CeramicChef

I"m beginning to think my motto should be "First one's free, the next ones cost you!"

Wilbur - Buddy, you're too much! The mild Oklahoma Zephyrs completely died down overnight; remember your Venturi Effect? And as for that Akorn crack, geez, you REALLY know how to hurt a guy! That was a low blow. You ain't even playing by the Marquis of Queensbury rules!

So I have new neighbors that moved into the house just east of me. Unpacking is such a pain in the gluteus maximus, Been there and done that. So Pat and her husband Kerwin are directing the unpacking of the moving van and we get to know each other. Lovely couple who are 75 and 79 respectively. I ask if they like BBQ and Kerwin looks at me as if I've lost my mind! He says "Young man, what part of YES, HE!! YES don't you understand!" I know immediately I'm gonna like these folks! So I tell Pat and Kerwin I'm fixing them a pulled pork dinner with all the fixin's. After protesting I tell them I'm bigger than both of them and I don't want to hear any more about it. So I buy a couple of butts and and rub 'em up with olive oil and my Embarrassed Zebra rub and stow 'em in the refrigerator over night for 24 hours. I pull the butts about 6 pm and rub 'em up again and back into the cooler. I fire up TheBeast about 8:00 pm and heat soak him at 225F until 10 pm when the butts go on the grill. We're using apple chunks for our smoke component. Here are the butts just on the main grate. So I shut the lid and it's off to bed. I told TheBeast this was for our new neighbors and to behave himself over night. No shenanigans whatsoever! So I wake up the next morning and this is what greets my eyes ... Here's how my neighbor's butts look about half way through the cook ... So it seems that TheBeast and his guests of honor are playing nice together! Flash forward to about 5:00 pm and I check my neighbor's butts again. Probed like soft butt and the ThermaPen showed and IT of 200F for off the butts came! Here's a pic of one of the butts right before wrapping and being stuck in the cooler for about an hour. At 6:00 pm I started pulling the pork and here is a pic of what went next door. I don't have any pics of the plated sammies, cole slaw, and homemade chips, but let's just say Pat came over about 7:30 pm and told me Kerwin was on his 3rd helping of everything! BINGO! As an aside, Kerwin came over the next day to get a proper introduction to TheBeast. I showed him TheBeast and he started asking questions. Kerwin WAS thinking of buying a BGE but has changed his mind. His family is eaten up with BGEs. Pat told me he's spent the last 2 days reading the Komodo Kamado website and has decided he's going to can his BGE purchase and go with a KK 23" Ultimate! Y'all have the very Merriest and most Blessed of Christmases!

Parrot - now that's what we're talking about! I don't care where you're from, that pig candy is some kind of tasty looking! Thanks Parrot! I'd love to see the recipe you've created. Do you think the bacon needs more salt? I'm not trying to find fault in any way, but more salt on bacon? Thanks in advance for the recipe post! Merry Xmas to you and all my fellow KKers!

Eggary - I've always found spatching a bird accelerates the time it takes the bird to cook. In my experience, spatching a bird cuts the cook time by 1/3 to 1/2 from what the whole bird takes. This is especially true if you use no heat deflector.

Howdy again KK Cookers! Well, it's a cold rain dropping out of the skies here in OKC. We'll take rain anytime we can get it, but does it have to be so COLD? I went out to greet TheBeast and fire up some lump when I was greeted by the following sight: And here is an oblique view: Talk about waterproof! I don't know what the canvas that comprises TheBeast's Tux is treated with, but I've never see water proofing like this. Makes water look like diamonds! So why am I dragging TheBeast out in the rain? I have some new neighbors, Kerwin and wife Pat who moved in next door. They're still living out of boxes and I told them that dinner tomorrow evening ow be on me. The menu is pulled pork sammies, vinegar based cole slaw for BBQ Reubens, Lays potato chips, and a cherry pie for desert. So, TheBeast has to earn his keep! Additionally, I'm having the whole famn damily over tomorrow evening. MY youngest brother tried his best to amputate his Bird Finger's last joint last Friday. It caught in a chipper-shredder. Don't ask. Anyway, he had surgery yesterday to insert pins and try and save the finger. The Doctor is cautiously optimistic. So my sister flew in from Colorado Springs. A brother drove in from Tulsa. So we're getting together for the same menu as my neighbor, by special request of another one of my brothers. So, the house if full! And we'll be full tomorrow evening! I'll keep y'all posted. Stay dry and stay warm!

