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Tonight was a pre-marinated pork loin (roasted garlic & black peppercorns) that I amp'ed up with more roasted garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper. On the main grate, direct, with hickory & apple wood chunks, started the loin at 250F and let it creep up to 350F (target) over 30 minutes. Pulled at an IT of 135F. Rested for 10 minutes. Plated with melting potatoes with a hit of truffle salt (heaven!) and a side salad. Lovely Pinot Noir to go with!

Peruvian pollo a la brasa roasted on the spit at 350 degrees. marinated in garlic, cumin, aji amarillo paste, aji amarilo chunks & aji panca powder with Peruvian salt, and a dash of soy and pisco roasted purple Peruvian potatoes with cilantro, garlic, Peruvian salt, black pepper, thyme and a dash of aji pamca. Finished with a bit of pane Sean cheese once pulled and rested served with spicy Peruvian green sauce over chicken & potatoes servrd with crispy kale chips tossed with olive oil & sea salt

I had planned to complete this thread with a brisket cook on the 23. However, the brisket was too long for the 23 and so I had to use the 32 instead. I say this because others have told me before that a full packer brisket fits on a 23 no problem. I suspect this is all to do with how briskets get cut out of a carcass in the UK. They are normally cut to be rolled rather than as a flat joint for low and slow and so I have to ask specially for them to be left flat. Photos below. Grateful for views about how/why this is different to they way they are cut in the US. Obligatory shot on the grill Pic to show you the size. I guess it could have fitted on the 23. This is probably the equivalent of a horror film for some, with the underside of the brisket hacked about by the butcher. The finished plate. Nice but not my best brisket. Was lightly smoked over hickory and served with couscous, pickled cucumber and spinach-made-better-with-bacon.

Did the steak today. Not last night in the end. I had to drive and while my wife volunteered to drink the Judith Beck and tell me how it was, this was never going to happen. First time I've done a cote de boeuf. It's always felt like too much meat but when you leave me unattended in a butchery, these things will happen. Cooked at 125°C for about 45 mins to a target internal temp of 52°C using the Fireboard then took it out, pushed the KK to 250°C and seared both sides to eye, around 6 mins each. Did some hasselback potatoes (Mrs BQ) after I saw a recipe for Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin and we realised we were missing some of the ingredients so Mrs BQ created an approximation. All plans for doing chores currently on hold as I nurse this food coma.

Gosh. I remember reading a post by @CeramicChef where he talked about taking time to learn and callibrate each kamado cooker he owned. I didn't remember to put that advice into practice when I dived into cooking on my KKs yesterday. I started with the 32. Impressive. On half a basket of cocoshell briquettes I got it up to 320C/600F in 1.5 hours with all the vents open. Smell of solvent but no bubbling tiles. I should have waited for everything to cool down a bit but I decided to start with baking some bread anyway. I created steam by dropping ice onto the billet of aluminium that @Syzygies turned us on to. Worked well and I got some very brown loaves. Limited oven spring but not surprising given they were heavy with rye porridge and walnuts and had been held in the bulk fermentation stage for two days. Sour and very tasty. Followed that with two pizzas. Added the meat at the very end - coppa on one and cured goose breast on the other. Both tasted good but I should have cooked the bases for a bit longer. As you can see, I need to cut the under paper smaller next time too. No steam this time but this picture lets you see the set up for turning the KK into a steam oven with the aluminium billet in a large baking pan sitting on the basket divider. For dinner I lit up the 16 to cook lamb chops. Again only a partial success. It took ages to get the 16 up to temperature. I think I needed to open up the top cap rather more than I did. I also used a mix of marabu and old binchotan briquettes - the hardest things on earth to light. Had a few flare ups and lots of smoke because of the fat on the lamb. Either need to use a shield over the fire next time or a griddle pan and allow more time. Opening and shutting a little 16 cools things down way more than it does on a bigger KK so I need to get it up to temp and heat soaked and then either cook quickly on the lower grate or slowly with remote monitoring of temp on the higher grate. I now have some brisket going in the 32. I got it up to temp very easily and installed the smoke pot with some chips in it. All good so far. I then closed the top vent and cracked it open a little like I used to on my 21 and 23. I came back about half an hour later to a dome thermometer that was still reading 125 C but no smoke and a dead fire. Revived it with my leaf blower and opened the top vent a little more than a crack. All going well now. Learning on the job and I guess it is less daunting because I have done this before. All good fun and nice to be reminded that cooking over fire is an art that needs to respect the science of the different size KKs that I am now working with. The table that I had made to fit between my 21 and 23 doesn't work with the 23 and 32. I have been trying to figure out what I would like and think I have found the perfect solution in the packing crate that the 16 came in.

