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Pizza in the setting sun.

It was clean out the fridge time, cooked some pasta and dumped in what ever I saw, a little grilled cabbage, some pulled beef roast, previously smoked Havarti cheese, onion, olives, part of a can of enchilada sauce, mushrooms, more cheese, that's all I can remember now, put it in the Vermicular and let it settle in for a while. I was just hoping that I'd be able to eat it but low and behold it was very tasty, loved it. Had some leftover pastry and rhubarb filling so made another small galette. It's mine all mine.

I was really pleased. They are not cheap- the three racks in the photo were probably $90 at the butcher's (Oliver's, a local treasure in Denver on 6th Ave)- but the results were worth it. My three grandchildren ages 13 (twins) and 10, thought they were so good that they came over after dinner last night to tell us how much they liked them and visit with us for a bit. Always a treat..... As an aside, we used some of the leftover scraps of beef ribs and some leftover week-old pork ribs , chopped up, added to a couple of cans of high quality black beans, and served over rice. It was magnificent...... Recipe: Take leftover smoked meat...could be any kind- pork, beef, lamb, chicken... Saute' 1/2 chopped large onion, several pods of garlic (use your own discretion....) until translucent. Add two (12oz) cans high quality black beans Add any scraps of smoked meat you have left around Add one 12 oz can chopped tomatoes Warm over low heat for about two hours Remove from heat and season ....seasoning could include cumin, fresh lime juice, cayenne pepper, etc. Serve over good rice (Zataraine's for me) and season with some hot sauce (Crystal, Louisiana or Texas Pete's or whatever is your favorite. ) Get ready for some really good eating, costing almost nothing.

Second one - Chicken, bacon, artichoke with a white sauce and spinach. and Third was more traditional.

Cooked a bunch of chicken breasts for food for the next few days. Every time I make chicken breast on my KK my wife comments about how juicy it is. Indirect with mesquite wood then finished last few minutes over direct heat used the chicken for the summer Salad tonight with arugula, strawberries, candied walnuts, Parmesan cheese and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. And just for @tony b I took a photo of my wife and my favorite white wine from Trader Joe’s which pairs perfect with this dish took a couple KK cooked breasts and used them in a Mac n cheese with green peas that will be my kids dinner the next few days as well

Thought I would try out the recipie from weber .https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.weber.com/AU/en/recipes/veggies/whole-roast-pumpkin-soup/weber-198773.html&ved=2ahUKEwif9vHS94XqAhXZwjgGHWxwBCUQFjAAegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw2eaE6IxjMU2n9MEOl_TMeO. Cut a hole in the lid and scraped out the seeds. .mixed up some cloves cinnamon nutmeg and purple crack..in goes the onion and garlic..evoo and spices all mixed up..I stuffed up the lid but improvised. .Ready to go .. On it goes for 2 hours.. Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

@tekobo Here is the recipe I’ve been using for the marinade (I found it on Pinterest) https://www.unicornsinthekitchen.com/homemade-chicken-shawarma-recipe/ Definitely don’t over marinate the chicken After cooking it twice I definitely would do the following 1. Definitely try to thread the chicken over the main spit and pull it over the forks to try to create an even meat stack 2. get a foil tray or something you can place as an indirect heat shield but also something that can catch the meat. 3. Slice it as it gets done and let it crisp up a bit 4. Mediterranean salad is really nice with it https://www.wellplated.com/mediterranean-chickpea-salad/ 5. toast some pita bread 6. I like more garlic in my Tadziki than this recipe but it works https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/easy-tzatziki-recipe-1924366.amp its really fairly easy (&cheap) to make and it’s going to be a staple I my home especially during summer. good luck!

Fried up some bread and bacon .....and plated with some thick cream .Yum.. Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

As a contrarian on the grate grabber issue, I use mine a lot. I also use gloves but sometimes the grate handles are too close to the interior wall of my 23 to get a good grasp on it, particularly with precious meat on the grate. As an esthetic piece of gear, the grate grabbers are quite fetching as well.

Does that answer your question?? I did initially sear it off in a cast iron skillet before putting it on the KK to roast.

While I saw the Sauv Blanc (which I've tried btw), missed the wife in the photo?? Unless you were referring to the KK as your "wife."

Kind of a riff on red beans and rice (my wife is from Louisiana and we lived there for about 15 years), substituting black beans for red and leftover barbecue for sausage. It doesn't have to be expensive to be really good eating.

