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Smoked two 11lb bone in pork shoulders. Homemade Cole slaw I threw some thai chili sauce and siracha in the foil when I let it rest. Then I tossed it and hit it with more siracha and Thai chili sauce...dusted with brown sugar, spritzed with apple juice finished in the broiler to get some crispy carmelization at the end....delicious forgot to take photos of finished product and on grill but these babies took a long time to cook. Wanted them for lunch....turned into early dinner

I finally found a purveyor who could supply beef plate ribs, so I thought we'd give them a shot. These are like what I remember from our last visits to Austin- the beef ribs in Lockhart and in Austin at LA Barbecue were GIGANTIC. Until now, I've only been able to procure beef chuck ribs, and they had excellent flavor and texture. So we'll see if these brontosaurus-sized beef plate ribs are as good. I will report after dinner, starting in the next hour or so. I put them on around 9 AM at 220F- as usual, the temperatures gradually crept up to 280-300 range (does anyone else have problems with temperature creep in their 32" KK's? If I have to cook something that really requires 225, I don't know what I'll do. It seems like it just wants to go to 300*, even when I have it almost entirely tamped down in terms of air flow.) Scott's "BBQ" sauce- really an Eastern Carolina vinegar/pepper sauce was used to mop the ribs about every 90 minutes from 1 to 4:30PM. Two photos of the final product- with and without Scott's basting sauce. I'll report on results, flavor-wise, later. -Jim in Denver

That ice cream has started the salivating glands working over time. Chalk one up for a grate cleaner. I had steak last week that was cooker on a grate from a gasser and I'm sure the last 10 years of grilling was still on the grates, my steak tasted like it.

Hey Tony all the guru’s live in India!

Doing something in a home oven isn't original to Thomas Keller, but his Bouchon Bakery cookbook brought the idea renewed attention. He recommended chains and stones. What he gets right is that scale matters. The steam from 350g of water will displace the air in an oven or a KK several times over, scalding the cold dough with a great transfer of heat energy. 10g from a plant spritzer is just genuflecting. Baking inside a Dutch oven is different. Stones, really? They would probably work. They wouldn't explode all that often, right? Not for me. Anyone who sells $400 restaurant meals is an illusionist. There's a romance to cooking with stone. But still... While I prefer home cookbooks by cooks with serious professional chops, I've come to always view their home equipment recommendations with extreme suspicion. Paul Bertolli may have gotten us started grinding flour for everything, but his equipment recommendations and handling instructions made no sense. He was clearly getting recently ground artisan grains delivered to the restaurant. Professional cooks are too busy to cook at home. I have this image of the Bouchon Bakery trying a pan full of stones once, for the book. They've got to have the correct professional gear, at the bakery, and that's where they bake. The aluminum disks came about by chance. I'd discovered them on eBay. Someone is getting paid to cut holes, and they're selling the holes, got to love the business model. I wanted additional thermal mass under my Baking Steel for use as a griddle or a pizza stone, and of course I over-spec'd the problem. My baking steel was already so thick that it hardly needed the help, and the aluminum disk was too thick to easily toss about. So I stored the aluminum disk in my cast iron griddle for steam generation, under the chains. It just barely fit, and with differential expansion it shattered the cast iron griddle. Cast iron rusts, in any case, so I replaced it with a commercial cake pan. I ordered a second aluminum disk so I could also ditch the chains. Then I redid the physics, coming to the happy conclusion that one aluminum disk was sufficient. Can't leave well enough alone. That's why Dennis is one of my idols. I've also been trying to improve my Spanish by reading Cien años de soledad in the original. The first chapter concerns the exploits of José Arcadio Buendía in the long-ago Colombian village that he founded, as he obsesses over invention after invention that he buys from traveling gypsies. My ancestor founded Concord, Massachusetts, so I read this novel as a dream version of my family history if my family had been crazier. Gabriel García Márquez appears to be having great fun with the guy, but his response isn't exactly ridicule. Neither is mine. The absurdity of it all is uncomfortably close to home. (My brother is a speech pathologist, amateur linguist who's been helping me design computer tools for language study. We want the magic bracelet where one can just understand as one reads and listens. There are version of this that are practical in software. We believe that standard tools don't work that well.)