You're welcome. Smaug is much more famous than we thought!

Wilbur - did you see the comic "Wizard of Id" today? Your KK is famous! If you don't get the comic strip in your local paper, let me know and I'll send you a pic!

LOL!! tony, as usual, you leave me chuckling! THANKS!

Well, TheBeast finally got his own formal wear and he couldn't be happier! Made by Sunbrella, the workmanship of this cover beats anything I've ever seen on any kind of patio get. Heavy duty treated canvas, all seams are incredibly well sewn. The cover is designed to fit like a glove and it does. And like everything KK, this manufacturer has passed muster with Dennis Linkletter. It's also passed muster with all kinds of KK Owners. All I did was hop on the train as it passed by. Of course, the color is black! After all, this is formal wear for TheBeast!

Hey Wilbur - its a good thing you went to med school! I guess that's where you learned the art of successfully extracting your thumb from the eye of those who piss you off, huh!? Nicely done!

Wilbur - you ROCK Buddy! I haven't had as big a chuckle since your last note! LOL! And here I thought this was going to be just another Wilbur-Smaug successful collaboration! Silly me! You never cease to amaze me. Oh, very nice bird too!

Eggary - I've cooked a lot of big birds and never heard that I should be concerned. I generally smoke spatchcocked fowl at 225°-250° and never worry about it one bit. The danger zone is between 40°-140°. You're well above those temps so I don't think you have all that much to worry about. Remember, we smoke all manner of protein and we generally don't worry. I've found that spatched birds cook in about 2/3rds the time that whole carcasses do. At a temp of 225°-250° I would think that this bird ought to be done in something like 5 hours at the most. Give yourself an extra hour just in case. You can always wrap and cooler if it gets done earlier. Save a milk jug to fill with hot water and add to the cooler if things get done earlier. All the best to you for a great Hanukkah party! Happy Hanukkah to you and your entire family!

Parrot - sounds like a plan on that brisket. If your wife likes it, what else matters? I always hated living out of a suitcase. Nothing like your own bed.

Parrot - thanks for the pointer. I do appreciate it. You're Aces!

A BIG Oklahoma Howdy to ya, Dennis!I actually did the smoke phase at about 250°F and it was direct. The fire was on one side of TheBeast and the Starks on the other side. No need for a heat deflector as TheBeast really is big enough so that I didn't need one. As for the 30 minute flip, I didn't do a flip at all. I got caught up in a business call and it never crossed my mind! I will say that the color on both sides was almost identical. No harm, no foul! And you are correct, I did the entire cook on the main. Dennis, I can't get over how temps just rocket up when you open the vents wide open! Talk about responsive .... TheBeast took off like a rocket. I just put both steaks right over the hottest part of the fire in the belly of TheBeast. A couple of minutes later and turn. Turn again 2 minutes later. It was as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. Rest for a few minutes after you pull and there it is! Tasty!

Nah, I'm the old guy who sits next to TheBeast and has the cooler full of beer next to my chaise lounge on the patio!

tony - don't be impressed ... all ya gotta do is live long enough! I used to be the whiz kid in the room ... Now I'm just one of the old farts who doesn't get it that the Whiz Kids grumble about! LOL!

C'mon man! Count Floyd! SCTV.

Wilbur - again, killer kook on Smaug! You know, for a guy who is supposedly learning the art of kamado kooking, you sure know how to hit the pill outta the park! Nicely done! Oh, and BTW, if the only flaw SWMBOI has is liking her steak a little more done than is optimal, you've got the winning ticket!

tony - something tells me you're about a bubble off plumb! LOL! You, like Wilbur, need professional help!

If I remember my anatomy correctly, aren't BREASTS located between the two armpits!?

Medik - Thanks for the feedback on the steaks. SWMBOI - She Who MUST Be Obeyed IMMEDIATELY ... Now I'm not married, but think Happy Wife, Happy Life! Took me 2 divorces and millions in parting gifts to figure that out!

Thanks, tony. I've always said, If you can't have fun doing what you're doing, quit doing it and find something fun to do! Has always worked for me! As for the Wild Hare, numerous doses of Wild Hare seem to be doing the trick. Either that or I'm so smack-eyed I can't feel any pain. Either way, I'm doing the Spunky Monkey Dance!

Davey - thanks for the compliment. I appreciate it greatly.