Cookie

Re: Would you have cooked this Chicken? I wish I had not seen this...I will now have to flashlight the cavity of every bird that passes through our kitchen...if that can happen in the US, no doubt it can happen here in Asia...nasty.

Re: Easy Peasy Pork Butt Gents, I'm not going to pretend to know much about the science behind all of this, but what I do know is that until I started adding the water pan into the Komodo for low and slow cooks, my cook times here in Singapore were much shorter than what they should be... For example, ribs at 220F were taking 2 hours and were coming out dry, similar results with pork butt...23 pound turkey was done in 3 hours at 230F dome. The first thing I did was check the calibration of my dome temp thermo vs. my thermapen. It was off by less than 5 degrees (on the high side). Dialed it back, still didn't fix my problem. Next, I put a surface thermo on the upper grate, and it and the dome temp are always within 5 degrees of each other...still didn't fix the problem. After that, I started adjusting other variables, one per cook, to see if that would make a difference. Add two inches of water in a pan, presto, my cooks are taking "normal" amounts of time. Why...I have no idea, would be hard to imagine that it is absorbing that much energy, but if it is, fine, I'm not using more/less fuel from what I can tell. I'm wondering if living right on the water, with lots of salt in the air, has anything to do with it, but who knows...I've also wondered if the high humidity of the air entering the cooker here creates a steaming effect....I don't know, all I do know is that friggin pan of water has slowed down my low and slow cooks, and that is a good thing...

Re: Using a Dutch Oven (cast iron) on the KK? Anyone use the I'd like to hear more from those using enamel in the KK....I currently use cast iron for baked beans in the KK, etc, but have to say I don't like the required maintenance to keep it seasoned...I'm using a lodge logic which is supposed to be easier, but it isn't.... Enamel users please weigh in...do the finishes get destroyed by smoke, etc? I guess if you went with a grey or black it wouldn't much matter...can you set enamel directly on the coals as you can with cast iron? Not that I ever do that unless camping...

I've had to edit this post and change the name from "Easy Peasy Pork Butt" to "Sold a KK Pork Butt." We recently made some new friends through my wife's pre-natal pilates class and invited them over for dinner (for the first time). After the meal described in my initial post below, they proceeded to go home and order a KK -- after one meal... Gotta love the power of the Komodo Kamado. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I did a very simple pork butt here in Singapore yesterday, it turned out well, so thought I'd share. Here is roughly how I did it... 9 Pound Bone In Pork Shoulder BBQ Rub (something in the pantry I'd made previously, I think maybe a rub out of the Wiviott Low and Slow book) Vinegar based Mop Sauce BBQ Sauce (I made up a batch of Big Bob Gibson's Red Sauce) Steps: 1. Massaged the entire shoulder with one cup of vinegar for a few minutes and then rinsed. 2. Applied the rub 3. I filled the basket with extruded coconut lump (don't get excited, this is the "old" batch that Dennis was selling, not his new stuff that I don't have my hands on yet). 4. Used a Mapp Torch to light one spot in the middle of the basket, maybe a 2-3 minute torching of an area the diameter of a can of coke....torch till glowing and small flame when torch removed, flame dies down quickly. 5. Made a good sized foil smoke pouch with a mix of pecan and hickory pellets (BBQ Delight Brand). Poked one hole in the bottom of the pouch and placed it directly on the lit spot in the basket, with some room for air to circulate underneath, hole in pouch facing down into lit coals. 6. Put the heat deflector stone right on top of the basket handles 7. Put a pan of water right on top of the heat deflector 8. Put all of the grates back in the KK 9. Top Damper opened to 1/8 of a turn; Bottom Damper opened just a smidge (maybe just less than a dime's thickness) 10. Let KK come up to temp for about 45 mins (upper grate temp 225F, dome thermometer reading about 220F) 11. Placed butt on upper grate (my theory is that more smoke hangs out up towards the top, I'm sure other's have their own opinions, but it also allows me to slide my cast iron dutch oven full of baked beans directly under the butt, onto the main grate, for the last 3 hours of the cook, catching some nice drippings / flavor for the beans. 12. Temp held steady at 225F; Mopped and flipped / rotated every couple of hours for 8 hours. At 8 hours, internal temp was 170 and I needed to get it finished, so raised temp to 300F for 45 more mins, pulled it off at 185 internal temp and let it rest for 20 mins, was 190F when I pulled for sandwiches. The meat was juicy and had great flavor. Before: After: Served with... Vinegar based slaw Baked Beans Corn on the Cob Mac N Cheese Corn Bread Lava Cakes For Dessert And today....leftovers.

