Loquitur

Re: Gasket install Brooklyn: I just installed my new gasket recently and the new one is really great. There are a couple of threads on this but the one entitled Impossible Gasket is Possible is where you probably want to start. This has Dennis' instructions and the experiences of a couple of us tackling the task with pictures. I don't know how to post the link to the thread here but if you type the title in the search box, it will come up. Susan

Re: Big Smokey Burgers Bob: They look wonderful!! Did you cut out the ribs and seeds before stuffing any of them? That would cut down on the heat for her if she otherwise likes them. I like hot food and am lazy so I leave them in but the jalapeno peppers I get around here are pretty hot, really too much for me. But my husband loves them. Then again, he likes to go to an Indian or Thai restaurant and come out with his entire head soaking wet.

Re: Lighting Looftlighter I use a weed burner too and really love it. But the hot air coming out of the Looflighter is attractive when you really don't have time to wait for your fire, especially in light of Dennis' fondness for the hair dryer. I might give it a try now that bwright was kind enough to allay my fears. Interestingly enough, just this morning my husband was ranting about the childproof cap on a gas tank that he uses for the lawn mower and how it took the fellow at the local gas station almost ten minutes to get it off and that he is going to Connecticut next week to buy a new gas tank because they don't have the childproof requirements of New York. BTW, I checked the True 'Cue starters on Amazon and they have them half price ($6.00) and eligible for free shipping with an order over $25.00. Susan

Re: Lighting Looftlighter I might be tempted to try this product but one of the Amazon reviews references having to continually hold the switch in the "on" position when in operation. That is turning me off because I have small hands and generally dislike the child proof features of lighters because either it puts my hand in an awkward position or I have to use two hands. The review referred to it as a "deadman's switch". Can somebody tell me how this switch operates and whether it would be difficult for a person with small hands? Susan

Re: Real Montana Charcoal Peter: That is my family's #1 favorite KK meal - they look fantastic!! My supply is running low so I'll be on the lookout for another batch. I have to say it's hard to belive the reverse sear method is such a success with burgers. You are a master at that technique for sure. Susan

Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback I've seen this question come up a few times recently with all our new owners so I am going to confess: I do not wait until the KK is heat soaked to the targeted cooking temperature to load the food. I do it when the Tru Tel is about 200 deg. I find it much easier not to be working with a hot grill and hot grates for loading food and temperature probes with bulky heavy gloves on. Also, the KK temperature doesn't spike up from having the lid open to load the grill and temp probes. The down side to this method is that I have to pay attention to the grill temp for a while for it to stabilize with the food loaded which I do by carrying around a remote thermometer so that I can monitor it and go outside and make an adjustment to the vents when I need to. But I think its a small price to pay considering it has essentially eliminated my frying probes by dropping them in the KK and not being able to get them out because of the bulky gloves as well as my burning myself various ways from my fingertips to my elbows. Plus, if truth be told, I am just wound too tight for all that waiting. So, you will not ruin your cook if for whatever reason you load your grill before it is heatsoaked. You just need to pay more attention to the temps for the first hour of the cook.

Re: Paella on the KK (NakedWhiz version) Madmedik: Your paella looks wonderful!! I like to use more "toppings" than they traditionally use in Spain as well since that is how my family likes it. After having the same problem you did at the main level for a lot of the cook, I now set up the KK to use two levels when I do paella - the sear grill on the tall handles for sauteing the meats, sofrito, initial toasting of the rice and final toasting of the rice for the soccarat and then the main level for actually baking the rice at about 350. I might have to still do a little temperature control but much less than trying to cook the whole thing on the main level.

Re: Fairfield, CT - Pallet Share I would be interested in a couple of boxes it they can get to Greenwich or Stamford.

Re: Smoked Precooked Ham Cook shack - thanks for letting me know the problem with getting the picture to expand is on my end. Good luck with the ham. Would love to see a pic of it when its done!

Technical Question re Posting Pictures I'm barely computer literate and am hoping one of the techs here can answer a question about pictures. I took the picture of the ham above with my husband's cell phone, emailed it to myself, saved it to "my pictures" and uploaded it to the post with the KK utility. I didn't have to change the size to post it and right after I uploaded it, the picture would get larger if I clicked on it. But now, the picture doesn't expand any longer if I click on it. So why is it that sometimes I have to make the picture smaller to upload it but not always and sometimes the picture will expand to a larger size when I click on it after uploading it here but not always? Susan

Re: Smoked Precooked Ham The glaze is 1 1/2 c brown sugar, 3/4 c honey, 1/2 c mustard and a shot or so of rum. Mix it together and slather it on, no cooking necessary. It made more than I needed, probably enough for a 10 lb ham. I hesitated before choosing the recipe because it seemed like it would be sooo sweet but it didn't seem unusual for a ham glaze recipe when I looked at others. I'm happy I tried it because it is BY FAR the best glaze I ever made in terms of ease of preparation, appearance of the finished meat and flavor. Those juices in the bottom of my pan - drippings from the sugary and tangy glaze mixed with the salty juices from the ham - are to die for. Doc - its a shallow stainless pan only about 10" in diameter and it has a removable rack. I love it for the KK for small roasts. Now that you mention it, I think it would work fine for a small paella. Susan

