heat sink KK to 200°F. Smoke roast on upper grill with chosen woods (I use apple and cherry via the "cold" smoker) to internal temp of 112°F. Pull roast and tent while opening all KK vents to achieve 500° - 550°F dome temp. After removing the temperature probe from the roast, using the sear grate, return the roast and sear all sides, about 1 1/2 minute per side or less. Remove roast, reinsert temp probe (it should be about 120°F at this point), wrap in foil and towel and insert into cooler to allow temp to rise to your chosen doneness (I serve at around 130°-133°F - medium rare).

Yea but we all wish we did have one that size Even me, King of the small kamado

Hello All, my WiFi went down for a few days so I’ve been delinquent in responding sooner. Yes it has been fun and feel like I still have a big learning curve ahead of me learning how to use the KK. It seems like the air flow is so low that my attempts at using the “Amazin pellet tube” isn’t really working. When trying to do 225 F cooks it almost seems like there isn’t hardly any air flow at all....like the KK is just holding residual temp etc. I’ve been using royal oak lump which seems like it has lots of small pieces so I’m concerned that it may be blocking the air flow a bit. So far I’ve cooked Pork Belly burnt ends twice and the second time (today) they were very good. About 3 hours low and slow and there another hour sauced up in the disposable foil pan....like meat candy!!! I’ve done some Ribs without foil and I think I’m starting to like them with more bite to the bone.... did a spatched cooked chicken two days ago and while it turned out very good it didn’t completely blow me away....hopefully my expectations aren’t too high. Needless to say I’m still very stoked with learning how to use this amazing grill. Thank you all for your comments. Tekobo, I tried two different variations on the “pork belly burnt ends” with the first recipe based on a You Tube video from FOGO charcoal people and the one today from Vindulge. Tomorrow I’m planning on making a Prime Rib roast Bone In and looking for any suggestions on temp / technique for making this piece of meat. Thanks again! Paul

On the way home from vacation we swung through Lane Packing and picked up a box of peaches. 25 lbs of Sunland variety. It's a hybrid semi-cling peach so we'll see how easy they are to deal with. (freestones won't be available for maybe another month) These were picked within the last day or two. I have them layed out in the back room so they can finish ripening. Most of these will be peeled, cut up, then frozen for future use. When the freestones become available we'll go back for another box or two. 

I'm thinking the postie flipped it the wrong way and read the back ie sender lol. Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk