ChefJeff

I don't post much anymore, but I gotta ask, is it just me or is listening to John S's slow talking painful? Can't remember ever watching anybody who speaks (thinks?) slower. How he got hooked up with Kamado Joe baffles me. I guess the average Joe needs his info delivered molasses slow. I tried to watch that video but couldn't get more than a minute into it. The funniest thing is he has no effing clue what he's talking about. Ok enough said about this wanna-be authority.

Greetings all, Wondering if anyone has experimented with an idea that I feel like trying out. A few years ago on one of the other ceramic forums, there was a gal who kept the damper (that's the top, right ? ) completely closed for her cooks. She would regulate temperature, using just the draft opening. According to her, regulating temps in this manner is just as accurate as configuring both the draft and damper openings together. She also said that more smoke stays in the cooker this way, for great flavor. The bottom draft openings will be very easy to experiment with concerning the amount of open-ness I would like, as it is plainly visible. The top damper at first glance, seems a little less of an exact science when opening. Lots of fun "playing" ahead for temp control, but I'd still like to know if any folks out there have successfully come up with temps when using only the bottom draft opening. Cheers, Jeff

Hi Saucier, The pics I sent to John's e-mail, are the ones that are in this post. J

John, I just sent a few pics to your e-mail. J

Wow Sanny, it feels like you know me---you are so right about forthcoming cooking pics---and when appropriate, the recipes too! For my first cook I'm considering that Tuscan Chicken a la mattone I posted about, or a "Beer Butt" chicken. I eat lots more than chicken, but chicken is the first dish that I want to do on my K.K. The cooker on the right (in the original pic of my opening post) is a "low and slow" electric smoker---it produces succulence beyond compare. The cooker in the middle is as powerful as a nuclear reactor. Even on low, I can't do chicken pieces in my Solaire. It's great for steaks and chops. I've also learned how to get a "LOW" temperature of 800º to produce delicious pizza. I realize that Komodo will be the one cooker that can do every type of cook (and over charcoal too, yay!), but because at present I am not able to do moderate temperature cooks that will give me juicy chicken with crispy skin, it's the first type of cook I'm planning. The frustrating thing is that we're going out of town, and I won't be using my K.K. for a week or so. I don't know if this has been posted by anyone in the past or not, but with Jammies on an OTB, the effect is Darth Vader-like---SO cool! Just for you Sanny, a late in the day piccy of my kids, tucked into bed for the night. The Jammies that JohnnyBoy made for my gasser are there for your enjoyment too! Cheers, J

Yesterday was the day. The trucking company gave me a 2 hour window, and a little before 11 A.M., Cinders was delivered---and in pristinely perfect condition, I must say! I never thought that I would've been grateful for our 4th. of July air conditioning disaster, but at least there was a good thing that came from it. In a nutshell, our brand spanking new 5 ton A.C. "Big Bertha" had a cracked coil. In our attic, water condensed and spilled---right through our living room ceiling! Had we not been home, our entire house would have been flooded. Last week, we had our ceiling replaced, and yesterday the A.C. was repaired. My off topic story is that when Cinders was being delivered, the A.C. people were here doing their work. Our home is atop a knoll, and we have a very steep driveway. There is no way that the trucker could've gotten the K.K. up our driveway. Yep, I pushed too, but the two of us looked pretty comical, getting nowhere. Thanks to the A.C. crew's help, our glass black beauty is safely in our outdoor cooking area. GAWD, she is a beauty all right. Thanking Professor Salt for his posted directions on how to remove the outer "cage" of the crate in one piece. Today was my day to use the included hammer and crowbar to dissolve aggressions, and I took the entire crate apart, piece by piece. It's now in a dumpster next to our house. Purchasing Jammie's from JohnnyBoy was spot on the right thing to do. I can't express enough how easy it is to dress and undress Cinders---a few seconds. So now you all know, I've probably dressed and undressed Cinders 20 times in the past 3/4 of a day. Knowing that our K.K. is protected from the elements is more than comforting. I can't stop looking at her. Besides the beautiful packing job that Dennis gives these babies who travel such a long distance, I cannot get over the off the charts exceptional quality of Komodo. Yes, I've seen the pics this last year, and yes I've "read" of the quality. Until you are face to face, and able to touch (dare I say fondle), there is no way to fully understand---but I sure as heck do now. I did opt for the gas igniter option, and on Monday, I'm having the hose to my infrared gasser, have a diverter hose that will attach to the K.K. Needless to say, I am going to be darkening the insides of our cooker, just as soon as I can! Cheers all. Glad to be on board. Jeff

Wow, looks like I'm getting in at the right time. My Gen II within a week or so---and now the charcoal. Add me to the list of buyers.

Thanks Firemonkey and Jasen, Cooking on the upper grill sounds like a plan to me. Jasen, regarding the recipe from the Times---no temp was given. Has anyone ever come up with a conclusive temperature calculation on the various cooking levels, as opposed to what the reading is at the height of the thermometer probe?-------Yep, the obsessing is beginning already, even before my delivery. Cheers, J

Yep, I screwed up.

