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Woo hoo! Our Mexican neighbour helped with making the tortillas. I think her expectations were low and this Al Pastor recipe far, far exceeded her and her husband's expectations. Hurrah for @Troble. I made fish tacos to start, followed by Al Pastor and then finished with pineapple and ginger sorbet. I was touched by the fact that she has not been able to get to Mexico for a while (looking after sick old dog) and so was super happy to have the taste of Mexico brought to her. And her husband loved rolling the meat in the fat that accumulated in the bottom of the pan.

Well, please wish me luck. Tomorrow is the day. I am at our place in Italy and I have promised to serve our Mexican neighbour and her Italian husband home made tacos. That involved making the fresh masa at home in England earlier in the week, vacuum packing it and transporting it in the car. I bought some pork shoulder from the market this morning and marinaded it in the bright red marinade for al pastor. I also bought a pineapple and have scoped out some fish to buy tomorrow so we can have some fish tacos for starters. A brave (or foolish) move, trying to cook someone else's native food and telling them that you do it well! I will report back after the event. In the meantime here is a couple of photos of the work in progress.

Sorry for the delay, hope this helps. And you would want to leave some extra room just for wiggling it in place.

Hey all, through an accident- I was stuck on the phone with Directv's so-called "technical assistance" group during the "wrapped" hour and ...mirable dictu- they actually turned out BETTER. So here's the story: Here is how I do it. It is a variation on the classic 2 hours in the open, 1 hour wrapped, 1 hour to finish recipe. *(This is for bablybacks. For St. Louis style ribs, it is 3/2/1.) I start the ribs out by bringing them to room temperature and sprinkling a heavy dusting of Dizzy Pig's* ( https://dizzypigbbq.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoppgD8X3mtmkuOC3NaN79iW5Y4Ntwk2r-eGpBscy4HDy2ZRqFkA) Dizzy Dust on the ribs, and spritz them down with a little water spray to help the rub sink into the meat. I put them in the smoker at 225 for 2 hours. For the wrap, I use aluminum foil, place a couple of bats of butter in each foil package, with brown sugar and again a heavy spiritizing of water or apple juice. They go meat side down in the foil- I find this helps them stay more moist and tender. Then back in the smoker for 1 1/2 hours. Then unwrapped, and finished in the smoker for 30-45 minutes. We prefer to serve our barbecue sauce on the side. BTW, I know there are as many barbecue sauce recipes out there as there televangelists in Texas, but I included mine and some side notes for your reading pleasure. I usually use applewood for smoking pork, sometimes mixed fruitwood, and post oak or hickory or a combination for beef. Since I increased the wrapped time from 60 to 90 minutes, and decreased the finishing time, my ribs are coming out much more juicy, and tender, but still very much done. Of course, I am here in Denver, at 5600 Ft, and our altitude, our humidity, etc, can make a difference.

Those are the fatest ribs I've ever seen!! Must have been the cut right next to the shoulder?!

Now that I’m getting settled and have succumbed into my obsession, here’s a some picks of my cooks. I’m cooking 3-4 times a week and everything has blown me and everyone else away with the outcome. Thanks everyone for your encouragement, advise, and support! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

If you haven't yet seen it, here is video from Dennis comparing the main grate sizes among his KKs: Toward the end of video, you can see the 38" compared to the 42" and he removes the ends and center section of the 38". It doesn't precisely address your question, but may help.

The 38” is still relatively new as far as there’s not been much posted about it. All KK’s are excellent, so there’s no reason to be concerned about any issues. The lids of all KK’s are spring assist, so no difference in felt lifting weight. I also understand that there’s not a lot of weight difference between the 38” and the 42”. My usual thought would be go as big as you care to, not that the 38” isn’t big. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For unusual parts, please get in touch with [email protected] If parts are consumables or can be lost or broken, we stock them. However, many parts are rarely requested, and so they need to be special ordered.

