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Thanks, everyone for the nice compliments on the pot roast. Last night was Mojo chicken thighs. Started out direct on the upper grate to help with any flareups from the injected marinade (Dinosaur BBQ). Outside dusted with Badia Adobo, TX Gunpowder, with extra cumin, oregano and white pepper. Coffee wood chunks on the coals. After 45 minutes, I upped the temp from 325F to 375F and moved the thighs down to the main grate to crisp up the skin. Plated with wild rice medley and sautéed zucchini and onions.

I think everyone missed the obvious solution. But another KK. One for the top and one for the bottom

Tonight was Paula Wolfert's Tangier-style Harira, with Rancho Gordo chickpeas, and brown lentils. The fava beans are from our garden.

Nice looking dinner @tony b. I realise how badly I've caught the barbecue bug when just looking at pink butcher paper gets me salivating, let alone when the meat is revealed! Looking forward to your reveal Mac. I am in the throes of preparing for Heston Blumenthal's "perfect" burger recipe. It involves aged short rib, chuck and brisket. Another 25 days of aging to go on the short rib. It had better be worth the wait.

I suspect the top vent was to far open. I rarely go above 2 turns on the top vent. Think of this like trying to preheat an oven. If you leave the door cracked open it'll preheat but you're loosing so much air out the cracked door it'll take forever. Although that's a sort of extreme example the theory is still the same. Trap the heat in the Kamado. Better than trying to heat the backyard.

The upper deck would be a shorter trip from the kitchen................... The lower deck would give it cover it for snowy winter cookouts................... If the on upper deck, you could get it down the same way you get it up there. Decisions.......decisions!!!!!!!

Never thought of it that way, but makes a ton of sense. I’m definitely applying this.

Last night's dinner - pot roast. 1 lb chuck roast, indirect, with post oak and mesquite chunks in the smoker pot, started out at 275F, but it drifted up on me after 3 hours to 325F. I wrapped it in pink butcher paper, just like a brisket, at an IT of 165F. Rubbed with Gunpowder and Dizzy Pig Raising the Steaks. Just before wrapping. Pulled off at an IT of 204F. Plated with sous vide mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy. Side salad. And Yes, I drank the f-ing Merlot! Leftovers made a nice open faced sandwich for lunch today. (no pics of that, you'll just have to imagine it!)

From what I've read most of us put our KK's on the deck. Now if your deck is 8 or 9 feet in the air well that's a horse of a different color. I remember just recently Toney mentioning that if he sold the farm the KK is staying planted on the deck because he doesn't want to move it again. Swear to God. So a decision is forthcoming soon and I'm at crossroad. What do think? Should it go up high or stay down low? The weight isn't a concern, I believe I could park my SUV on it. It definitely would be nice to enjoy at short distance, but once it's there I think it may have to stay with the house, ( not that I'm moving anytime soon.) Like Basher I fed the tradesmen, a plate of hotdogs, tatoe salad and chips that disappeared before I could get the picture and these bacon wrapped pork and stuffing things. Drizzled in Saucehound BBQ Spice rub recently purchased on Amazon. This is a good rub for ribs, chicken and gives a nice color,,,just an all around good rub. 5lbs for $39.69....can't beat that

I’m not swinging off those lights tony. Fire pit is done. I’m half way through mixing 9m3 of cow dung into the beds. That filled the drive way...... and the foot path. Had to move that bit quickly before council came looking. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Definitely down stairs Tyrus. Why? It give you good reason to get out into that big back yard and helps you engage with nature- and use more of your land. Freezer/ fridge and charcoal storage in the laundry. Stage 2, move the indoor kitchen to the laundry and put the laundry elsewhere. Before you know it, the herb garden, and vege patch will be accessible to the kitchen as will the orchard. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@tony bYou are totally right but candidly I did use it as an excuse to clean out my spice pantry and throw out the old and buy a bunch of new spices. I appreciate you sharing your rub Tony and I will certainly try that another time but I’ve been thinking about attempting this recipe and cook for months. It’s Memorial Day Weekend, I’ve got a number of cooks under my belt now on the KK and I’m ready to try something big and bold. Hopefully I don’t muck it up, but the goods have been purchased the pantry has been cleaned and the leg of lamb shall get marinated tonight. I’m looking forward to this

But where does he store the Fogo?

Sorry no magic pencil. This is long overdue, years, but it's getting done. Use to be that I got my supplies upstair in the kitchen and walked to the front carrying it all then down to landing and down again to the lower level, through the laundry room and out to the lower deck to cook. Just hope you didn't forget anything because it's all uphill if you did. Anyway I look at now the trip will be shorter.., up or down when the work gets done. This will be #2 spot and the decision as you may be aware of comes from a higher authority. I have the help to move it up, getting it down later is another story. My hearts still in it, the body seems to be elsewhere.

