Geo

Thanks so much for all the suggestions. I really appreciate the wealth of your experience. 

Some time ago, I suggested to Miss Jean that we should get a SV cooker. To-date, I haven't gotten her past the fear of the unknown. Will keep working on it. For now, I won't be able to try those recipes.

I've decided to try the KK recipes one-at-a-time. Tonight, I tried the one suggested by Bgrant3406. Will try the others on future cooks.

Here are my thoughts about tonight's cook... Had difficulty getting temperature up to 600*.  Had full basket of RO, hand loaded. I'm thinking that either I was just impatient, or I should have made sure to get some large lump at the bottom. Will do better next time. Shut it down at 550*, and did the approximate 4-minute cycles. Cooker cooled off quickly, and I had to leave the chicken on a lot longer than the 12 minutes that Bruce had suggested. This left the chicken a bit dry, but still good. Also tried asparagus in ci pan with EVOO, onions, and garlic. That turned out WONDERFUL! Also tried some asparagus directly on the grate. That was good, but not like the spears cooked on ci.

I'll try that recipe again with the things I've learned.

Before you ask, here's the visual evidence.  :>)

I'm anxious to try the other recipes that were suggested. Looks like a lot of chicken meals at Geo's house in the next couple weeks. ;>)

I have two boneless skinless chicken breasts, and feel unsure about how to best cook 'em. How about some advice from those of you who have done it before... Method? Temperature? Sure appreciate your wisdom.

Great looking meal & cooker. Looking forward to lots more pictures of cooks. Enjoy!

You've outdone yourself... AGAIN! Yummy.

15 minutes ago, MacKenzie said:

 

 

My goodness MacKenzie... Did you really need to post that picture!? How's a guy supposed to lose weight? I wasn't hungry until I saw that! :>)

You can also click on "Browse" and all of the "Topics" on the right hand column that are in bold, are ones that you haven't read the latest post.

I'm with you, Glen &Marilyn... Any change in format requires change for users. I haven't been reading this forum nearly as long as you, but when I first saw the new forum, I didn't like it. Here's what I do to read the new stuff...  Near the top of the page is the Komado Kamado title. There is a dark bar beneath that. On the right side of that dark bar is a place that says "Unread Content". Click on the "Unread Content", and you'll be taken to a list of recent topics that you haven't read yet. Click on any of the items to read the topic. I've found it nice that I can read a topic, and the next time I click on Unread Content, It won't be included in the list (Unless of course, someone responded while you were reading).

Hang in there. You'll get used to the new format, and probably find yourself preferring it. Best of luck.

I agree with Wilbur on this. Had heard lots of reports about how good In-And-Out burgers are, and wanted to try one, but the lines of people waiting outside the restaurant were too much for me. My son and I really enjoy a good burger. Finally got to try one, and we were both disappointed. Nothing wrong with the burger, but certainly nothing special! 

Now if you want a REALLY special burger, I'd suggest a "Smash Burger". Lots of websites devoted to duplicating that burger.

Good luck on creating the special hamburger you want, and please share your progress with everyone on this forum.

I don't have anything to add to the discussion about the deck, but I simply MUST say "That's one lovely cooker!".

1 hour ago, wilburpan said:

I’ve come to like making my own rubs and spice mixtures. In the long run, it’s cheaper than the prepackaged mixes, and it really doesn’t take that long.

If I'm looking to duplicate a premade mix, this is what I do. As an example, I’m going to use the McCormick Steakhouse Mushroom mix that ckreef has in his photo, just because it’s the first one.  

First thing is to look up the ingredient list. Google is your friend here. There’s a page with lots of information on what goes into this mix here. Here’s the ingredient list, from the page I linked to:

Onion, Garlic, Salt, Mushroom, Spices (Including Black Pepper, Yeast Extract, Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten, Soy Protein, And Wheat Gluten, Vinegar, Molasses, Sugar, And Natural Flavor.

Although we don’t have exact measurements, the ingredients will be listed in order of how much is in the mix. We can ignore a lot of the ingredients, like soy protein and wheat gluten. Ingredients towards the end of the list are in smaller amounts, and probably can be dropped without altering the flavor much. Once I get rid of the nonessential ingredients, here’s my list.

Onion, Garlic, Salt, Mushroom, Black Pepper, Molasses, Sugar.

I would make a mix with equal parts onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper, probably 1/2 tsp. each. In place of the molasses and sugar, I might add a pinch of brown sugar. For the mushroom, either add minced real mushrooms or dried mushroom (porcini, shiitake, etc.) shavings. I might even add back a drop of vinegar or so. And since vinegar is just to add some acidity, you can substitute that with other acidic ingredients, like a little red wine, since that goes well with mushrooms. Total time to mix these ingredients together would be 2-3 minutes, tops.