Hey Aussie, if you ever do decide to sell your 23, let me know, I know a guy in Perth whose been looking at one for ages! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@tekobo .it's a hard call .I'm in a position that I could order a 32 .but would have to sell my 23 not that I have to but having two would be over kill for my needs . Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

Splurged for the holiday and picked up this A5 Japanese Wagyu brisket from Crowd Cow. I was looking for brisket for the holiday and my usual sources were out. Crowd Cow was out of everything but the A5 and it was on sale. Still a bit pricey but lordy it is amazing. Got it in on Wednesday and stuck it in the fridge on thursday to thaw out. Pulled it out last night to throw some salt and pepper on it before I went to bed. Woke up early to get the KK going and heat soaked. Set up for indirect cook using coco char with some pecan chunks. Threw the brisket on about 8:30 am. Pretty much left it alone for about 5 hours while I monitored the temperature. It was pushing 170 about 2:30 and I wrapped it about 3. I spritzed it with some apple juice/cider vinegar the last couple of hours before I wrapped. Pulled it when it hit 195 and packed it in a cooler while we prepared the rest of the dinner. Sliced up: This was seriously the juiciest brisket with the most amazing flavor I've ever had. I had some concern it might be too rich but it wasn't. Just packed with flavor. While this was a flat, it was comparable to most wagyu points that I've made before. I made Aaron Franklin's regular BBQ sauce and put it on the side as it is one of my favorites. I could have easily left it off and ate most of it without the sauce.

I remember smiling when you said you were happy to be ditching your pile of chain @Pequod. Mainly because @Syzygies turned us on to this aluminium disc innovation before I got around to buying any chain. This is definitely a fun and consistent way to create steam in a KK and is one of the reasons that I am looking to buy a 32. It is a lot more fiddly, trying to get the ice in when you have to have the aluminium assembly directly under your grate with the bread on. I am hoping to be able to offset the two in the 32. One thing not to do - don't place the aluminium pan on the bars of your fire basket. You melt through the pan eventually. Don't ask me how I know that. 🙄

First cook on the new KK! I’ve done chicken before at 400° with great success. Usually cooks in 45 minutes. Ths time I put a double lined aluminum foil pan below with potatoes and the cook took an hour and 20 minutes. Skin was not as crispy as usual. I think the potatoes added extra moisture which prevented the chicken from getting crisp. Flavor was great. Very happy with the cooking experience.

39B9230F-3976-440E-8D99-D76F3F6BF815.MOV Second cook on the KK. Dry aged bone in ribeye .

I need all the help I can get!

The Morning After: Follow-up. Below is the snapshot of the largest of the racks as we separated the fatty portions (mostly) from the good beef and chopped it coarsely for serving. The consensus was that the plate rib meat was very similar to fatty point brisket- maybe even moister and fatter. I sent one of the other racks home with my daughter's family, and stripped the meat off the third one to package and refrigerate it for future use. There was not a lot of usable meat on the third rack. In comparing this plate rib to the beef chuck ribs we had been doing (recommended by my great local butchers at Oliver's as having "more meat and better flavor" than plate ribs, we reached another consensus: Jimmy and Richard at Oliver's were right, and the chuck ribs are our preferred beef rib for the future. (Photo included). The chuck ribs were almost all usable meat, and had a very similar super-beefy flavor, and a texture similar to brisket.