Re: Low and Slow With Lump Question Thanks everyone for the thoughts, you have all kind of confirmed a suspicion I had....the lump may not be that good (fully carbonized)... It has been years since I tried to do a low and slow with anything other than the extruded coconut, I didn't think I remembered lump giving me too many problems. I'll see what else I can source here in Singapore...wish I had access to what you guys in the States, and probably even the Aussies, have access to... Fortunately, I still have a couple of boxes of the extruded coconut left from a previous order....one of which is going to good use today on a 9 pound pork shoulder / pork butt. Its gonna be samich time tonight... Cookie P.S. I wonder if I sent some of this Mangrove stuff to the Whiz if he'd test it? It is crazy good for high temp cooks, awesome flavor. I wonder how much I'd have to send...Can't be shipping an entire bag from Singapore.... P.S.S. JohnnyBoy, the cover still looks and works like new in a very harsh Singapore environment (Hot, Humid, Salty, Air). Great product. P.S.S.S. If you have lit your lump with a MAPP Torch, you haven't lived. The best (sorry Dennis) accessory one could have for the KK. One bottle lasts a long long time...

Ok, so I had a POS Kamado for about 10 years, and now the much superior KK....I'm no rookie; HOWEVER, I want to hear the thoughts of others on a very basic principle....low and slow using lump. Generally, for low slow, I fill the basket with extruded coconut, light in a couple of places, and use a smoke pot with my choice of smoking wood. This method works great. I've been running low on extruded and decided to try using lump for low and slow. Here in Singapore, I found a supplier of "mangrove" lump, which a lot of the restaurants use, and is supposed to be pretty good stuff. In fact, It is fantastic for direct grilling and high temp stuff...great flavor. My concern using the lump: I fill the basket full of the lump, light with a propane torch in a few places, let it come up to 220ish before adding meat, still use the smoke pot, etc.; HOWEVER, I feel that I'm getting a lot of the white / billowy / acrid smoke, not just when starting up, but also as more of the lump lights throughout the low and slow cook...the flavor just isn't coming out right, and my smoking wood flavor is lost due to the overwhelming smoke flavor from the lump. So, who goes low and slow with lump, how do you avoid this problem, or do you not consider it a problem? I've thought about just firing up less lump in a chimney starter, letting it all ignite and burning off the white smoke, but then I'd have to keep refueling, which kind of defeats the purpose of the KK and I'm lazy...I like a set it and forget it method -- which is what I have down to a science using extruded. Thoughts? Cookie

Re: Pepper Mill Depending on quantity, I use either my full size Cuisinart or my Cuisinart mini-prep for all of the above... I buy one of those big containers of peppercorns at Sam's or Costco, dump a cup in my mini prep and pulse till I get the consistency that I'm looking for depending on the application... Yeah, it is loud and makes a racket, but who cares...it is over quick. The mini-prep is great for mixing up quick rubs, pastes, and marinades...

Re: What is your KK's name? My name is Brian Cook, my friends have called me "Cookie" since childhood, and my Komodo is known by all as "Cookie's Monster." I have a Gen II 23" OTB in metallic bronze.

Re: Stoker for Linux, any interest? JD - I earned a computer science degree about 12 years ago, I sold jet engines for commercial aircraft for 10 years, now I sell commercial aircraft for a living, and I have no idea what you just said. You, my friend, have a KK illness. Actually I do understand what you just said - impressive. Cookie

