jdbower

Re: What a drag.... That stinks! I've had strong wind across the slightly open top damper (curse you, Bernoulli!) cause the temperature to rise a bit but never enough to kill a cook. Not a problem for me, I just keep an eye on StokerLog from the warmth of my house

My previous recipe seems not do have done so well compared to my memory, so I found this recipe which produces a very thin crust: 1 1/2 cups warm water 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoons olive oil 2 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar 2 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon yeast In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and salt in water. Add oil and flour and mix for 1 minute. Sprinkle yeast over dough and knead for 10 minutes (I use a stand mixer). Divide dough into 4-6 pieces depending on the size of the pizza you want. Roll each portion into a ball. Refrigerate any unneeded balls and cover the rest for 1-2 hours at room temperature. Flatten into as thin a crust as you can, continue stretching by hand until 12-15" or so in diameter. Prepare the pizza on a peel (I use a SuperPeel so I don't bother with cornmeal). Use a modicum of sauce and be generous with the cheese. Please, traditional toppings only - real NY-style pizza doesn't get sushi and organic tofu. Bake at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until crust is golden and cheese is browned.

I used to use a balled up bit of aluminum foil as a plug. You can also just use the blower itself - Stoker blowers have a flap that prevents a lot of airflow when the blower is off. I now use a large silicone stopper, but there's a custom one from BBQ Guru that will fit the newer models if you've got the Guru-sized adapter.

As far as I know they're still around: http://www.ezqueinc.com/ They've been chronically short on the 8" cradle, but it has been available from Viking (same cradle, Viking resells them). There are rumors that Viking is ending the relationship, which may not be bad news as it may mean that EZ-Que will be able to get the 8" models in stock again.

I'm a bit concerned about that "needle-like tip" - are you talking about a small propane canister that you can hold in your hand? If so I'm guessing that you may be in a bit of trouble if you use it directly. You should be using a 20lb canister (like for a full-sized gas grill) with a standard low pressure regulator and that should fit without any adapters. If you're using one of the small tanks like for a propane torch you may not have any regulation at all and end up sending way too much propane through the burner. Note that some propane starters shipped with an awkward mount, if you have any troubles with it try to post some pics and we'll see if we can identify it.

Interesting juxtaposition here. I have to ask, is your wife covered?

I cover mine, but it has been known to snow up here in MA from time to time. In any snowy climate I like not having to clean it off to figure out where the damper is. In a rainy climate I'd rather have an extra layer of dryness just in case I leave something open. In a hot and dry climate I don't know that I'd bother, but cleaning bird droppings off the KK isn't any fun either...

I was in the mood for some arrabiata sauce like I had in Switzerland ages ago, the problem is it had chunks of thick bacon that I've been having a hard time replicating with the thin cut stuff they like to sell here. I tried a basic sauce (tomato sauce, tomato paste, a bit of crushed red pepper, some salt and some sugar) and, lacking bacon, I figured I'd toss in a handful of pulled pork from last weekend's cook with just a hint of liquid smoke (yes, I felt dirty buying it!). Not quite the same thing, but delicious none-the-less!

Re: Southern California Chriss Lilly Alert I like my steak rare, but not THAT rare!

Sorry, no picture can do it justice, but notice anything about this Tweet from last night's cook? Took a while to get up to speed when I started with 14F air blowing in (I had to add a few chunks of lump to the extruded). I wasn't using the small cooker so I usually put the pit probe at 10 degrees to "turn off" the fan. Luckily I reduced that to 1 since it got down to 8 inside my cabinet (I shudder to think what it was outside), I may need to go negative soon.

I couldn't tell you because I always just fill up the basket, but I can go for well over 24 hours on a single basket of KKEC with plenty left over. Even with regular lump you should be able to go far beyond 16 hours on a single basket - the KK is extremely efficient that way.

I think the only thing wrong is pulling it out too soon. 6 hours in the world of BBQ is fast food, I usually let my loins go overnight (hmmm, that could be taken out of context...) and because of their shape they cook faster than a more round shoulder would. I'd recommend cooking by internal temperature while you get used to the way the KK cooks. Some prefer to cook by texture (when it falls apart with a fork or a touch method for steak, for example), but I wouldn't recommend cooking by time. For pulled pork try for 195-205F internal temperatures.

Anyone else playing around with Google Wave? There are a few guides and out there if you don't know what it is. It's a little basic right now, but they're starting to add a few neat features. One of the interesting features is the inclusion of a "public" phantom user, essentially like writing an email to everyone. For those who've got Wave accounts, try searching for with:public "komodo kamado" For those without accounts, they just handed out a slew of invites and I'd be happy to give one away. Just PM me with your email address and I can shoot one out to you. Although applying for the Beta only took two days for them to approve me.