Cheeseburgers...including two “beyond meat” burgers for my vegan sister in law. pizzas for dinner. Cheese, Hawaiian, vegan veggie, pepperoni, pesto & grilled chicken, basil & prosciutto

This post is purely about aesthetics. Starting to plan for a 32". Y'all have seen my 23" and the setting, but pictures below just in case. I've decided against a cabinet that bridges them (a la @bosco) because I really like the relatively unobstructed look of a KK in that setting. I'm also not going to try to match my olive & gold 23". Looking for ideas of colors for a 32 that complements the 23 in my setting. Thoughts?? Here's the link to the 32's in the web store: http://komodokamado.com/collections/32-big-bad-komodo-grills That patio space to the left is where the 32 will go.

setup half low grates, half high grates start on the low grates at hi temp then once seared, move to the high grate for a dwell to temp

I've had several different color combos, one constant is the 19.5" in autumn gold pebble. Loved so much I got rid of the others and got a 23" gold pebble. I would choose the first pair, gold flake, autumn nebula Good luck

I too am trying to make a two KK colour decision and it was interesting to stumble across this thread. The funniest thing is that, after all the debate, Halfsmoke aka @Pequod ended up with both in the only colour that The Husband and I both like - olive gold pebble. I do want to ring the changes with two KKs in two different colours but I can't quite get to the right conclusion. Of the KKs in the pictures above I like the last pairing best even though it won't work as well in my setting. So...here goes. Grateful for opinions. Considering: 19TT autumn gold flake tile, 32BB dark autumn nebula (or even chocolate if available) tile 19TT bright bright blue pebble, 32 BB dark cobalt blue pebble olive gold pebble on both (we had wanted a cream pebble on one but the cream is no longer available) terra blue tile with lots more terra than blue and deep cobalt blue tile I think that is it. With such a small range you would think I/we could have made a decision by now but I care about this more than the colour of any car that I have bought. Maybe I should just move in with the folks with the KKs in the last picture above.

I think the secret is not allowing it to heat soak at a higher temp than you will cook. In that case, it is difficult to dial it back. I've used methods similar to Aussie's. I get the temperature up to the level I am looking for (or a little higher) and then start to dial it back to where I know my settings are for the desired temperature. I may make several adjustments over a short period of time so it doesn't drop too much.

Yummo Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

Those ribs look terrific I'm don't mind the odd ribs every now and then my self. The beauty with a KK is it takes a while to heat soak so you can ark it up and dial it down real quick . I'm starting to realize my KK has learnt my settings it's like it knows what I want lol. My tried and tested method is I load my basket open both vents fully. and get it going with the lid up for a bit , throw in my grates .shut the lid tight and spin the wheel and wait till it gets to 400f .then I open it up take the grates out and add my smoking wood put the lower rack in then some alfoil then the top grate.and then my ribs.shut the lid dial it down to a qtr shut the right side bottom vent off and set the left half moon to a qtr lands on 250 everytime Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

I've tried some pretty marbled Wagyu. Melts in your mouth .this looks good .I'm lucky I have a good butcher I've tried some pretty marbled Wagyu melts in your mouth lucky to have a good butcher in my back yard . https://www.facebook.com/warnbromeats/. Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

Thanks@tekobo! I found one place in Florida that sells suckling pigs, 2-6 weeks old and less than 10lbs: https://meatnbone.com/products/cochinillo I inquired about these and they wrote: The package for the suckling pig measures 13” x 10” approximately. Once open... It's a bit hard to measure the exact length, but it usually fits the Big Green Egg (large size). I'm looking for a local source of suckling pig, but if I can't find one that small, I will probably go down the same path you did with a small pig. I have the exact same Cobalt blue pebble coming in a few weeks! Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Hi @Luke. Funnily enough I have a combination of a 23KK and a suckling pig at the moment. I didn't go for it whole. The piggy weighed about 10kg and the main loin piece in the middle is about 16"/40.5cm long. Main reason for not attempting it whole is because we cannot gather in the numbers required to eat it. Good luck. Hopefully someone who has attempted a whole one will come along with more detail. Here is how mine was butchered. We have had two legs so far and they have been delicious.