Re: Do I buy a Guru or Stoker? And why... Please vote/comm How about it Stoker users? Is it realistic to think you can change monitor a cook remotely and actually be able to impact the outcome of a cook once the KK is heat soaked? I'd be inclined to start at a slightly lower temp than if it were going to be a hands on cook, and then adjust the temp up as required after a few hours... As for concerns about leaving the KK unattended? Mine sits on a rooftop with a ceramic tile floor and concrete walls, I don't worry about it (especially since Singapore is in the tropics, and I'm a 5 minute walk from the jungle--all plant life is greener than green, so you ain't gonna spark a forest fire). Mine is also secure with no access to neighbors, wandering kids, etc. If it were sitting on a wood deck or near a house with any kind of flammable construction, I'd think more than twice, brisket ain't worth the whole house (although I bet some here would disagree)...my Dad was a fireman for a long long time, he would lecture anyone here that has thoughts of leaving a KK unattended. He'd probably lecture me for leaving it in an open space on tile surrounded by concrete. Want me to ask him? (Joking) Wishing you all a good weekend - I picked up a bone-in prime rib roast for a dinner party at our place on Sat....will be the first of its type on my KK, so looking forward to it...

Re: Dear Santa Thanks for the clarification Doc. I was thinking about the WSM as a secondary as well, but maybe I'll just hunt Dennis down while I'm in Indonesia on Monday and beat you both to the punch??? I'm a premium flyer on Singapore Airlines, I'm sure I could convince them to check it in for me for the return to Singapore... I have the geographic advantage!

Re: Dear Santa Doc, were you suggesting that I could purchase a WSM for $50 or less for our gift exchange? If you know a place, please do tell, I'll buy one for a friend and throw it in as excess baggage on my way back to Singapore from the USA. I thought they were like $300 USD??? Maybe I misinterpreted your comment...

Re: Do I buy a Guru or Stoker? And why... Please vote/comm I hear what you are saying Rorkin, point taken. I think the attractive thing about the remote monitoring is the ability to see the temperature of the meat. I have visions of throwing a large chunk of something in the KK early on a Friday AM before I head to the office, to have the meat ready for a Friday night gathering with some friends. If its 3PM on Friday and the meat is humming along at a faster pace than expected, I could slow it down via the web, and vice versa, raise the temp to move things along if it isn't as close to being finished as it should be. I'm thinking remote monitoring opens up some opportunities for longer cooks when you are going to be away from the KK for extended periods of time, and you are trying to hit a "hot off the grill" time for a party, etc. I'm going home to the States next week for the holidays, already having KK withdraw.

Re: Dear Santa Doc, how do you keep your jalepeno stuffing (I use cheese with pre-cooked sausage and/or real bacon), from oozing out all over the place? That is the only reason I thought it'd be a good idea, keeps them upright easily. I made a batch last week and tried to seal the tops by wrapping with bacon and sticking in some toothpicks, but they still came apart before the end of the cook and I lost the goodies. My poll that I started separately has overwhelming support for the guru, so I guess I'll go with that one, although I like the idea of the web access and control, so I'm still debating. Decisions Decisions I hear what you are saying Doc about being modest on the cost of items, etc. The wife can get me the guru, won't feel guilty on that one since the funds are from the same source. The rest of the items are within reason for those asking for ideas. We do a large extended family gift swap, where you can steal / trade / bargain, etc., and I've ordered a cheapy Brinkmann smoker and one of the how to books mentioned in this thread, combined for less than $50, which is the spending cap per person for the game. The smoker was on sale online at Home Depot for less than $40 with free shipping. The guys will be fighting over this one...maybe even a couple of the ladies. Anything I can do to generate more interest in the family, which will hopefully lead to more KK'ers in the family.

Re: Dear Santa Fantastic ideas, thanks everyone!

I'm going to get a Guru or Stoker, lets see your votes on which one I should buy, and your comments as to why...