I don't think we have made up the double drip for the 38 and 42 because of concerns about their weight, especially when full of oil.. Let me try to track down my notes. Heat Deflectors While I made them, I haven't personally used a heat deflector in my grills for more than 15 years because they increase airflow. In the world of glazed ceramic pots, big green egg, Kamado Joe, etc., having a plate with thermal mass inside your grill will give additional stability during ambient temperature changes. Because my grill is so well insulated, capturing this heat is unnecessary. I preheat the grill empty and then put a piece of aluminum foil on the lower grate for the area I want indirect, put my drip pan on top of that and use them to create indirect airflow. This will give you better performance/less airflow. From Sygies on my forum: Being one of "those people," I'd like to explain that there's science behind it. All you are trying to accomplish is to block the direct infrared radiation from the hot glowing coals - hence, indirect cooking. A "tissue-thin" foil accomplishes that easily, not because of its mass, but because it's shiny. Just like a mirror reflects visible light, the foil is reflecting the infrared radiation back down and not absorbing it. So, it's not consuming much energy itself (this is where the low mass comes into play), and significantly impacting the overall heat up of the grill. The side benefit is that it also prevents drips from entering the fire. Most of the cooking in the KK is due to convective heat transfer from the hot air flow around the meat. There is some secondary cooking from the radiative heat transfer from the walls/dome, which a heavy slab of similar material underneath the cooking grate will contribute to. But, radiative heat transfer drops off dramatically with distance. (Hence, it is most effective on the upper grate where the food is close to the dome surface.) So, placing the deflector on top of the charcoal basket handles, while allowing the deflector to be closer to the heat source for faster heat up, isn't contributing much if you're cooking on the main grate. Placing the deflector on the lower grate will result in a closer proximity to the food and some increase in effectiveness, but being further away from the heat source, will take longer to heat up - about the same rate as the walls/dome. The small incremental mass of the deflector stone is stealing BTUs of energy from the rest of the grill during heat-up, with little payback in overall cooking efficiency. Unlike the walls/dome, which are contributing to holding the heat inside the KK once at thermal equilibrium, the deflector, being wholly inside the grill isn't helping with that. So, the bottom line is: What does the heavy deflector bring to the table that makes it better than the "tissue-thin" piece of AL foil? https://komodokamadoforum.com/topic/10026-heat-deflectors-in-the-kk/?tab=comments#comment-121321