Below is a pic of a small 6 lb precooked bone in smoked ham I did on the KK yesterday - my inaugural cook of 2012. Stoker 240 indirect for about 3 hours to 135 over 1/2 basket of lump and two chunks of cherry. I put the first coat of glaze on before loading the ham on the KK and then did a 2nd coat when the ham was 90 deg and a 3rd coat when it was 115 deg. I got a nice shiny finish without having to raise the heat near the end of the cook to set the glaze. It was moist and delicious and wonderful!! And I have lots of plans for the leftovers!!

Re: 23" KK Grill Cooking Heights

Re: New York City metropolitan area pallet share I'm interested in a couple of boxes if I can get it to either Danbury, Greenwich or anywhere in the Hudson Valley. Susan

Re: A little help Mark: The reason I sit the baskets on a brick is to keep the top surface of the coals in the Weber baskets at approximately the same height as a full KK basket of lump would be in relation to the sear grill. We like our burgers and steaks crispy and charry on the outside but still rare in the center and merely using a little bit of charcoal in the KK basket or sitting the Weber baskets on the floor of the KK basket keeps the coals too far away from the sear grill for this effect. The heat from the Weber baskets is not as intense as a full KK basket of lump would be but its quite good and uses way less charcoal. I add on 15 or 20 seconds to a cook with the Weber baskets that would take 2 min/side with a full KK basket of lump. The brick does restrict the air flow to some degree I'm sure but there is plenty there for a good hot, quick cook. And, I'm very excited about the new baskets. The Webers work well but they are not KK quality. Susan

Re: A little help Casebeag: Almost all of my KK cooking is some version of a quick cook and I do not use a full basket of lump. I use the Weber baskets sitting on a brick for the lump, which I light with a weed burner. A search of this forum of Weber baskets will show pictures and discussion about them. I also do not wait for the smoke to burn off before adding the food but I think this largely has to do with the brand of lump you use. I use either Royal Oak or Ozark Oak and though they give a considerable smokey flavor to the food, it is not harsh or acrid. But some brands of lump have a more neutral flavor profile. Also, while the food is cooking, I have the lid open for as much time as it is closed, which allows some of the smoke to dissipate. I know that this is unconventional for KK cooking but it works really well for me inasmuch as it is quick, easy, fun and delicious. Susan

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showt ... p?t=124248

Re: Thanksgiving 2011 I got my 4 rebuilt Stoker probes back from Rock's a few days before Christmas but I am just getting the charge on my credit card now. It's definitely a bargain to send him the fried probes rather than just buy new ones. He charged me $80.00 including shipping to rebuild 3 temp probes and 1 pit probe, all of which look brand new in all respects, as opposed to $140.00 plus shipping for 4 new probes. So, if you fry them, don't toss them!!! Susan

Re: Temperature Controllers Doc: Can you monitor/control the Guru from the Internet? That's the feature I love most about Stoker.

Re: Forum Upgrade-Upload multiple images at once! Peter: So how long does it take, approximately, for a steak of that size to reach 120 internal while roasting at 275 deg? Do you keep a thermometer in the meat or just check it periodically?

Re: Forum Upgrade-Upload multiple images at once! Slu: Your NY steak looks fabulous!! Just wondering.... was it a reverse sear? Susan

Re: Forum Upgrade-Upload multiple images at once! One of the benefits of using the camera in my cell phone for the KK is that it automatically downsizes the image when I email it to myself so I can post it without further manipulation. Too bad the pix are so lousy. My KK is in rest mode since I'm not big on cooking in the dark. But, while shopping today for my New Years weekend shellfish, I also bought a small, two bone, prime rib roast which was on sale. I'm tucking it away and expecting to get KK inspired shortly and will try the new posting pix system when I prepare it. Susan

Re: Can I sear steak the day before for Beef Wellington? My third KK seared Christmas Beef Wellingtons. Just wish my camera phone wouldn't wash out the pictures so much. The pastry was much more golden brown than it appears. I kept them very cold and put them in the freezer for 40 min before baking which worked great in getting the pastry completely cooked yet keeping them on the rare side. I also tied them around the side when I seared them to keep them plump so the center of the steak wouldn't cook. Susan

Re: Tips on cooking a beef tenderloin I considered doing a reverse sear on the tenderloins I did recently but I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to judge how the intense heat at the end would effect the carryover cooking and that I might end up overcooking them. So I played it safe.

Re: lighting the grill Slu: It wouldn't be the first time Doc qualifies for such distinction. Have you seen his monster heat deflector? I think its been out of commission for some time now but it was a sight to behold, and sure to fascinate the analysts of the cosmos. Susan