If you have a sharp enough special pencil, you cold draw it up there and when ready draw it back down with no effort 🙄. i guess another facet would be, where do you entertain? up or down?

Chuck is what I usually grind for hamburgers but I have a new trick I'm waiting to try and it involves a chuck roast. It will be similar to Tony's cook.

Tony that’s interesting. Chuck is the last of the cheap cuts here. It used to be brisket, until low n slow bbqing gained popularity. Some butchers call it stewing steak. Yours look very tender. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Live up to the KK moto, spend spend spend.

I'll say you'd better get used up mighty quickly, like before sunrise. It looks wonderful, your plants are going to grrrrow. Nice fire pit area, you should have lots of fun times around that.

All these productive minds, where would I be without yah. And to think the answer was right in front of me all this time. Luckily I have a week to mull this over and analyze these contributions. I'm forever in your debt

Winner, Winner, chicken dinner, up top or down below, which way to go? (great observation CKreef!)

Nice cook Toney! That looks bigger than a lb, good color and ring of mastery. I forget, what kind of Merlot was that? lol

4 places and wide open is to get it to high temps quickly. High temps are achieved with a broad flame front. If you want low and slow, hit it in only one spot, open the vent 1 turn, then close it down to 1/4 turn when within 50 degrees of your target. In general, I open wider than my target to get there quickly, then close it down once I’m within 50 degrees of my target. It will coast to a soft landing from there.

My advice: load a full basket, light it in 4 spots, close the lid, open the bottom vents fully and the top 2 full turns. Let it go until the temperature stabilizes (1-2 hours) and write it down. Open another 1/2 turn and do the same. Write down the temp after another hour. Then another 1/2 and do the same. If you haven’t hit 600 somewhere in there, replace your lump with some Fogo.

Just wanted to follow up with a picture so you could see what I mean. You can see the wire and the probe near the back in the middle. This is 500 with a 1/4 basket, both bottom vents open (not pulled out), and top vent 2 or 3 turns. I'm really wondering about the charcoal or if you a 100% full basket like someone else mentioned. I also cook my pizza at 550. I haven't made a napoleon style high temp pizza though.

Nice smoke ring on that pot roast, Tony.

That looks pretty awesome. I've never done a chuck roast like that but I would like to give it a shot.

Nice recipe, despite having to clear out the spice rack to whip it up! 😄 I actually have all of those spices in my pantry right now! My "house" lamb seasoning is a bit simpler - 3 parts Penzey's Greek seasoning, 2 parts Penzey's Turkish seasoning, 1 part Penzey's Berbere seasoning. No toasting, no grinding - easy, peasy!

Trust The Husband to turn up and pull down the tone of my serious meat thread. I will now get things back on topic if you don't mind. We broke into the second dairy cow fat encrusted steak after about 90 days. Not for the faint hearted. The smell was just fine but I had to scrape off some discolouration. I never normally bother to reverse or forward sear because I like my steak blue and am happy to crust up the outside at high heat and eat. The Husband prefers rare so I thought I would try out reverse searing. It had been so long since I last did it that I forgot to use the basket splitter. The meat came out a bit more cooked than I intended but we both liked it. Had the texture of ham and the taste of blue cheese. Definitely a "do again".

Hi all, this is Tekobo's husband. We moved some coats at the weekend and revealed this forgotten masterpiece which may appeal to those who enjoyed the fridge magnets

Farmers market kale on polenta. When we're vegetarian we don't realize it till we're eating. I wanted to try making the polenta in the Vermicular Musui Kamado ("Indoor K") but Laurie likes to make it her way. And we had a deadline to get dinner on the table (Laurie had a Zoom tai chi class; we weren't going anywhere!). So I got the kale braising, then played with my Solo Stove to roast the peppers, then made an onion/pepper soffritto in the indoor K to mix into the braised kale. Got to play with all of my recent toys. Handy having three front burners. My brother has end-of-life care instructions that no one is to feed him if he can't raise a fork to his mouth himself. I'd been thinking to amend mine about "if I can't cook for myself" to include something about gas stoves. But induction is remarkable, more heat without burning. One of my earliest revelations about stews was that the whole is always less than the sum of the parts. (My brief foray into film convinced me the same about acting, screen charisma reveals a mere shadow of really developed personas.) Can one tell for sure that I fire-roasted the chiles? The braised kale was good, I'd think I'd miss the fire. Anyhow, fire is more satisfying than any other form of cooking.