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Adobada Tacos/Tacos Al Pastor You probably know this dish as Tacos Al Pastor. I call it Adobada Tacos. Who is right? The answer is both of us are. In Mexico, the terms get used differently depending on the region and you will find further discussions about if it’s Al Pastor or Adobada depending on if it’s on the griddle after it’s been cut. The sensible answer to this is that Adobada is the type of sauce or marinade that is commonly found in many Mexican dishes. You will often see dishes served “in adobada sauce”. They call the pork on the spit Tacos Al Pastor. But in Baja California which is close to where I live in San Diego, we call it Tacos Adobada, and that is also fine. For a detailed discussion on this read this article https://frugalcooking.com/is-al-pastor-the-same-as-adobada/ Now for the dish. What exactly is Al Pastor or Adobada tacos? It’s the ultimate fusion food. It’s basically a Mexican version of Middle Easter Shawarma. But the Mexican people adapted it to their region and used their spices and pork instead of chicken. That’s it in a nutshell. For more info about this check out this article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_pastor I live in San Diego, precisely 8 miles North of Tijuana, Mexico where their taquerias are legendary and Adobada/Al Pastor reign. I actually had a business in Tijuana for 2 years and ate at all the best tacos stands in the City and I consider this one of my areas of expertise so it’s always been something I wanted to cook at home, especially now in the Pandemic, when I can’t cross the border to get my taco fix. In previous attempts I have used the rotisserie on my KK to attempt this dish. (seen here https://komodokamadoforum.com/topic/2453-everyday-misc-cooking-photos-w-details/page/296/?tab=comments#comment-127969 I stacked the meat on the spit and then used a foil tray to act as a deflector over the coals. This worked, but it was hard to manage. Hard to cut the meat and eventually the aluminum tray would get super-hot and sometimes end up melting by the end of the cook which isn’t good either. So, enter the Trompo King. I saw this thing on the KK forum and thought that could be a great solution for what I am looking for. The Trompo king allows for vertical stacking of the meat, but more importantly it has a nice collector tray below it where the meat can be shaved and then cooked further which is key to executing this dish. The Trompo King can be found here https://smokeware.com/products/trompo-king Here is the recipe I used as a template for this cook. I think this recipe is pretty damn authentic, although I do think it’s a little heavy on the adobo sauce side and I may try increasing the sugar on subsequent cooks, but it is damn good to start to start with this and season as you see fit. There are a couple of key ingredients you will need to purchase to make this cook happen. I will list them below. 1. Dried Guarillo Peppers – available in any Mexican market but also on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Guajillo-Chiles-Peppers-Dried-Whole/dp/B087XBKNB7/ref=sr_1_16?dchild=1&keywords=guajillo+peppers+dried+el+guapo&qid=1609555947&refinements=p_72%3A1248897011&rnid=1248895011&s=grocery&sr=1-16 2. Dried Chipotle Pepper available at any Mexican market but also on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Dried-Chipotle-Morita-Chile-Peppers/dp/B0821P2R3G/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=dried+chipotle+peppers&qid=1609556057&refinements=p_72%3A1248897011&rnid=1248895011&s=grocery&sr=1-5 3. Achioete Paste - https://www.amazon.com/El-Yucateco-Achiote-Red-Paste/dp/B0000GHNVI/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-nc-drs2_0?crid=3HZWBZNRY04XJ&cv_ct_cx=achiote+paste&dchild=1&keywords=achiote+paste&pd_rd_i=B0000GHNVI&pd_rd_r=a9ce6812-13a3-475f-9a3d-5cda389c772e&pd_rd_w=Dd06o&pd_rd_wg=3VpEl&pf_rd_p=a64002b9-9c26-4361-b8a1-b0f5a4835670&pf_rd_r=5AJEBBH4CTYWAQ63MXRR&psc=1&qid=1609556116&s=grocery&sprefix=achio%2Cgrocery%2C231&sr=1-2-38d0a374-3318-4625-ad92-b6761a63ecf6 The rest of the ingredients calls for Mexican oregano, Mexican cumin, Mexican Thyme, and Mexican brown sugar. You can use what you have in your pantry but if you plan to make this dish often there are subtle flavor differences using the Mexican herbs and sugar you can also find those on Amazon. When prepping the adobo sauce, I like to use my KK and cast-iron pan so it has more of that “smokey flavor” I generally cook something else the day before on my KK then make the adobo sauce while my KK is still going and prepare the marinade and meat for the next day. When prepping the pork butt, it helps to freeze it for 4-5 hours so you can make nice cuts prior to marinating. When you are prepping to cut the pork butt, trim off the fat cap, also make cuts that would look like they would fit well on the skewer. You want about ½ thick cuts. Take each cut and lather it in marinade and then refrigerate overnight. I like to use pineapple juice and orange juice in my marinade, but that’s up to you. The other recommendation I have for executing this dish is to make sure that as you slice off the outside layer of meat, spray the spit and meat on the tray with pineapple juice. it helps to caramelize it all. I cooked the meat at 375 and it took me about 3 hours to do a 7 lb. pork butt. In previous attempts on the spit, I’ve done it at 450 and it cooked faster, but in this last attempt I liked the cadence of slicing every 20 minutes as I could let the meat cook on the tray below and prep some condiments. The condiments to this dish make it all come together. It’s essential that you use you the following 1. Raw onion 2. Sliced radishes 3. Fresh cilantro 4. Pineapple chunks I like to make a creamy salsa verde but that’s also up to you. If you are so inclined one could use this recipe https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/tomatillo_salsa_verde/ (although I do add a 1/2 cup of Mexican Crema to this recipe because I like it creamy) Lastly, the final key is to serve this dish on a lightly toasted flour taco sized tortilla. This isn’t a burrito, find and source some small taco sized tortilla. The tortilla is really a key ingredient here and it’s easy to gloss over it. I don’t make my own because I live in San Diego and can go to a stand and pick up a fresh pack super easily, but if you live in another country or a place where getting fresh tortillas isn’t an option have you no fear. It’s upper easy to make and it’s a great skill to teach your kids to do for you while you cook. Here is a recipe to make fresh tortillas https://thecafesucrefarine.com/best-ever-homemade-flour-tortillas/ if you are so inclined you can get a tortilla press to make it even easier If you’ve never had a fresh tortilla, I encourage you to try to once and see what you think. It makes a world of a difference in the end product. https://www.amazon.com/Estrella-Tortilla-Pataconera-Original-MEXICO/dp/B01LRDID2A/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=tortilla+press&qid=1609557105&refinements=p_72%3A1248915011&rnid=1248913011&s=home-garden&sr=1-7 Here are some photos of the latest cook using the Trompo King. If you have any questions on this cook please reach out, I’d be happy to help but it’s an amazing dish to cook for your friends.

Great job, @tekobo! Extra difficulty points awarded for getting it to come together on the 16!

You da MAN, C6Bill. Many thanks from SoCal!!!

🤞

Good luck! I'm sure it will all turn out great!

Loving this thing, just delivered on Monday! Cobalt blue pebble is stunningly beautiful.

Never left my hand Jonj, when I swigged my beer or visiting the restroom.

Following up on my curiousity deal to David Chang I made approx 5lbs of Boerewors with a 50/50 blend of pork and beef. The ingredients were a bit different from a conventional sausage, this one had some unusual additions as worstershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, cloves, corriander & nutmeg, to name a few giving the sausage a unique tangy flavor, but in a good way with a desire to keep reaching for another slice. I did toss in some red pepper, half a Jalepeno and parsley all for color, and almost tossed some in red pepper flakes, had the jar in my hand, but figured straying to far from an original recipe might not be a good thing, besides the wife complains if it's too hot. The meat was prepared on my offset running 200-225 for 2 1/2 hrs to 160 internal using cherry and oak. I know the traditional way is over an open fire, however this method always turns out a nice product and for a few hours I get to feed and work a fire, now that's entertainment.

My first go at this one with a ‘boys night’ at my place. So so good- perhaps the best KK cook ever. Thanks @Troble for posting the amazing recipe and tips. A real winner. IMG_7767.MOV