They've also got some posts there about replacing it with a metal colander and having good results. There are also some hints about some Weber parts that are good fits, but I can't remember the details (luckily, I have no need for these fixes myself )

Believe it or not, cheesecake does very well in the KK. I use KKEC and no added smoke, that's all that you'll probably need since it will really soak up whatever's in there. My latest attempt was directly after a pork loin smoke so there may have been a few volatiles left from the mesquite/Jack Daniels I used. The pork was at 220, but I boosted the temp up to 350 for the cheesecake. The trick to cheesecake is even temperatures so let it heat soak a bit at the new temps, cook it indirect, and then there's a little extra trick I use. Put a clean dishcloth into a roasting pan or, as I did, a skillet. Put the springform on the cloth and fill the pan with hot water about halfway up the side of the springform. This was my second attempt, it was a bit smokier than the first (which was a standalone and didn't have the mesquite/JD remnants) but it's more of a lovely smell than a true flavor. It adds a hint of a spicy note to the cheesecake, you'd probably guess it was a dash of cinnamon. Very tasty and a big hit at Thanksgiving. This pic was actually from the first attempt, the foil is to get it off the springform a bit more easily. Once again proving that if it can be done in an oven it can be done in a KK better!

You're a brave man, I haven't been willing to tote my creations around - too worried they'll dry out or the skin will get soggy in transit I guess. As an interesting experiment, you can try LarryR's Roadside Chicken recipe on turkey as well. I do it indirect and it adds a nice flavor, but perhaps not a very Thanksgiving-y one

I'm (un)lucky enough to be the odd man out - I always need to travel for family holidays since I live the furthest away (especially now that I'm in MA). This year's a little different so I'm staying here, but I'm bringing some food for my brother-in-law and his family/friends. I'll be cooking a cheesecake on the KK shortly and I'll be making some sourdough bread, rye rolls, and some Zuppa Tuscana to bring with on Thursday morning. I haven't decided on oven vs. KK for the bread yet, the cheesecake is a no brainer since I just pulled off some pork and it's still warm.

First, congrats on getting ready for your first cook! Personally I find it hard to screw anything up with the KK - and I've tried! I like using my Stoker to control the fire but I'm a gadget guy (nothing beats remote desktoping in from my BlackBerry at work to check on the temperatures!). When I first started with the KK I did the manual draft control thing and it's very stable. Always aim for a little lower than what you're setting (it's easier to get it hotter than to cool it down) and after an hour or two you may need to adjust things once it's heat soaked. There is something to be said for making something you're already familiar with so you can compare results, but I think your brisket will be fine. As for the routine mopping, it depends on what I'm going for. Most meats I'd rather brine and dry rub and leave it sit in the cooker untouched. But LarryR has a Roadside Chicken recipe where I marinade frequently, it adds to the flavor a lot but the frequent openings can make the fire a bit more difficult to control and negates a lot of the moisture retention the KK does very well. Still, it comes out great and is worth the effort. I tend to follow a recipe pretty exactly the first time around and then modify after the fact based on the results. The frequent bastings could bring out some curry-like flavors and textures if done in one way, or could create layers of caramelized flavor in another. Or they could simply be a crutch for the Weber-toting masses who would otherwise end up with a dried out lump of cow and not needed for we KKers.

I'll send my reply to your dedicated thread which should get more attention.

I've got one Italian left and I'll have two Austrian by the week's end. I keep them in 1 quart mason jars with the lid on upside down and lightly tightened. I'm a tad concerned about cross-contamination in the fridge, but that's half the fun I suppose.

I know I've been away for a while, but hopefully I'll be able to weasel my way back. It's nice to see the forums still humming away! I've got a new job (with a new commute into Cambridge - working from home is much better for hanging out on the forums!). I've also been expanding my cooking habits a bit more (details and pics to follow). Cast iron skillets are fantastic multi-purpose things that work just as well in the oven as on the stove. I've also got a more reasonably sized carbon steel wok for inside use, but it does need a stove upgrade to be really effective. A stainless stockpot since soup is good in the cold weather and a huge pressure cooker to can the garden harvest. And I've hooked my Stoker up to a proofing box where I'm currently activating an Austrian sourdough culture that loves rye flour. Hopefully I'll get the chance to share some pics with you guys soon. This weekend it's back to cooking with fire when I make two small pork loins for pulling, a cheesecake, and then gearing up for some bread and other goodies to bring with me for T-day at my brother-in-law's.