Comes with a nice steamer top. Not sure when it'll get its maiden voyage. Going away this weekend so it might have to wait for the following weekend. Yea I'm a sucker for ceramic pans

Brisket-on-stick......we had a pretty fabulous dinner last night. My daughter and her family will get the bigger rack for dinner tonight.

She wouldn’t be happy with me posting pictures of her on the internet she already thinks I’m strange posting so much food pics

This was a 4.5 lb, 2-bone roast. Dry aged in the fridge for 2 days, rubbed with my own spin on the Coffee Cardamom rub (Dizzy Pig Red Eye & Raising the Steaks, with ground black cardamom, and espresso powder added) and marinated overnight. I've also done them with a more traditional rub - ground coriander seeds, celery seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, white pepper and fresh cracked black pepper.

Oh man, does it ever. That looks fantastic. Any tips or particular recipe you like?

OK, in all honesty, there is ONE KK cook where a water pan is a good idea - baking bread. I'm not a big bread baker, so I almost forgot that those on here who are awesome bakers use a very hot cast iron pan, full of chain links, and at the beginning of their bake, toss water into the pan to create a steam bath, trying to simulate commercial bread ovens. But, for any meat cook - NEVER!

I have never in my life wanted to try pumpkin soup...until just now. Looks fantastic, Aussie.

Thank you for this detailed description @Troble. I am all set, ready to do a copy cat cook tonight. I have 16 boneless thighs marinading in the fridge. Any tips about packing them onto to rotisserie rod? Do you thread each thigh on whole? My mouth is watering already!

I was using the stone. Mostly used my steel in the kitchen oven. I have not used the steel with the db pan in the KK, yet.

Getting there. Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

Nice job on that pizza.

Burgers for breakfast? Why not!

When it's in the "2nd position" can you wiggle the handle of the KK at all? If it doesn't move, you're OK. I'd watch it going forward, as you might need to do an adjustment on it. It's very simple, but the one thing to understand, you ONLY adjust the bottom piece. Even though the handle piece has bolts on it, it's actually welded in place and not adjustable. To do the adjustment, you just loosen the 2 nuts on each side, gently tap down on the catch with a piece of wood (need to be careful that you don't crack a tile with something more robust like a hammer), re-tighten the 2 bolts and check it for tightness. The assemble doesn't move much, only a few mm. If you get it too tight, so it's really hard to latch into the 2nd position, loosen the nuts and tap upwards just a hair, then re-tighten. (Rinse, repeat!)

I use mine as a heat deflector under the main grate when doing a pizza that is on the upper grate, it allows the topping to cook more without burning the bottom crust and I also use it to collect the drippings when roasting a chicken.

I am a lover of Prime Rib, and want to try doing one in a few weeks on the 23. However I did not purchase the Roti setup. Has anyone done a Prime Rib without a Roti, and if so, how did it go? Any pointers? Is it even possible to do and have it turn out well? Thanks!

Yes, these were Costco "organic" black beans....I hadn't thought of using rum, but that would give it an interesting sweet/umami substrate. Contrast well with smoky and hot flavors from the barbecue. Great idea, thanks! Maybe I get it from my years growing up in Miami, and all the Cuban guys in my seminary class, but I've always thought black beans had a great flavor.

While I think it would be great on the rotisserie, I've never done it that way. A good sear and cooked to your level of doneness can be accomplished without it.

That's straight up Cuban cooking there - Moros y Cristianos (Moors & Christians). As you said - cheap, easy, and really good! I buy cans of black beans at CostCo by the case. If I'm being lazy, buy a bag of Vigo - even easier and almost as good. I like to do a "drunken" version, toss some rum in with the beans (light or dark, both work) https://vigofoods.com/catalog/product/2099/vigo-black-beans-rice My local supermarket carries their stuff. I try and keep a bag in the pantry for "emergencies!"

NEVER! The only time it makes sense to me is if you're trying to catch the drippings for gravy and don't want them to burn. That was the genesis of the double-bottom drip pan - to preclude the need for water to prevent burning the yummy drippings for the gravy (primarily a Turkey Day thing for me.)

As a counter contrarian (), I've always wondered how stable it is picking up grates like that if there's food on them. Gotta pick the right lift points or your center of balance is off and you could lose "precious meat" if it tips on you. Also, there's a chance that if it tips away from you, that you could burn your forearms on the hot grate, as I don't see how you can use the grabbers with thick insulated gloves on?? To solve your stated problem, if you're using the main grate, flip up the front piece and slide your gloves underneath to pick the grate up that way rather than by the handles. Never had a problem lifting a grate that way. Similarly for the lower grate, just use the opening at the front to slide your gloved hands in to lift.

