dstr8

Wrapping the ribs increased the meat's moisture and tenderness. But I prefer the bark of not wrapping and more traditional "chew" for the meat texture. If you like tenderness over a drier "chew" then you will like ribs that have been wrapped. My SO preferred the wrapped and I preferred no wrap. I will probably do one of each for the next time I've only done one brisket using the pink paper wrap ala Franklin's. I'll continue to do briskets this way. It resulted in a good bark but increased moisture which for brisket, works for me.

different

sorry for the thread derail ^ a set of sieves, like these, would provide the answer you are looking for regarding what your Pharos is doing ...

Having never mastered the technique of consistently holding the angle freehand ... and not being a young man anymore ... me wonders how long it takes and/or how many knives before core competence is realized (given a decent level of ability for most things hand process including woodworking, basic machining skills, GTAW welding, etc.)?

looks like mucho skill to keep the angle consistent ...

Thanks Jeff! Unfortunately we just don't have any good knife shops here that have offerings I am interested in; maybe an excuse to go see friends over the hill in Sacramento if it ever quits snowing . I did get sucked into the Misen Kickstarter deal and like the knife's geometry; however the steel isn't living up to their hype (nicks very easily at their 30º bevel). But for $65 I knew I could put it in our camping kit if I didn't like it.

I have been vacillating between SG2 and VG10 ... very good arguments/fanboys in each corner. I've had a 10" Masamoto VG10 in my "cart" for awhile, and haven't pulled trigger, based upon the recommendation of a friend and CIA trained chef ... God I'd love to test both out and make up my own mind as that's the only way these things typically get resolved . You'd think with all the other *hit I have it wouldn't be a big deal <roll eyes>.

I've been thinking about 'going Japanese' too ... much better steel than anything I've seen out of Germany. Curious to hear your feedback Charles!

For those that want stainless steel https://smile.amazon.com/Culina-Stainless-Square-Vegetable-Grilling/dp/B00YBF97Z4/ref=sr_1_26?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1485129804&sr=1-26-spons&keywords=stainless+steel+grill+mat&psc=1

Aussie, thanks for posting everything ... looks incredible! Did you put more peach/spice rub on the rack after you removed them from the vac bag?

Yes. But, Dennis' shaped stone is more versatile overall. The stone is superior for baking bread, desserts, soufflés, etc. Whereas IMHO the baking steel is best when you want a very quick transfer of heat to whatever you are cooking (i.e. smash burgers, Neapolitan dough pies, etc.).

For New York, American or Sicilian style dough you can get great results with the stone at 450-550 temps. My comments are/were strictly relative to Neapolitan style dough where higher temps/conductivity are critical for the real deal outcome.

Yes, all of my comments regarding baking pizzas are in reference to all things Neapolitan dough. When oil and/or sugar as well as additional amounts of yeast are added to the dough the baking temp has to come down otherwise you end up with too much carbon

Both stone and baking steel, for Neapolitan dough anyway, get placed on the 'high hat' to get the most from radiant dome heat. Otherwise the crust bakes too fast relative to the top. This is the Baking Steel I am using: https://shop.bakingsteel.com/collections/griddles/products/15-round-griddle Its what they coin as a "Griddle" ... I use the side with the routed moat for smash burgers ...

I have the 3/8" thick Baking Steel and shaped KK baking stone and like them both equally but for different reasons. I'm all about Neapolitan dough; pretty much all I make/have made for years. To get the real deal cornicione, not a reasonable facsimile, using the stone at 750-800F dome produces the best results on a KK. I've done a ton of experiments using the same dough but 50ºF dome temp differences with the shaped stone on the KK from 550 to 900 and it is what it is. OTOH I can get, using the same dough, very very good results at 550-600ºF using the 3/8" Baking Steel. Not quite the same as the stone at 750-800F but close enough to justify the much lower energy requirements, lower heat soak temp and reduced time along with not having the hassle of maintaining 750-800 for more than a couple pies.

Garvin, you are on a tear! Another deelish looking recipe that just got added to "my list". I make something along the same vein for appetizer: Puff pastry, a mix of smoked salmon, cream cheese, chives, ginger, lemon zest, etc. ... a dollop atop a puff pastry square then topped with a slice of raw salmon. Pinch the 4 corners, egg wash & bake.

yeah, hurry up already

I've not heard of using baking powder with salt before ... only baking soda with salt for the cure. Does the acid addition to baking powder help break down the fat/tissue better? Either way I'm curious how both slabs turn out. Beautiful looking pig product BTW!

I had the fortune/misfortune (long story :D) of living in Monterey for almost 2-years. I've lived all my life in 4-season climates and never thought I'd be a coastal lover but oh boy do I hate summer and winter now (back in 4-season Reno) . And miss the Central Coast! But I still love cooking on my KK ... actually much more so in our winter than our hot hot summers!

I love kid goat racks! Unfortunately the USA falls way behind the rest of the world in consuming more goat meat than any other ... hence the lack of availability. After eating a young goat rack the first time ... lamb racks were never the same again.

With you MacKenzie ... and probably like you I determined long ago most recipe writers aren't cooks and most never get tested/made. Ditto for all things cheese next to the dough nonsense.

Jeff: The herb rub/crust is an old standby: Fresh rosemary out of the neighbor's yard, fresh sage & parsley, a ton o'garlic, smoked habanero, S&P and EVO; all pounded into submission via my mortar & pestle. The blackberry & ginger BBQ sauce is from an old Sunset Magazine: All the same suspects including ketchup, brown sugar, maple sugar, honey, black berries and a considerable amount of fresh grated ginger.

I decided to try the pink paper wrap trick 2/3 of the way through the roast/smoke (pecan chips). The baby backs came from Trader Joes where I normally wouldn't buy meat but the last time I made these the pork was super flavorful; luck of the draw. These, however, were very mild without any real "pork" flavor; boring in other words despite the herb crust and pecan smoke. But its all about what they eat and I'm sure whomever raises these for TJ's can't afford anything special on the feed-front. The KK and I did our parts but ... next time I'll return to my favorite and tried & true: Spare ribs. Or hop over the hill to Sacramento and get acorn or pumpkin finished pork.

And the finish line

A couple more steps ...