Paswesley

The discussion about dutch ovens got me to thinking about the potjies that I own. Dutch ovens and potjies are similar, but there are a few significant differences. A great thing about the potjie is the fact that the super heavy duty lid is designed to be inverted and used as a cooking surface! I happened to stumble across something that you Texan KK owners may be interested in. The annual Texas Potjiekos Festival will take place in about ten days. Expatriat S. African Texans hold an annual potjiekos festival as a celebration of their potjie cooking heritage. I am no S. African, but I believe potjiekos (Poi-kee-kohss) is a cuisine that developed around the use of the potjie kettle for everyday cooking. Mguerra may be close enough to the festival site to check it out, if so inclined. Here is the link to the festival website. Thought I would just toss this out as an FYI. http://texaspotjie.com/ Happy eating!

Re: Using a Dutch Oven (cast iron) on the KK? Anyone use the @johnnyboy: Thanks. I like it a lot. I got mine six years ago, before the price shot up. I only paid $44.95 for it. The price for a No. 3 flat bottom now is $99.95. Here is a link if anyone is interested: http://www.potjiepotusa.com/default/bes ... otjie.html The No. 14 three legged potjie that I have set me back $169.97 back in 2005. They are now about $329.95. If anyone is interested in a No. 14, here is a link: http://potjiepotusa.com/. These things are, in the world of dutch ovens, as the KK is in the world of ceramic cookers. There is a cuisine that the people of South Africa have developed called Potjiekos. There are many delicious recipes on the site that I will give you, and step by step instructions may be obtained for authentic potjiekos dining. Here is the link: http://www.potjiekosworld.com/ Happy eating! BTW: I spoke with Dennis on the phone yesterday. I asked him whether it is okay to use a No. 3 potjie on the KK, using the sear grill. He said it would handle it without any problem. He reassured me that the grill rods will not deform under the 40 pound weight using temps in the 350 range, and that the ceramic ledge that the sear grill sits on would handle the load with ease. Sometimes you have to go to the source...

Re: Using a Dutch Oven (cast iron) on the KK? Anyone use the @Madmedik: Yes, that is what three legged potjies look like. However, they also come in a flat bottomed version. The flatbottomed ones come in smaller sizes than the three legged ones. Here is a pic of my No. 3 flat bottomed potjie. Now, will someone knowledgeable please answer my questions? Thanks

Re: Using a Dutch Oven (cast iron) on the KK? Anyone use the Forum Family: I have something that is akin to a dutch oven. It is called a flat bottomed potjie. The Boers who settled in South Africa introduced this type of cooking kettle. Most of them have three legs. I have a No. 3 flat bottom with 8 quart capacity, and a No. 14 three leg potjie. The No. 14 has a 36 quart capacity. Obviously, the larger potjie is too large to fit the 23" OTB KK. However, I have often been tempted to use the No. 3. So, I am happy to see this topic come up. The No. 3 weighs 25 pounds empty, and with food to capacity, could weigh as much as 40 pounds. The potjie would have to be placed on the lower, searing grill. Do you think that the 40 pound weight, concentrated into about an eight inch disc shaped area, would cause the heated grill to sag? Also, do you think the ceramic ledge that the grill is resting on could be damaged by the weight of the potjie and its contents? I would appreciate some opinions, especilly from Dennis. There are some very knowledgeable people on this forum, and I am confident that I will get a well reasoned answer to my questions. I eagerly await a response. Thanks

Re: Three Extruder Machines are in the House! No but someone who didn't know all the back stories could misread it... I was one of those who did not understand the reference. Thanks, Syzygies, for clearing it up. To the "upperclassmen" on the forum: Remember that here are a lot of "sophomores" and "freshmen" on the forum. Thanks

Re: Would you have cooked this Chicken? Looks like that bird has been chowing down on some "soyulent green!" Now, let's see how many forum members will admit that they are old enough to understand the reference.

Re: Three Extruder Machines are in the House! Dennis: Looks like you have it packed at twenty eight boxes per pallet. Is that so?

Re: Totalled the wife's new car......but I redeemed myself Nice car! I'm sorry, glad you were not hurt, and congratulations- in that order.

Re: Three Extruder Machines are in the House! @Pyrophoria: Send me a PM. I will put you in contact with the person in this area who is coordinating the pallet share.

Re: Three Extruder Machines are in the House! Dennis: What are you referring to when you mention those who bought at a higher price and so forth? Are you talking about coal that was bought when you sold coco coal before? Thanks.