Greetings friends, I was undecided whether to post the following recipe here, or within the dedicated recipe section. I opted for KOmodo General, because my question pertains to technique. I'm guessing that within 10 days, "Cinders" will be in our backyard, and I'm getting excited about my future cooks. The following recipe was in yesterdays Los Angeles Times newspaper, and I'm already thinking KOMODO! I would really dig hearing what you experienced cooks think of indirect cooks, versus direct. The following recipe calls for indirect cooking, but my thinking is this: If one cooks in an environment where the cover is closed, and a steady temp is maintained, why should it matter if the food is directly over the lump? I would think that the juices would hit the lump and vaporize to flavor the food. On the other hand, maybe this might cause flaming, and screwing up the maintained temperature. In any event, if someone wants to share views of when indirect cooks are better, I'm a listenin' Thanks for your help Jeff, a.k.a. "Cindersfella" P.S. The recipe says "4 to 6" servings. Hah! More like 2 to me Tuscan grilled chicken June 25, 2008 Tuscan grilled chicken Total time: 40 minutes, plus marinating time Servings: 4 to 6 2 cloves garlic 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed 1/4 cup olive oil 1 (4- to 4 1/2 -pound) chicken Oil for brushing 1. With a mortar and pestle or in a blender, grind the garlic, rosemary, salt and fennel seed. Continue grinding while adding the olive oil to make a coarse paste. 2. Using a pair of poultry shears or a chef's knife, cut the chicken alongside the backbone, all the way from neck to stern. Repeat on the other side of the backbone, removing it from the carcass. 3. Place the chicken skin-side up on the cutting board, opened out like a book. Firmly press down on the center of the breast to crack the sternum and flatten the chicken. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag and spoon in the herb mixture. Press out all the air, seal tightly and massage to distribute the marinade evenly. Refrigerate overnight or leave at room temperature for 1 hour. 4. Wrap a 1-foot-square paving stone in aluminum foil. Start the coals in a chimney and when they are lightly coated with gray ash, about 20 minutes, empty them into the grill, arranging them in a gentle slope against one side. Replace the grill rack and brush it with oil. 5. Place the chicken skin-side down on the grill rack, away from the direct heat but with the drumsticks pointing toward the fire. Brush one side of the foil-covered brick with oil and place the brick on top of the chicken. 6. Grill until the skin is well-browned, about 20 minutes. Remove the brick and turn the chicken over, placing it skin-side up directly over the fire. Cook until the juices at the hip and knee joints run clear when pierced with a knife, about 5 minutes. Remove to a carving board and let rest 5 minutes to distribute the juices evenly before carving. Serve immediately. Each serving: 389 calories; 42 grams protein; 0 carbohydrate; 0 fiber; 23 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 168 mg. cholesterol; 171 mg. sodium.

What an enjoyable read. Many happy cooks to you and your family.

Hi Jasen, You might want to also check out the following website. Cheers, Jeff http://importfood.com/ ImportFood.com Thai Food, Groceries, Cookware and Asian recipes

In the past 2 years there was a period where I too thought that maybe the Traeger was my future. I can obsess like nobody's business over technical stuff, and within all of the various on-line information out there, I found that Traeger pellet grills occasionally would get jams within the augur system, and that sometimes the pellets wouldn't feed into the heating chamber. I also learned that within the Traeger grills, there is a hierarchy. Traeger has different models within their line of grills, and some of them were more prone to pellet jams. My second epiphany---well maybe not an epiphany, because I'm only quoting from a friend. A woman I know, used to own a barbecue/fireplace store here in Sherman Oaks. Within the past 6 months, she sold the business, and she is now an employee as opposed to owner. She LOVES the stress free life of being an employee---ooops, I digress. Anyway, the new owners of the company have a very large lineup of all sorts of cookers now. My friend's report on the Traeger (that they now sell), is that the food cooks in an environment where a lot of moistness to the product is lost. This gal really knows her cookers, and has told me to stay away from Traeger. I have no personal reason to knock this type of cooker at all. I'm a fellow who raves about my infrared gas grill, and also my sealed metal electric smoker. My forthcoming K.K. will be yet my THIRD type of outdoor cooker. Nothing wrong with having multiple cookers---It just won't be a pellet grill in our family.

Now that's the kind of post I like to read! I'm 52, and feel like a kid. My grandma hung around until the age of 98, and she was strong until the end!

Looks awesome! Wherever did you find baby Octopus ?

Hey Ben, Happy to oblige regarding pizza cooks. I wonder if yours, Ron&Rena's, and my cooker, are all on the same ship. As I made my final payment today though, I'm guessing I may have missed the boat this time! Ron---as for the uneven cooking in the Primo, all I can tell you is that this cooker did have "hot spots". And yes, the lump was all in the center for my cook. I'm looking forward to more even cooking in my K.K. I think that perhaps a part of the Primo's hot spot problem, was that certain areas of the seal, did leak out smoke during cooks. Cheers, Jeff

And I'm older than both of you---52 until November!