Exactly what Tony said Troble. That potato press reminded me of my Carnie days in Canada. One of the concession we worked in was the French fry trailer. There were two of those presses mounted on the wall, punched the potato’s where they drop into a large bucket of water to wash the starch off. Always blanch for 7 minutes at a lower temperature( can’t remember what it was) then finish for 1 minute at a higher temp. We’d go through 40- 50 sacks of potato’s in a day at the Calgary Stampede. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you're frying anything like 'chips', always best with a dedicated fryer in my experience. I have a Magimix and the design is great, it's just the hassle of disposing of the oil that's tiresome. But for some food, you can't beat oil. Do you know about the breadcrumb trick? Basically, throw some breadcrumbs in when you think the temperature is about right - if they burn up and go black, too hot. If they absorb the oil and sink, the oil isn't hot enough. If they bubble and float to the surface, you're good to go. Like the KK, always easier to build up to temperature gradually versus having to bleed heat. With oil, there isn't a way to lose heat if it gets too hot other than changing it or adding more cold oil. For triple cook chips, give this a go but having a frier like that one I linked makes all the difference.

I always smile when @tony b turns up with his safety wagging finger. Particularly when it comes to stray wires from those Kurly Kate steel cleaners getting into your tummy. He can always be trusted to turn up to tell you not to use them and I can be trusted to ignore him and go on using them. I am a little concerned about your balcony though and would not rely on an assumption about the number of people it can carry. A KK represents a heavy load applied over a small area and could be a problem depending on where you put it. Structural engineers are pretty cheap to get an opinion from here in the UK. I would hope that you could get someone to take a look or get your property manager to see if there is any guidance in the maintenance log for the building. Or you could decide it is fine and just ignore me but as a civil engineer I would not rely on someone telling me that a bridge "seems solid".

Decided to make a handle for my wrench to clean the grates.

Is there such a thing as too much meat?? Great looking cook @B. I reckon when you next think of doing a care package delivery you should head down our way.

No, abbiamo mangiato brisketta (I don't know what brisket is in Italian so just add an a and blag it with a strong Italian accent) sta sera. Anatra con patate mi sembrano molto bene. No google translate was harmed in the production of the above text and all errors are mine and mine alone.

If you're deep frying in oil, the blanch step is at 325F and the 2nd frying step is at 375F. If you're blanching in water, then just get it to boiling/simmer, you don't want a rolling boil or you can break up the fries as they go dashing about.

Making me blush! 😊 My best homemade fries have always been in the deep fryer (double fried). I've had moderate success with doing them in the air fryer (I actually do better with pre-cut frozen ones). Keys are to soak the hand cut fries in water after you cut them to remove excess starch from the surface, and rinse. Then par-blanch them in boiling water briefly (they should bend but not break), place on a rack and let them cool and dry. Then lightly spray them with oil and into the air fryer on 375F until golden brown, shaking the basket periodically helps with evenness. YMMV

I have the Ken onion version of the worksharp, it has adjustable sharpening angles. It does a good job, better than any other machine type sharpener. I won’t use it on my really good knives, but understand that I’m into extremely high end Japanese kitchen knives. For my good stuff I use a Russian device called a TS Prof. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

@Steve H truth be told the fries looked better than they tasted i tried to bake them in the oven per the recipe and they were a bit soggy. not sure if it was because I was too excited to finally use my new fresh fry press and i cut them early and let them sit for two hours outside in the air or if it's just because it's cooking them in the oven. when i took them out there were stil a big soggy so i threw them back in under the broiler and rotated the baking sheet a few times to get them crispy. ended up saving them, but next time I will use the air fryer, problem with the air dryer is the basket it too small to do a single air fry and get enough fries for the amily. so my theory is i will do 2-3 air fry batches get the fries crispy, put them on a baking sheet then hit them with herbs and truffl oil and cheese and warm/finish the batch in the oven to get them all warm. not sure, maybe the venerable @tony b has already worked this out. he's the Air Fryer master, my attempt at the fries left a lot to be improved on. I will say though that I've had that french fry press in a box since August and that was fun to use and super easy so that was a W. And the kids absolutely loved the Kale chips so that was another W.

@tekobo best thing to do is to keep diving in headfirst till you figure it all out. But looks like you’re on the right path. I agree with Tony that the brisket cut is a bit different than my eye is used to. What’s the menu for tomorrow?

Can you treat like an oven and go 15 minutes per pound at a 350° - 400°? I agree with the S&P.

Looking very tasty, Tony.

Yeah, you're brisket has a lot more "tail" on it than here in the States.

If I know you, you'll be hitting it out of the park within a week on all 3 grills! That's a fact!

