Poochie

That looks like a great meal! I need to give it a try.

Very nice setup, BowtieBill. You'll love cooking on your new KK but especially in that great setup you have. Looking forward to the photos!

I'm glad you're loving your 42BB. You got over missing the green one that you thought was the ultimate cooker and now you know who the king is. But I wish you 42 owners would just stop posting picture of it with food on it. I convinced myself I didn't need one and that picture isn't helping the cause. It must be some kind of virus!

Welcome back to the real world.  Now get some dead animals on that thing!

My next project. As usual, yours looks delicious!

Burgers are one of my favorite BBQ items. Yours look outstanding. 

Beautiful grain. Those patterns make the table in my opinion. A man with real talent!

I'm as old as you are....ya old hippy!

Use lump, not briquettes....unless the briquettes are made from lump charcoal.  It'll say something like "All Natural Lump Briquettes."  But regular Kingsford, Royal Oak, Walmart...no to those briquettes. Fill the charcoal basket. You can reuse lump and it won't overshoot the temperature if you don't light too much at the beginning. If you're reusing lump, stir it around so the ashes fall to the bottom before you light it. 

If you want 225 and use a chimney, light about a cup or so of lump and dump it one corner.   Plan to wait at least one hour for the smoker to be ready to cook on.  Open up the vents, top and bottom until you reach around 175 then start closing them down. You don't want to over shoot it.  If you're doing something big like a brisket or Boston Butt, place an aluminum pan under it to catch the grease. You just made it indirect.  I light one side of the basket and plan to place the meat on the other side.  You'll get plenty of other opinions on how to do this because there's more than one way.  Good luck!

I ended up cutting it with kitchen shears and putting it in a food processor.  I'll know next year to dye my Easter eggs with this stuff. I wish I would have read Tony's post before I did this. I eventually got all the red out by using Dawn Powerwash and some scrubbing. However, the chicken I fixed with this stuff was really good.  If fact, after I blended it with some hot and spicy sauce and a little apple cider vinegar, I dipped some chips in it and it tasted great.  I'm pretty sure my mouth and throat is stained red for the next century, but it was worth it.  Thanks for all the tips.

I just bought my first "block" of achiote paste yesterday.  Any tips for using it would be appreciated. I'm guess what Tekobo said about the blender or a food processor would be the way. 

Mrs. Poochie: "Oh Poochie, that rub down and massage you gave me was so wonderful. All I want to know is why you stopped so soon?"

Poochie: "Because I found the TV remote" 

I know I'm going to be called Captain Obvious but besides bending 90 degree probes a little to straighten them out, I add probes one at a time. The ambient temperature probe goes first. When the KK is up to temp, and you're ready to add the meat and the associated meat probe or probes, pull the rubber plug out (slide it along the probe wire of the ambient temperature probe) and then add your second or third probe.  With the rubber plug still out, slide all the wires into it by way of the slit in it. Now push the rubber plug into the KK. 

The probes I have (Fireboard) will let me insert the plug in part of the probe through the hole in the KK from the inside.  So I'm rarely putting the temperature sensor part through the hole first. This way I can put the probe into the raw meat ahead of time, stick it on the hot grate, and then push the plug of the probe through the hole in the smoker from the inside (with the rubber plug removed). Finally, I slide the rubber plug into place with all wires inserted into it.  A long winded explanation for something that takes seconds to do but everyone was a beginner once. 

Tekobo, I'd love to sample all 3 of those dishes. They really look yummy!

Hey Dennis, is there enough heat (and I know it's a cold smoker) to smoke salmon? How about making beef jerky using it?  If so, I'm going to have to add one to my collection. I don't think I can build a low enough fire in the KK to smoke salmon since it requires a temperature of around 170 max. Thanks for any info.

I thought it looked more like something from kitty's litter box. Glad to know it wasn't!

You've probably have done this, but open the "drawer" containing the air vents at the bottom and you'll get much more air flow. Once the temperature hits close to your goal, start closing the drawer until you're happy with the results. It can definitely get too hot (nuclear) if you leave it open too long. From the beginning, load up the coal basket the way Dennis instructed and light a chimney full of coals to sprinkle on top. Good luck.

Thank you alimach23. That's about 26 1/2 pounds for us US folks. I'll bet I could get a 30 pounder to fit without the head on it. 

I have some but I've never used them on the KK.  They do an excellent job of searing and keeping the grease off the meat, but I hated cleaning them more than doing taxes. I'm sure they could custom cut some for you. 

Looks damn near perfect. How much did that pig weigh? I see more possibilities for my 32.

Looks like you nailed it. It's always a pretty sight when the "crust" splits. Did you have a giant drip pan under all those butts? 

Even though none of us weigh a pound more than we should, we love desserts too. And Chinese food is my personal favorite. As MacKenzie said, we look forward to pictures of your cooks! Welcome.

For a follow up, I used this stuff to cook a pork roast and some chicken. It has an off smell to it while it's coming up to temperature but it didn't pass any bad smell to the food. Long story short, I don't plan to buy it again.  

I love that stuff and yours looks delicious!