NapDogg

I have been meaning to try this cut for a while. It's part of the shoulder where Flat Iron steaks are cut from. It's similar to a brisket but much more manageable for 2 people at 5 lbs and quite a bit less expensive per pound. I cut two steaks off the end and smoked the rest on coco + post oak. Just salt & pepper rub. I heard it can have an even more beefy flavor compared to brisket being from a working muscle. I would have to agree with this one. Porter Road doesn't disappoint. There is connective tissue that separates the top fat-cap layer from the bottom. The top is fattier like a brisket point and the bottom is more like the flat. Top melts in your mouth.

Άσπρο πάτο !

@5698k The bread was great and did its job. Light and airy enough to soak up the juices without turning the crust to a messy mush. I'm not an advanced baker. I just follow Ken Forkish, (Flour Water Salt Yeast). Tiny bit of yeast and give it lot's of time to make flavor. It's not complicated, but you do have to plan a day ahead. Once you get the dough started, you're on its schedule. Pretzel buns baked in the KK:

There's an Irish Pub in New Orleans called the Erin Rose where we got this a few years back. It was too good not to try to replicate. Smoked pork belly with a Dark Rum and Ginger glaze, mustard/garlic aioli, and slaw on home baked baguette.

@Tyrus No worries at all. Agreed, with a KK where air flow is controlled, the combustion is slow, and you want a lighter smoke profile --KD seems like a smart choice. For an offset smoker it might make a bigger difference vs. air dried wood. I used to run a home built water smoker and tried soaking wood chunks overnight to prevent flare ups. It didn't seem to make a difference. I cut a chunk open to see what it looked like and the water barely penetrated the surface. Sorry to hear about your dog. Losing a pet is tough. We just lost 2 cats in the last year. One cat was named Napoleon and had a lot of dog-like behaviors, so that's where that came from. When I created the account I thought Sarah & I might share it so picked a name for both of us. You can call me Eric. Cheers

Gumbo!

@Tyrus After further review... you are correct. I wonder if there's much difference in the smoke produced. Could high kiln temperatures cook off some of the aromantic compounds? KD wood (lower moisture content) might burn hotter, faster and cleaner --but maybe slightly less complex flavor.

@tony b Ha! Yes "Purple Crack". Definitely want to micro dose. A few berries go a long way.

A woodworker trick to dry out those green branches... put the chips in a cardboard box with a light bulb (some even use Christmas tree lights). I would be careful about using cut-offs from a wood shop. Most of that wood is kiln dried with some nasty chemicals.

Opposite Day on Taco Tuesday? I've smoked a lot of beef brisket and pork belly, but never the other way around. I put the pork brisket on the dome rack and got a just-right bacon flavor accent on the beef belly under it. Try ordering that at a restaurant! Dry aged beef belly smoked to probe tender (195f) and rested overnight @150f in a sous vide bath. Sides were pickled onions w/Tasmanian Pepper berries, baked beans w/peppers, onions and dark chocolate, slaw and cornbread --you definitely need to balance the insanely rich belly. If I were to change anything I'd back off the smoke a touch. It was great but more summer afternoon loud crowd/loud music vs. quiet winter thaw celebration... but the pork over beef is staying in the rotation. Has anyone else found other amazing KK meat stack combinations?

@PVPAUL I have a 21" and when I do rotisserie cooks there's not much room for a drip pan. I take out the lower sear grate, put the heat deflector on the basket handles and put a cast iron skillet on top of that.

I can get ZENFIYAH coco-char locally, but it's not cheap. I got burned by some under carbonized char one time and I had to cut the bark off a prime rib. I tasted like Diesel. So I just pay the $90/40 lbs. insurance and try not to think about it.

For remote monitoring of the dome temp, (low temp cooks only), I drill 2 holes in a wine cork. I push the cork onto the end of the dome probe, and a (thermoworks) probe goes in the other. I run the cable back and out of top vent. If you need any help, just send me a California Cab or Zin, and I will send you back the cork with holes in it.

Ahh... we all remember delivery day. So happy for you. RE: Adjusting the intake and vent. Nothing to stress over, but the other component of air flow not to overlook is the fire basket. The lump in the photo above looks good. But as you get to the bottom of the bag the smaller pieces will pack tighter and restrict air flow just like the intake does. So if your settings seem to vary more than you expect, it could be that. For a low and slow cook with coco-char (which always leaves a lot of space for airflow), I have my intake open not much more than a quarter slot. With lump it seems to vary between 1 to 2 0'clock for me.