Hitman

This weekend I had a group of 22 friends over for "Virgo Fest", to celebrate 5 different September birthdays. I did two beef tenderloins from Costco, about 5 pounds each, nicely trimmed of membrane. I applied a nice rub the day before, then put them on the top grill, no heat deflector, at around 250 degrees. I pulled them off to dwell when the internal temp was 107, and it continued to rise up to about 120. Then back on the sear grill at about 750 degrees for 1 minute per side. The meat was delicious, but almost TOO tender --- you could cut it with your thumb! It was a rosy pink color throughout. Next time I will probably skip the Finney reverse sear, just grill it straight up at 500 or so. The Gorgonzola butter was delicious, & very easy to prepare. Take a whole head of garlic, whack off the top with a knife, drizzle with olive oil, then bake at 350 for about an hour. The garlic cloves will turn into a brownish paste, which you can squeeze into a bowl. I preferred to use a knife to pluck each clove out independently. Let the garlic cool, then use a food processor and a cutting blade, blend with one stick of unsalted butter, a little white pepper, and 2 to 4 ounces of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. Process until smooth, then form into a tube shape inside some Saran wrap, and chill. Put one patty on each slice of beef. Awesome flavor!

I will be doing my first pork shoulder this Friday night, for a tennis party the following evening. Our parties usually have between 64 and 80 players, plus usually a few extras who show up just to party. When I checked last week, average pork shoulder from Costco was around 15 pounds. Didn't see any butts. I never did get around to getting a wireless thermometer, so I guess I'll just have to stabilize the temps, go to bed, and hope for the best!

Wind Spirit under sail.

A week or so ago I did some Bison burgers. Our local supermarkets sell the meat in16 ounce shrink wrapped containers, just the right size for two really good sized patties. I devour one on a nice sourdough roll, while my wife manages to eke two meals out of hers, taking the uneaten leftover part of her patty to work for the next day's lunch. Best burger I have had anywhere, bar none. Just a tablespoon or two of Dale's sauce, salt n pepper, then seared to perfection.

This one is a little more subtle, from Barbados.

Y'ain't seen nothing yet! Another Costa Rican sunset spectacular!

Welcome aboard, Marcy! Would indeed be nice to see a pic or two of your new KK, nestled into your BBQing domain on your patio, deck, etc., smoke billowing out of the dome, or fire belching from within.

Wind Surf, Barbados, January 2007

When I went back to Amazon, I couldn't find it again at that price! I remember it was not being offered through Amazon, but through one of their business partners --- had a disclaimer to that effect. Cheapest price now is $28.15 w/ free shipping. I should have jumped on it when I saw it at the lower price!

The refractory liner, yes. The cooking surface, no. IMHO.....

Re: advice

Sunrise at Elbow Beach, Bermuda, 2007

When she was delivered, I was able to get workmen to help me lug her up to my side porch, but they were installing siding on the rear patio, so I had to wait. This morning I took her all apart, built myself a wooden ramp out of the materials from the shipping crate, and rolled her up the ramp onto the back patio. Now she's at home!

Great tips, everyone! Thanks! Once the meat is cooked, how long will it stay warm in a cooler if it's wrapped in a couple layers of foil, with some towels around it? Will it stay warm for 12-16 hours?

Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, 2004

Hey, cruz. I am going to try my first pork shoulder in a couple of weeks. Any suggestions/tips for temp control without using a Guru or Stoker? I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night if I have to, but would rather enjoy my sleep! Planning on a dinner time of around 4-5 PM.

Best to email Dennis, as opposed to PM or posting on the forum.

Welcome aboard. I am also a newbie, just learning the secrets of temp control. Like you, I have been doing beer butt chicken for some time, have a sheet metal base and stand that conducts heat better than a flimsy aluminum beer can. I would start with the bottom vent open about 1/3, top open one full turn. For me, this usually results in temps that start out at 250+, creep up to 350 within 20 minutes. I have been adding soaked chips to the fire, so that also probably depresses the temps until the chips burn up.

The Springs is very impressive, brand new, probably still under final construction. It is American owned by the same family that owns the Peace Lodge at La Paz Waterfall Gardens. The Peace Lodge was damaged in the earthquake in January, as were 40 kilometers of the roads that lead up to it. When repairs are completed, we will probably go back to Costa Rica to visit.

Southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, January 2009.

The Springs Resort & Spa is a new resort, located up in the hills behind Tabacon Springs. If you would like to see more photos, visit my online photo albums at http://picasaweb.google.com/gkrubens

Butterflied leg of lamb A little over two pounds, marinated for 30 minutes in Dale's sauce, a little Charcoal Companion beef & lamb rub (very aromatic), about a cup of soaked maple chips. Cooking temp was 300, let it rise gradually to 360. Upper grill only, no HD or drip pan. Removed from the grill at 130 degrees, tented under foil for 10 minutes, came out medium --- center was medium rare. Very juicy and tender, quite tasty. Had some slices a few minutes ago for lunch, and it tasted great with no seasoning or condiments at all.

These are from our trip to Costa Rica in January 2009, at the Springs Resort near the Mount Arenal volcano.

Here's a thumbnail, but it doesn't allow the viewer to click on it, and then see the full-size image. This one, I selected the 800x600 size, and you can click on it. This seems to be the largest size that can be posted, doesn't require a click.

I've only had mine a few weeks, so I have just gone through the newbie drill. First challenge is to get your KK uncrated, unwrapped, and located in your cooking location of choice. You will need some help getting it off the bottom of the crate, and if you need to take it up any stairs, you will probably need 3 other guys to help you. There is a thread here on the forum that discusses all the steps you will need to take. Once the KK is positioned where you want it, you will probably need to adjust the spring for the lid/dome. The spring should be tight enough that the lid springs all the way open, but not so tight that it bounces/recoils back after it opens. When you're ready to cook, next is to figure out the positioning of your grills, the heat deflector, and the drip pan. For cooking with indirect heat, you can place the heat deflector directly on top of the charcoal basket, making sure that it sits level and is centered. I suggest that you wrap the stainless steel liner in foil for protective purposes, but others don't seem concerned about that. Next comes the lower grill, and you can place the stainless steel drip pan there if you wish. Again, I suggest you wrap it in foil for easier clean up. For my second cook, I put a few cups of water and a cup of vinegar in the drip pan, but consensus seems to be that it is not needed. I like the idea of the extra moisture. If you decide to go this route, do NOT forget to remove the drip pan after you're done cooking, or all the liquid will evaporate away as the cooker cools down (takes hours), leaving you with a real sticky mess to clean up. Then comes the main grill, and if you're cooking a lot of stuff, the upper grill as well. For direct heat grilling, you won't need the heat deflector or the drip pan. You can grill at three different levels. Lowest is the sear grill, which is the upper grill turned upside down. Next up is the lower grill level, a few inches higher, then is the main grill. I suppose you could also use the upper grill to cook at an even higher level After cooking, don't forget to close off the lower air vent, and screw the top vent closed (not too tight). Good luck!