I bought a spit rotisserie for my new 32 and 23 and a cradle rotisserie for the 32. I was dreading fiddling about to get them to work but when I read Dennis' message above this morning I thought I would give it a go. I fitted the spit rotisserie to the 32 in just under 6.5 minutes. I did it all on my own and was super pleased. The cradle rotisserie took longer but works beautifully. I will post videos on a new topic when I figure out how to do so.

Ribs using the famous daves rib rub ckreef sent me Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

Garlic, Parmesan, chive & truffle oil fries, homemade ketchup, crispy kale chips and prime beef cheeseburger with tillamook sliced cheddar marinated in soy, Worcester, garlic, cumin and Peruvian salt, served with grilled butter lettuce & homemade ketchup

Any pointers on cooking a prime rib roast on the rotisserie? Roughly with a 8lb roast how long per pound? I’m thinking a basic salt and pepper crust. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There’s no adjustment in the back. The lower part of the latch, attached to the body is adjustable, you can probably fix your problem there. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Oh, that's my perpetual struggle with kitchen tools. There is no such as a gadget. They're tools. Don't let your wife think they're gadgets because that's close to gimmick and it means it can be jettisoned far too easily. I don't use mine often but when I do, I'm reminded of why I bought it. We get very very good oven chips in the UK which are a little bit healthier and they win on convenience. Never tried an air frier so can't comment although I know there are many devotees.

Consider it "wagged!" 🤣 There's a lot to be considered here - how was the concrete balcony re-enforced and integrated into the building structure (i.e., was it built to be heavy load bearing or just moderately so - basic patio furniture/a few people), are you planning on the KK being close to the building structure or out near the edge for ventilation (thinking cantilevered load)? The good news here is that it's a static load (not moving) and somewhat distributed by the 4 wheels (but a fairly concentrated footprint - 25% of the weight is borne by each wheel, which has a very small contact point - very high lbf/sq in), but it's concrete, which takes compressive loads well. Good to hear that you've reached out to the original designers for some answers. Good Luck!

It's a riff off of the PICO Brew idea. I backed it as a Kickstarter. It's called BeerMkr. Very small batches - just over a gallon. Check out their website: BEERMKR - Automated Countertop Craft Beer Brewing Believe it or not, this is my very 1st all-grain brew, after being a homebrewer for over 25 years! I originally got into it thinking it would make a good pilot system for trying new recipes without having to commit to a full 5 gallon batch. Then COVID hit and all the beer events where we share homebrew all dried up (literally!), so I stopped brewing 5 gallon batches because I was having a hard time drinking this much by myself without overdoing it before I burned out on it (I prefer variety.) Plus, I wanted to do more take out from the local breweries to help them survive. So, the idea of single gallon batches took on new importance for me.

I have the KO3, plus I already had shapton glass stones for an edge pro. It’s incredibly precise, and super easy to get a crazy edge on your knives. I haven’t personally seen a blitz system, but I believe it’s limited to knives 200mm or less, most of my knives have are 240mm. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I haven't in a long time but I was reading up on it a while back and it probably yields the best results. I have an air fryer that I would like to try those types of fries on it.

I haven’t seen this device before. I use the Tormek system for woodworkIng and other tools and Japanese stones for knives.

Were the fries deep fried? It all looks amazing.

That's funny! Is height a consideration? What if one of the fat ones is really short? Do we need to through in another 1/2 fat person?

It's funny you should post this, I've been looking at these. They're spiritually linked to my bench grinder that I use for putting an edge on garden tools and sharpening mower blades. What's made me hesitant is that under power, small mistakes can become big ones quite quickly. I have expensive knives that I would be gutted if I damaged. I'm out of practice on a whetstone so generally use a Lansky to keep a consistent angle of attack on the blades but it can be a little fiddly but probably no more than getting a power tool out. If you get your hands on one or anyone else has any comments, be good to learn of your experiences. I know that @DennisLinkletteris a knife guy as well so he might have some thoughts.

Good point. Have contacted the structural engineers that worked on the original designed of the property.... Fingers crossed they respond quickly and positively.

Hi @AAAsh, definitely worth checking on this. if your property manager doesn't have any official load limits then I would recommend getting hold of a structural engineer to confirm what the balcony was designed to carry, in line with local building code. You don't want to invalidate your insurance or worse still, kill someone, so it is worth getting an official view. All that said, I have just looked on Dennis' KK site and it says that the gross weight of a 32 BB crated is about 500kg. That is 10 skinny people or 6 fat ones. If you can get that many people on your balcony then you stand a good chance of this being OK.

You must let me know if you cook it, I think it called for fresh Thyme and cream. We had the former, which was in sad shape and no cream. Hence the adaptation.

Well it looks like you're enjoying the learning curve!

