Pequod

I used to make my own stock all the time, but have fallen out of the habit. Need to start giving those roti chicken carcasses a second life.

Just noticed you're in Syracuse. I've done some work travel to Syracuse in Winter. Thought it was funny to find a snow scraper on the dashboard of my rental the first time I was there. After that I realized the necessity of it! Brutal! Found a good Thai restaurant there, though. Bangkok Thai, I think it was called. The owner makes a point of visiting every table and exclaiming, "Rock n' Roll!"

Thank you. Really great setup.

So how many grid levels are on the 16? Is it lower, main, and upper like the others? What accessories are there? I see you have a baking stone, but the KK website doesn't list it or much else for the 16.

That's just awesome. A thing beauty. And the pizza looks great too!

'Cause it's a brilliant idea, of course! Hadn't considered a 16" before, but you've definitely got me thinking about how practical it would be once we're empty nesters in two years.

Beautiful! Really like the idea of faster heat soak.

If I may add to this thread, tonight's pizzas: Sourdough with 48 hour ferment. Amazing flavor.

Thanks! Maybe we could get a pasta-rolling attachment for the KK!

Pizza night here too. Hope mine looks as good as yours!

Agree with the above recommendations with regard to forums. I think I'm on five or six BBQ related forums, but use three regularly for different reasons: KK Forum (this one) -- to get the most out of your KK, and to keep an eye on what @MacKenzie is up to. Kamado Guru -- All other things Kamado, which is a LOT. Amazing RIbs -- There are two parts to this site. Much of the free part has been organized in a book you can buy off Amazon: Meathead The Free Part: Technique -- Presented as "science". Based on your first post, you probably want to review this part the most. Product Reviews and Recommendations -- Kind of like a Consumer Reports for outdoor cooking gear. This is useful, although there is a bit of an anti-Kamado bias (they love the KK, though). Recipes -- Most are pretty basic, but some are very good (try the Hamburger Buns recipe). The Pay Part: The Pit -- the online forum for discussion. I don't use this part as much, but CeramicChef (also a member here and at the Guru, although haven't seen him in awhile) posted a Kamado 101 series there that would likely be of great value to you.

At first glance I thought they were super-sized scallops! Another great idea from Mac.

Great looking steaks! Agree with you on the chimney. Not sure what to do with mine now that I have the KK.

Very nice! Love the Food Lab.

Nice! Been meaning to do some lamb.

Last weekend I smoked some bacon. Evidence from another thread repeated here: I was immediately reminded of the inadequacy of this pic, as there was no subsequent evidence of slicing. I promised to make amends. Here they are. Please accept this small offering in apology. Let's start with some fresh, homemade pasta: The egg and cheese mixture, with a bit of freshly ground black pepper. Proof of bacon slicing. These are the end bits: You can see where this is going. I give you spaghetti carbonara: But wait! There's more! Sauté some more sliced bacon: Toss with apples mixed with bourbon: Top with a crumble topping and onto the KK: Toss in a bit of apple wood for smoking: And 45 minutes later we have perfection: Smoked bacon bourbon apple crisp from Project Smoke.

Cool! And welcome! Well, you certainly started out right by buying the best. Now where to begin... 1. Buy and use lump charcoal. You're about to be swamped with people telling you which brands are good and which are not. You're doing well to start with plain old Royal Oak lump and navigating from there. Somebody will call me a heretic in a moment. 2. You need to start your charcoal with something. You can buy starters (look up Rutland starter squares on Amazon) or buy a MAPP torch. 3. Plan to spend a day learning temp settings on your KK. Start low -- top vent open about 1/4 turn -- and gradually step up to high. 4. Buy an instant read thermometer. It's pricey, but the ThermoWorks Thermapen is hard to beat. 5. Learn when different cuts are done and by what method. Chicken and steaks are usually done by temp. 130-135 for a medium rare steak, 160 in the breast for chicken (usually). Pork butts, briskets, and ribs are best done by feel. I'd suggest start learning your KK by cooking some chicken pieces at 425 on the dome thermometer. Breasts are done at 160-165 and thighs closer to 175.

That trifecta idea is very attractive. We'll be empty nesters in 2 years, so really like the idea of a smaller KK for smaller cooks. Still need to get the bifecta before I can think trifecta, though.

I tried to name mine too and came up blank. Handed the task to my daughter, and she didn't do too well either. My KK remains unnamed.

That's very interesting about the smoke generator port. So it is the same size as the guru port, but above the lump? So you could run a guru and the smoke generator simultaneously. Anyone know -- @DennisLinkletter-- whether this is going to show up on all new KK's (other than those in stock, I assume)?

Very, VERY nice! Are the solid rotisserie shafts now available?

You have found your tribe!

What is this "infrared deflector"?

Do word pictures count? Seriously, I was surprised by how much maple flavor had permeated the meat. I used Chris Lilly's recipe from Fire & Smoke, in which you pour maple syrup over the belly after rubbing in the cure and black pepper. Between that and the hickory smoke, some really great flavor.

D'oh! Sliced and vac sealed it today without pics. Fried up a couple of slices, though, and it was awesome. Planning to use the end bits this weekend in some spaghetti carbonara with fresh homemade pasta. Will try to remember to get some pics then.