Re: Three Extruder Machines are in the House! @slu: It should be divided in the order in which we asked for some. That would make me ninth on the list!

Re: First run with the Auberins controller @Cook_Shack: I am going to cook a sirloin roast this weekend, similar to the one that Saison cooked. Here is my question. Since this cut is ball shaped, with a radius of about 4 - 5 inches, won't the outer sections of the roast be tougher than the center? You really insist that the cut toughens quickly after 145 degrees. Is this why you want the internal temp to go no higher than 145? It seems like a no-brained kind of question, but usually the dumb question that you are afraid to ask is the issue that winds up biting you in your shady parts.

Re: First run with the Auberins controller Discussions evolve Cook_Shack. I am appreciative of the direction that it took, because I have been disappointed in my previous efforts to cook the cuts that you mentioned. This discussion string gives me renewed hope that I can cook those cuts.

Re: First run with the Auberins controller Thanks Cook_Shack. I think I will try one this weekend. Paswes

Re: Anyone hear of this Komodo cooker? Sorry, Dennis. I did not really pay attention to the KO instead of KA. I really do understand the difference. The bottom line is that the Bayou Classic cannot hold a candle to an OTB.

Re: First run with the Auberins controller Glad it turned out well. Doc, do I understand you to say that a round roast with a finish temp of 150 should be cooked at that temp? Thanks

Re: Mega Meatloaf @mguerra: Sage advice Doc. That oil dripping is good for their coats as well. I had a red Dobermann once, and her coat was dull on the regular kibble that her vet prescribed. I put some bacon or sausage drippings on her kibble and her coat picked up a nice sheen within a couple of weeks.

Re: Mega Meatloaf It was cooked using the indirect method. You can laugh all you want, but we are the ones consuming this delicious loaf. We weren't laughing, we were eating second helpings. Keep familiarizing yourself with glazes, rubs, fire rings, etc, and you will be able to detect cooking methods before you know it. Newbies have to cut their teeth somewhere.

Re: Anyone hear of this Komodo cooker? Sure, I've seen this cooker before. They are regularly offered for sale at Lowe's here is Severn, MD. I very briefly considered buying one of these(for about the time it took me to look it over, come home, and pull up Dennis' cooker for a comparison). There is no comparison between this cooker and an OTB. It is like comparing a Honda Civic to a BMW. Don't get me wrong, for those who buy this cooker, I am sure it can produce good food and I don't want to come off as an elitist. I am just trying to say that you get what you pay for, and if you can obtain a KK then by all means do so. You will not regret it.

The meatloaf that I cooked last week was devoured with particular vigor, and they clamored for more. So, I am making another one. I am using the recipe that I posted last week (Robust and Hearty Meatloaf). I figured I would make one so big, it will take several days to get rid of. I increased the recipe by one third. So, this is a 9.5 pound meatloaf. I'd like to see Adam Richmond scarf down this one within sixty minutes! To give you a sense of scale, the pan that I am using is a foil turkey roasting pan that accommodates a 25 pound bird. I have poked numerous holes in the bottom of the pan so that excess fluids can drip away. I don't want it swimming in fat! BTW: The dark colored spots on the meatloaf are raisins. Here are two more pics. The first is the mega meatloaf at 170 internal, ready to be taken off the cooker. We like it well done. It is still very juicy. [ATTACH]n68238[/ATTACH]

Re: New Autumn Nebula Thanks for the info.

Re: Smoked Egg Pate "I love eggs, from my head down to my legs!" I will eat them at any stage from raw to hard fried. I have a particular fondness for deviled eggs and similar dishes. How do you prepare the pate? " This looks delicious. I will check out the crockpot, too. I carried about six pounds of pulled pork to church today, to rave reviews. That crockpot would be better than heating it in the microwave, as we had to do. Thanks, Anton

Re: New Autumn Nebula Beautiful cooker and beautiful dog! Is the dog a Tibetan Mastiff? Does she drool and how is she with seven year old boys? I am looking into a breed type for my family. Use your new KK with pride and joy. Welcome to the family! Paswesley

Re: It made it Congratulations! I also unpacked and set up my 23" OTB by myself. It took about an hour and a half. I am not as young as I used to be, nor as strong. Pics?

Re: Robust and Hearty Meat Loaf Thnks, Doc. This sounds very delicious. I will do some experimenting. Thanks. Anton