Hey Tony B, just curious, a what kind of new brewing hardware do you have? Earlier this year I decided to buy an “All In One” Anvil Electric brewing system. I still have my 3 kettle 10 gallon hybrid system but decided that after over 25 years of brewing I wanted to try a smaller (5 gallon drinkable) system. It doesn’t have wifi or Bluetooth but I really didn’t feel like I needed this or wanted this for this new system. So far I’ve brewed 4 different beers on this system, learning curve for sure but all and all I’m pretty happy with it. Just got done brewing a Schwartzbier a few hours ago and hit my target gravity! All the best, Paul

Believe it or not, that's too much! Just barely off the seat. I sit there and wiggle it until I can just barely see some smoke coming out.

Your brisket dinner sure looks very tasty to me.

I forgot about one and left it an extra 8 hours.. my wife loved the beef jerky bark and the inside we mixed with chopped jalapeños and Best Foods mayo to make brisket dip.. Was awesome with fresh corn chips.. The fam wants me to do it again!

Twins separated at birth @tekobo ? - you'll be telling me next that you're learning Italian too ! My eldest and I have just spent an hour digging up two (rather obscene looking- but quite artistic - they could win the turnip prize) parsnips from the allotment - more like an archaeological dig - they're two feet long - you have to use your fingers to dig them out. We are firing up the Weber and having crispy duck thighs with potatoes cooked in the fat that drips off them. Now , if you're having that tonight I am going to buy a lottery ticket. The big bad 10.2 % matt black stout is the best beer I've ever made. Here's what it looks like :

This is pro level tracking.

OMG, I'm in a total meat coma! Dinner was a 1.5 lb Prime NY strip. Direct, lower grate (given how thick this steak was, I didn't want to try cooking it on the sear grate!), mesquite and post oak chunks. Rubbed with Gunpowder and Raising the Steaks. This thing was so massive that it took 25 minutes to get to Rare (125F), flipped it every 5 minutes. So, I was totally glad that I went lower grate, as trying to cook this on the sear grate would have been charred on the outside and Black-n-Blue on the inside. Plated with roasted spuds w/Peruvian green sauce (and a dash of truffle salt), sauteed mushrooms and chimichurri for the steak. A very lovely Conundrum red wine. Side salad as the palette cleanser - bleu cheese notwithstanding!

Côte de boeuf with chips for dinner tonight. This is 32 day aged Red Poll cattle. Food miles? > 2. Not cooked côte de boeuf before but going to use the Fireboard and reverse sear. Will try to remember to take pictures of the after. Thinking of an Austrian red to go with this. Likely a Judith Beck Ink.

Spoil yourself. If you live in Canada, save yourself shipping and paying customs + TAXES. $4100 CAD Included: KK. in Canada. Purchased Aug 2019. Supreme, Metallic Bronze SP8230F Charcoal Basket Splitter Tel Tru thermometer SS Grate Grabbers w/ Teak Must setup professional movers.

Okay, here's the story of an epic fail. I think I have figured it out. But let me tell you what happened, in chronological order, first. First, I prepared a beautiful brisket last night, trimmed it and treated with Maldon salt and coarse ground pepper (photo).. The plan was: put the brisket on the KK around midnight, cook it a little low (245) till 8AM, then get up, check the internal temp, spritz it, turn the heat up to 265 or so, get through the stall, wrap, raise the heat to 285, and finish around 2-3PM or so. That was the plan.... So I had used the BBQ Guru the day before to cook some near-perfect ribs, and everything worked fine. I was controlling the Guru from my Iphone. I took the brisket out 3 hours early to get it closer to room temperature, put it on at 12, went to bed. Woke up at 4AM and checked on the Guru on my phone, still showing 244*. Got up at 8, ambled on downstairs and went out with my Thermapen and spritzer bottle while the Jura espresso maker did its thing. Got out to the KK and it's thermometer is showing 350*....URK! I look at my phone: 244*. What's going on? I open the KK and see this (photo): brisket crisp. Pretty clearly, at some point in the night, the Guru elevated things to 350*, even though my phone app is still showing 244*. Pretty clearly, the app on my phone was frozen, the damage had been done and could not be undone. I uninstalled and reinstalled the app. Phone app would not connect to Guru despite being right next to it. So I went and got my Ipad, and opened the app on it, and it was showing the true temp- around 350*. So here's my diagnosis: when I booted up the Ipad last night to read before turning out the night, the Ipad took over the Guru, and it was left on it's last setting, probably 350*. So from now on I am taking the app off my phone and controlling the Guru just from my Ipad. I am sorry, Mrs. Cow, that your brisket was all for naught. Maybe I can salvage enough to make brisket hash, but dinner for our combined family of seven for tonight is off. Lessons learned....

Work sadly!!!

I think there is. That or I'm pregnant. I'm up for a road trip but not advised at the moment. I don't think we can even enter Tier 4.