Jim Malter

Anyone in Dallas area interested in sharing a pallet order of extruded charcoal that Dennis just announced? Please email me soon as I suspect this will go quickly.

Jim

Hi

I am interested. Have not been on the forum for a while. I live in Oak Cliff. Would take 1/2 pallet.

Jim

Is anyone in this thread still interested in spliting a pallet? I live in Dallas and could accept delivery if others are interested.

Jim

Re: Anyone up for a "share" in North Dallas?

I would be interested as well. i live in Dallas.

Re: Thanksgiving 2010

I made one this year as well. I cheated a bit and stuffed the turkey with boneless chicken thighs and duck breast to reduce the number of carcasses. I also layered with andouille sausage and kale. I cooked mine low and slow- 220 for 10 h indirect. The skin was worthless but the inside was exquisite.

Jim

I must be dense but was the roast cooked at or to 140F. If cooked at 140, how did you set up the KK? Almost like sous vide.

Jim

I brine the bird, butterfly and cook over direct heat, top grill at 350. I flip once onto the skin side.

jim

Agree with Dennis re Thermapen. Unbelievably useful.

I cook steaks at 650-700 immediately above the coals. About 3 min/side for rare for 1" thick cuts.

Please buy some high temp insulated, long gloves and use them. These temps are dangerous without protection.

The quality and burn time of your charcoal (i.e. just ignited vs. burning for >30 min) will also affect taste and meat color.

I use a standard recipe of 1 qt water, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup brown sugar and occasionally a crushed garlic. Rinse well after. For ribs, about 1-2 hrs to my taste.

Art was a fine man..His loss will be felt.

Hi All-

I have tried several waygu briskets from a butcher in Kansas City (Arrowhead Meats). There are multiple grades (my recollection is all were more marbled than US Prime), all were packer cut in the range of $4/lbs + shipping. I thought they were great, and recommend trying one.

Hi All-

I used a modification of this for a fresh ham (about 7 lbs, bone in, for Easter) which was apple cider (1 cup), 1/4 cup brown sugar and 2 tbs worcestershire sauce. I had already brined the ham so I omitted the salt. I injected in as many spots as possible. Cooked at 350 indirect for about 3.5 h (internal 135) and rested for 30 minutes. Extremely moist. Highly recommend this approach.

Wow

I have never elicited such a diverse set of opinions.

I agree with several that the exterior could be contaminated- I rinsed it off, dried it and then let the meat sit out for about 8 h. Cooking to 185 interior should kill most anything short of mad cow (prions).

I also agree ground meat should never be treated this way.

The kitchen was probably about 60 degrees - I would not do this at 80.

We all survived fine and the meat was great.

jim

Hi All-

I tried something a bit different with a deboned 8 lbs shoulder. After defrosting on Tuesday, and storage in the fridge until Friday night, I rubbed with garlic/salt/pepper and let sit out overnight in the sink. Next morning, went onto the KK @225 indirect for 12 h until 185 degrees. Let rest for 30 minutes and served. Best one I have ever made.

Jim

Jackie-

Leaks can be hard to find. Load as little fuel as you need to do the cook. When you ignite the charcoal, only start a little of it and use the guru to drive the fire. Close top by spinning it from open to closed and leave it there. If it is cold there, it may take 1h to get to temp.

Jim

I find that as the KK heat soaks (1 hour or so after lighting the charcoal), the temps at the grill and the dome get very close. I place the Guru probe at least an 1" from the meat but try to make sure it is also not in direct heat (i.e. the deflector is between the fire and the probe). Having said this, if the product is to your liking, the temps don't matter much.

Jim

I cook over direct quite a bit. I do butterflied chicken, beef and pork tenderloin, fish, turkey etc. I like the char on the skin. Generally I use the main grill, flip about every 15 min and use lower temps to prevent flame-up-usually between 325 and 400 (dome temp). I also try to preheat the grill for 15-30 min before I start.

Jim

Hi All-

I have a 10 lbs fresh ham which I would like to cook this weekend. The last few have been pretty dry despite 2 days of brining and cooking at 300 indirect to 135 internal. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Jim

Jim it does not take much to thaw it. Even a candle would do it. Two quick choices are a little heat inside from the draft door or a blow dryer on the outside.

Wife is smarter than me. She suggested boiling water. Poured over lid, opened in 3 seconds.

Supposedly a sister-in-law bought a cover for me for X-Mas.

Jim

Help-

We have had snow, then rain and now snow with a temperature drop of nearly 40 degress in 8 h! This morning I could not open the lid of the KK after releasing the latch. The dome is moving and I can put in the gas attachment. Does anyone think enough heat will escape to melt what I assume to be ice between the lid and the bottom if I leave on the gas for a while?

Jim

Re: Whole Fresh Ham

Anyone ever cook a whole fresh Ham.

Its about 23 lbs, bone in.

I was planing on a long slow roast, but a little worried about the center being in a dangerous temperature zone too long.

How long will it take and at what temp?

Suggestions welcome.

B with F-

I did a 20 lbs'er last year. I brined it (1/4 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 Qt. water) in a cooler for 36h and cooked indirect on the main grill at 325 for about 9 h. I flipped it over about half-way and took it off at 140-145 internal. I allowed it to rest about 45 min before serving. The leg is not fatty enough (IMHO) to do a long slow cook as done for a shoulder. The bone also seems to speed up the cooking.

Jim

Jim

Hi All-

Lately I have been a bit disappointed with the results of my pork shoulders. In order to reduce dryness, I brined it (1/4 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 qt water) for 24 h. I use a 6 pack size Colman Cooler which just holds a 7-8 lbs shoulder and leave it in the garage (25-30 degrees, winter here). I have had good success adding 3-4 cold packs to the brine (after the salt is dissolved) in the summer. Anyway after brining, I rinsed it off and cooked at 225 indirect. Removed after 18 h @185 degrees internal, wrapped in aluminum and put back into the cooler with a towel. Pulled 4 h later-it was steaming. Best shoulder in some time.

Jim

Hi All-

Just a note to be cautious. I recently tried to relight some multiply used lump which had pretty much compacted under its own weight and sealed off the air flow from below. I noticed flames coming out the bottom door of the KK within 15 sec of starting the gas. I took a crowbar and punctured the lump in 5 places and viola, gas OK. It is probably worth doing this before cooking on a regular basis..

Jim

This is a terrific sauce. I have substituted strawberry as well as boysenberry preserves for the fresh stuff. Careful with the chiles as they get hotter as the sauce stores.

Jim

Guys-

I put the meat on when I start the grill for several reasons. First. I don't have to reopen the KK and get a lung full of smoke. Second, I think that a gradual warm up for a brisket is a good idea (see Cooks Illustrated for pork chop recipe-admittedly on a skillet). Third, the greatest amount of smoke and hence smoke ring occurs early. I use a variety of charcoal but all seem to smoke a lot right after ignition and progressively less. Based on all the above, I find it works well and gives a nice result by putting everything in, lighting the charcoal and getting to the right temp.

BTW, I do it the same way whether I use the guru or not.

Jim