Possibly, but it was already up there before I mopped for the first time. This has been happening to me consistently- I think I have it operating between 225-250 and I go away for 1.5-2 hours and it is up closer to 300, and then, as you know, because the KK is SO well insulated, very difficult to get it down. It is, I think, a technique issue that I need to solve. David had told me to just fire up a softball-sized portion of the charcoal to start with, and I have done that. I think I maybe I need to tamp down the air flow much earlier than I had previously thought.

I live on the Oregon Coast, we don’t freeze either but average 78 inches of rain a year. I have had my KK in the backyard for 6 years with no problems. I don’t cover it with a Sunbrella cover either because if I covered it here it would get moldy and like you, I like to look at my beautiful KK! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Fantastic result on those ribs. For me to hold at 225, I have mine nearly shut down. A small sliver of opening at the bottom vent and just backed off from fully closed at the top. That assumes it is properly heat soaked. As Tony said, a guru will certainly take care of the issue.

Hey there @Basher, what a beautiful scene! I can cope with rain in such beautiful surroundings. Here, rain or no, I cooked dinner on the KKs last night. The friends who are going to buy the 21 came to dinner and I showed them how to work the KK. It was a joy to demonstrate how easy it is to make good food. The husband of the pair is going to be the cook and he, happily, claims to be OCD and will be joining the clean grate club. We roasted a suckling pig leg on the 21. Beautifully thin and crispy skin, like the top of a creme brulee. I warmed up the vegetarian stew that they brought on the 23 and followed that with some gooseberry clafoutis. Yum Glad to have drawn someone new into the KK circle.

Nice. There's a simple solution to the creep - get a Guru.

Pork ribs. Ready to go..Looking good..Ready for a rest..and sliced..plated with some potato bake and salad.. Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

Tried the Bonfire on a wooden deck this evening. There was a welders blanket underneath not that the bottom gets hot but even though one is burning hardwood there is the occasional spark. There is comfort on the deck as opposed to the lawn, no critters are going to come out of the bushes.

Yeah, most folks don't know that making whiskey starts out the same as beer. They deviate in that you don't add hops to the wort when making whiskey and you distill it instead of carbonating it.

My Bonfire arrived safe and sound on Mon. and it has been fired up twice already.

Picanha Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

I've become enamored with this recipe for Taiwanese Street Corn from Milk Street, with a couple of "enhancements" by me. Basics are to grill the corn in the husk (my SOP) and then shuck and slather on the sauce, turning and basting to get a nice caramelization. Basic sauce is Oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Gochujang, rice vinegar, cilantro and sesame oil. I kicked it up with some fish sauce and the star ingredient - Szechuan pepper oil. Staggered cooks - used the half grate for the veggies and lower grate for the steaks and red onion. A grilled Cesar salad with grilled romaine and red onion, a side of asparagus, the corn and crusty bread. Everything direct at 350F, with mesquite wood chunks. Steak is just sirloin with coffee/ancho rub and Gunpowder. Half of the grilled onion went into the salad, the other half into the sautéed mushrooms. Plated with the nice Pinot Noir from the pot roast dinner the other night.

Burger time at this diner. I put all sorts of things in these burgers, a few leftover olives, black garlic, minced onion, white and black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chili, powdered mustard, ketchup and salt. Pickled some sweet onions in cider vinegar, with maple syrup and salt. Melted some smoked cheese over the burger and loaded the bun with lettuce fresh from the garden, relish, bbq sauce, mayo, ketchup and mustard. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

Yum Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Here are the beef ribs cut up. Very tasty. 2 lamb cutlets left over Troble, not even 1 meal. 4 adults, 5 kids. Funny night. My 14yo daughters first boy friend- self discovered in a big city. Turns out his mother and my wife have been friends from school. So we all caught up for a feed and a few bevies. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

First suggestion....................let your wife pick the color Second suggestion................matte black pebble (i'm color blind). Third suggestion..............if tiles............go with the terra cotta tiles. They give a little extra contrast to the color.