Then I would follow the directions on the website. It says that one package is 2 tsp., and that’s enough to add to 1 lb. of burger meat. So take 2 tsp or so of the mix you just made, and 1 lb. of burger meat, mix, and grill.

You can take this approach with just about any premade spice mix. The benefits of this are that in the vast majority of cases, salt and/or sugar are at the top of the ingredient list, which means that you’re paying a lot for relatively cheap ingredients. And if you look through the ingredient list of a number of spice mixes, you’ll see the same ingredients coming up over and over again, so it won’t be hard to stock your spice rack with the spices you’ll need. 

 

Thanks for the info and ideas, Wilbur. I wouldn't have thought to look it up on the Internet, and make my own. The way you explained it, makes it seem pretty straightforward. I'll give it a try! Thanks again!

Congratulations on your new KK. Looks like you have your hands full. Hope you have time to enjoy it all. 

Thanks. I'm guilty of going to the store with a shopping list, getting what is on the list, and leaving. This new hobby is opening my eyes & mind to new possibilities.

Thanks for the idea. I haven't noticed these in the stores, but will take a look for them. Looks like some really good and quick meals.

What a great addition to your home, and so very practical. It will be a great sitting area for the two of you. Enjoy!

Now... As to "painting it later"... I'd hate to tell you how many "Paint it later" projects I have had. Wish I could "paint" my projects before moving on to the next one. Somehow it never works out that way!  :>)

Sorry about the extra & duplicate pictures. I'm learning how to post pictures along with learning to cook!

My brand new 23" Ultimate KK arrived on Thursday, and my son Dan, came over after work to help move it. The delivery driver was kind enough to set the KK just outside the entry door.  While waiting for Dan to get here, I removed the screws that hold the pallet cover to the pallet. While the cover isn't heavy, it is awkward to lift by myself, so at that point, I waited for Dan to get here. Once he arrived, it only took a few minutes to uncrate the KK, move it into & through the house, and onto the back patio. The process was very easy... There is one 4" step up at the front entry to the house, and another 4" step down to the patio.

Here's the KK as delivered to the front door. I asked the driver to place it that close so we could go directly from the pallet through the front door.

The KK was through the front door in a flash!

I has has two partial sheets of 3/4" plywood. Thought we'd need it to protect the tile floor, but about mid-way thorough the house, we decided to just push it without the plywood. We didn't experience any problems doing it that way.

Since we didn't have to lift the KK, we had to find another use for the ropes...

Once we were finished clowning around, it was an easy matter to push the KK through the back door, and down the ramp to the patio.

The KK in position on the patio. Isn't she a beauty!

The he move went EXTREMELY smoothly, and only took perhaps 15-minutes. I couldn't be more pleased!

Congratulations. Looking Gooooood! Thanks for the idea to make smash burgers during the burn-in. I'm hoping to do my burn-in tomorrow, and will make some smash burgers then.

Looks mighty good, Bosco. You've set the bar pretty high... Might scare people out of the challenge this month . This is one more thing I gotta try when my KK arrives. Thanks for posting.

That's one more thing I gotta try!

This won't be just any ordinary weekend here... My 23" KK is expected in Dallas on Thursday. Hope I can get delivery on Friday.

To say I'm "Excited" would be an understatement! Already decided to do some Babyback ribs for first cook, then increase the temperature and do the initial burn.

Is it Friday yet? 🙂🙂🙂

What temperature did you use, Robert? My son loves beef ribs, and after seeing yours, I'll have to make some for him.

Like your idea of putting it in the freezer to make it easier to work with. Thanks for sharing.

I gotta stop looking at this website when it's lunch time!

She's a beauty! Glad you got it!

Great looking steak, Wilbur. Thanks for posting the recipe.

There is no doubt in my mind that the KK is the finest cooker around. I'm still trying to figure out if I want to drop the cash on one. The one thing I don't want to do is buy something different and then end up buying a KK anyway. I'm still in negotiations with the wife, she is very supportive of me but I have some expensive hobbies besides cooking

Having just made a purchase decision myself, I understand you concern about the cost. Here are some things that reassure me with my KK purchase decision...

1) On the Komado Guru forum, there is a section for each brand of kamado, and under each brand is a user satisfaction survey. I didn't look at every single brand, but of the ones I read, the KK was the only kamado that got only the top marks in EVERY category! One of the categories considered pice, and even that got top scores from everyone who responded.

2) I have NEVER regretted spending extra for quality, but I have OFTEN regretted trying to save money and purchasing something I didn't like.

3) I googled Komado Kamado, and read about 10-pages of results. There wasn't even a hint of anyone being dissatisfied!

4) All the members of his forum speak very highly about the KK. I guess they could be stretching the truth (But I doubt that they are), but MacKenzi's pictures leave no doubt!

If you have questions as you consider your decision, please ask-away!