Well Ron, Since we are in the same boat, perhaps my K.K. will also not be including the pizza stone. Guess I'll find out. As for my previous pizza stone, it was something that came with my Primo cooker, and I suppose it was made of the same material that the cooker was. It was round, and about 14 inches in diameter. I would place an extender rack on the main grill, and then put the stone directly onto the elevated rack. There was no such a thing as a heat deflector in my Primo, but I never had a hint of the stone possibly cracking. A downside to grilling pizzas in the Primo, was that it cooked unevenly. Eventually I learned that halfway through the cook, I would open the lid, and rotate the entire pie. One thing I will wholeheartedly suggest is that whatever stone you purchase, a pizza "screen" will have you ecstatically happy. Pizza screens are not like metal pans with perforated holes---I've got those too. A pizza screen is a VERY openly meshy surface, and it has a very thin metal rim. Simply roll your dough, and place it onto a pammed meshy screen, and assemble your toppings. The screen is placed onto the hot stone for a fabulous pizza cook. No using a pizza peel to slide the dough, and no worries about any of the toppings moving around during placement for the cook. Presently, for my gas grill, I use a 15 1/2 inch round stone by a company called Fibrament (bakingstone.com). It's a pretty amazing stone, if I do say. The stone is very thick, and they manufacture stones for indoor ovens, as well as outdoor grills. I think that you can get them custom made to your liking as well. Their stones for outdoor grills are different than for indoors. Fibrament claims that you should never put a stone directly over an open flame. As I said, I never had a problem with my Primo, but maybe that was because of elevating like I did. Fibrament's stone has a dedicated metal pan that it nests in. Supposedly the metal has the same heat conductivity as the stone, so you are getting all of the heat soaking potential of using a stone alone. The only negative to the Fibrament stone is the one time seasoning, before usage. It was an hours long process that you do in your indoor oven, gradually upping the temperature to completely dry out the stone. I did this on a Sherman Oaks summer day that was 105º, so my house was pretty toasty, to say the very least. One has to be careful of not getting the stone wet, or you will have to do the seasoning all over again. I've done a ton of pizza cooks, and it is easy to keep the stone from getting wet. Wow---a long winded answer to your simple question. If "Cinders" doesn't come with a stone, I'll use my Fibrament. I'm including a pic of one of the Primo pizza cooks. Notice how one half is markedly darker than the other. From all that I've read, Dennis's K.K. will make uneven cooking, a thing of the past. Boy are we going to have a fun summer or what?

Many happy returns of the day, young adult! Hmmm, wondering if anyone has perfected baking a birthday cake on a Komodo ':)'

Moses (blue,green,purple mix of tiles), is a stunner to behold. He was the offspring we'd decided upon. At the last minute we changed our minds, and went with the original "glass black" color that was our obsession from the get go. Hence, Moses has become "Cinders"---and from now on, I'm "Cinders fella". I just made final payment to Dennis, and I guess things will move at the pace that they should, regarding the journey from Indonesia to California. Needless to say---VERY excited in Sherman Oaks! Cheers all, Jeff

Hey Ron and Rena, You and I are happily in the same boat!---although, I'm not exactly sure if my forthcoming K.K. is at sea yet. Today I sent Dennis via PayPal, the final payment for our new baby, so I know things are coming together. Like you, I experienced another brand of ceramic cooker in the past. It's value to me, was experiencing foods cooked to perfection in this unique type of cooker. This time around, I know how well machined Dennis's ceramic cooker is, and the cooking results will surely be off the charts ummmazing. In my last cooker, I became quite the pizza pro, and I'm obsessing like crazy about the incredible pies that I'm going to be putting out. Unlike a lot of folks who've had success firing up their cookers to incendiary temperatures for pizzas, I've been most successful in the 450º range. I'm leaning towards getting a BBQ Guru, and I'm doing my fair share of obsessing over a rotisserie as well. Knowing how juicy and crispy skinned I've ceramically (did I just make up a word?) cooked chickens before in my old ceramic cooker, makes me shiver, anticipating the possibilities from a rotisserie charcoal fired bird. What I've always experienced from ceramic cooking is that the nature of cooking over lump, imparts a smoky quality to foods. I never became adept at adding wood chunks to the lump charcoal for a slow smoke smoldering, but it never mattered, as like I said, the lump added plenty of flavor. In time I'll hopefully learn if it's strictly a matter of technique, when it comes to adding the wood chunks. Happy cooks to you both Jeff

Enjoy! It's important to let the VERY frozen custard, soften for a bit in your refrigerator (30 minutes or so), before serving. The semi-frozen consistency is really unusual and enjoyable.

Congrats Ben, many happy cooks to ya'. You and I are both in the same anticipatory state, as I'm waiting for my Komodo to arrive as well. Cheers, Jeff

I'm definitely off to the Guru site, after telling you---thanks again!

Re: BBQ Guru et al... Thank you Jasen, for your Guru thoughts. I've seen the pro-com at the Guru web-site, and I've wondered if it would be a huge learning curve to get into the groove of using this device. I'm pretty sure that I read a manual on this unit at their site---and I seem to remember feeling that it was too complicated. But that's just me, being down on myself when it comes to learning new stuff. I'll check it out again, and this time I will really try to understand how these devices work. Cheers, Jeff