Should be tasty, Aussie.

Wingman most say the water pan is not required for KK cooking due to low air flow required to hold its temperature- once heated up. However, I have a limited understanding of wet bulb temperatures and have no doubt that a humid cooking environment produces a juicier cook. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you use a steel or stone when making pizza? I was thinking I should use the pan as a deflector when using the steel, but not the stone? I haven’t received my steel yet as they’re on back order.

This has inspired me to use mine in this manner as well as a water pan during brisket and pork shoulder cooks. It really is the perfect heat deflector as it’s shape matches the KK so well. Do you all use water pans during long cooks? I did during my first brisket on the KK and water was literally dripping from the top cap. It was crazy. I don’t know how necessary it was on a KK, but I figured it couldn’t hurt.

@tony b Thanks for the tip on the PBW, I'll definitely look into that if the dishwasher doesn't cut it! @Basher Wow, what an amazing set up you've got there. Looks like the ultimate party yard, and with room for social distancing too. I'll need to find a mascot theme for my hooks!

Thanks for those details, I've noticed those SS plugs as well. I was wondering if my 32 will have those newer features on them. The pictures from the website when I purchased didn't show either the cold smoke port or the SS plugs so I'm hoping they're both included. We'll find out soon I guess.

Certainly looks tasty.

Hey there Paul. Great to hear that someone else uses these cuts for burgers. What proportion of each do you use and how much fat do you cut out? I left most of the fat from the short ribs and brisket in and kept the chuck as lean as possible. It becomes a two person job when you make a burger this way - one to stuff the meat in at the top and the other to catch and lay out the strands on the clingfilm. So....this morning I decided to have a burger for breakfast. I bought slider size brioche buns and blue cheese slices from my local supermarket. I was a bit apprehensive when I sliced a couple of burgers off the roll. They looked more like a pork sausage than anything else. Sorry, no photos, I was too busy being worried/disgusted at that stage. Fried in a pan with no added fat, heated the buns, added fresh shallots on the bottom and melted cheese and hot sauce on top and ate them. Wow. I think it was worth the effort so far. Soft and juicy burger. None of the resistance you might normally get when you come to tug your mouthful of burger away from the rest of the burger but still a good chew in the mouth i.e. not pappy and soft. I now realise that this isn't Heston's perfect burger. It's my burger to play with. I think the brioche slider that I chose is a bit sweet for me and also I want to find out how the burgers taste when cooked over charcoal. I do like the slider size. You can eat a good, thick burger without all the extra stodge/carb from a bigger burger bun. I might also go for more chuck ground with the 8mm plate next time, to get a little more chew. Lots to try but I would definitely recommend these cuts of meat and this method of grinding and assembling your patty.

Some more ribs .. Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

Well that's always good.

I used my grate grabbers to take the top grate off so I could remove the drip pan and finish my ribs right over the fire. Worked great, glad I have them.

I use it. Load it with root vegetables and 1/2 inch of water with a few herbs and spices under your roti cooks and low n slow. The veges rock and with watered cooks it’s an easy clean. I’ve tried this once with an oil base under a roti cook and it was too hot. Over did the veges. As expected, the engineering of this double pan is excellent and unique. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm like Pequod, rarely use mine. Almost regret buying it for as little as I use it - once a year for the Turkey Day meal to catch the yummy drippings for the gravy. Money could have gone to other toys. Some folks like to use it on their pizza cooks. Haven't tried that yet. Maybe it will cause me to change my opinion (and it's just that) on the usefulness of the double lined drip pan. YMMV

I think it may be my biggest regret that I didn't get one with my 23 (other than not getting a 32 of course). Having one the shape of the KK would be very beneficial for a lot of different applications, so I'll probably end up getting one sooner rather than later.

I understand Eucalyptus working as charcoal but as a smoking wood I'd be concerned that the high oil content would impart off flavors. Eucalyptus oil of course is very aromatic but not the type of flavor profile I would want to eat.. Super dense woods like Gidgee are extremely slow growing.. which means they should probably be conserved not cut down for charcoal. Why cut down a tree that is hundreds or possibly thousands of years old for charcoal? Just my 2 cents.. as someone who has guilt issues over all the trees I've milled over the last 30 years.