It sounds pathetic, but my wife, mother-in-law, and mother insist that I provide a list of ideas for Christmas every year. They claim that I'm impossible to buy for because when I see something I want, I usually just buy it for myself, leaving them with few alternatives and no ideas. The good thing is that I don't end up with ony socks and underwear, but I still feel like I'm too old to be typing up a wish list. Since my POSK and all the gear I had to go with it are packed away in a warehouse somewhere in the US, and I've recently purchased the far superior KK (affectionately known as "Cookie's Monster), I need to "gear up." I've started a list - but why not let some of you guys & gals help me with it??? What else should be in a KK owner's repertoire??? Here is what I've got so far (keep in mind I have all of Dennis' KK accessories): 1. BBQ Guru or Stoker (I'm going to post a separate topic with a voting button) 2. Surface thermometer: http://www.amazon.com/Outset-F810-Grill ... 006&sr=8-4 3. Bear Paws: http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Paws-D333413 ... 256&sr=1-1 4. Insulated Food Gloves: http://www.amazon.com/Steven-Raichlen-B ... gy_k_img_b 5. Jalepeno Roaster: http://www.amazon.com/Steven-Raichlen-B ... 341&sr=1-2 6. Stainless Veggie Basket: http://www.amazon.com/Weber-6434-Profes ... 490&sr=1-9 7. Pizza Peel: http://www.amazon.com/EXO-Super-Pizza-S ... 592&sr=1-4 8. 2 Qt Dutch Oven To Make Smoke Pot: http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-740 ... 632&sr=1-1 9. Big Bob Gibson Book (Lilly): http://www.amazon.com/Big-Bob-Gibsons-B ... 753&sr=8-1 10. Smoke and Spice Book (Jamison): http://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Spice-Cooki ... pd_sim_b_1 11. Low and Slow Book (Wiviott): http://www.amazon.com/Low-Slow-Master-B ... 011&sr=1-7 12. Back Yard BBQ Book (McPeake): http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-BBQ-Smok ... gy_b_img_c What else? What are your favorite gadgets? Favorite rubs / spices / exotic woods? I have just about every "grilling" book in the top ten at Amazon and B&N. I've got the basic grill tools covered. Cookie

I grabbed these ribs yesterday from the meat counter of a Wally World type place here in Singapore. I belive them to be spare ribs, agreed? Yet they seemed to be trimmed different than what I'm used to....should I leave that big flap on top or trim it off? Pretty basic question from someone that has smoked a couple hundred slabs over the years...although I'm used to doing babybacks and buying the three packs at Sam's or Costco when we lived in the States.

Re: Southwestern Turkey Soup When I'm feelin' lazy, I whip up Roux with this stuff: http://shop.tonychachere.com/instant-roux-mix-5-oz-p-21750.html I also love Chachere's spice n' herbs seasoning...a little olive oil and this stuff rubbed on a steak is fantastic. I usually do a nice thick stip or ribeye and I make a cajun shrimp over angel hair pasta with lemon and garlic to go along with...one of my favorite meals... http://shop.tonychachere.com/spice-n-herb-seasoning-5-oz-p-21722.html

Re: Hi to all I haven't lived in the US for four years, but I agree with the Doc...our Walmarts in Northern Kentucky always had Royal Oak, and Home Depot always had Cowboy. tx - please don't take take this the wrong way, but are you sure you are not looking for something like the KK Extruded Charcoal by mistake? You won't find that in any of the places you've been looking. Maybe there was a run on lump for the Thanksgiving holiday in TX?

Re: Got my KK - ready to cook - questions U2PLT - are you having any issues with creosote build up cooking lots of birds with no drip pans? Seems I read in another thread that someone had been doing that and ended up with a lot of build up in the dome...just curious...if you aren't, wonder what you guys are doing different...

Re: Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors? The surface thermo can take temps to 600*F...can it also take the smoke?

Re: Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors? Thanks everyone for their thoughts and comments...you all have given me things to think about...maybe I left out one other key piece of info that I just thought of... My drip pan was one of those huge oval-shaped aluminum pans you can buy for $2.00 at any supermarket. I'd estimate it is about 3 inches deep. I used a new gravy recipe this year, and prior to adding the gravy/pan to the KK, I had boiled the contents on the range in the kitchen. I then poured the boiling contents into the foil pan and placed directly under the Turkey on the rack that sits between the heat deflector and "main" cooking surface. It was 3 quarts of just boiled liquid. Perhaps that added heat just under the bird had something to do with it as well. I also have to be honest and say that since the KK had leveled off at 350 for about an hour, I just put everything in as mentioned in my original post and walked away for an hour. After the first hour, when I checked it for the first time, the temp was just slighly above 350, so I adjusted the vents and it came back down in the 330-350 range. Perhaps during the first hour it went up to 400 or so due to the gravy heat. No way to tell at this point. Humidity...also a very interesting thought...its impact on charcoal, and moist air may have more of a "steam" effect, thus also cooking things a bit faster? All of my previous POSK Turkey cooks were done in a dry midwest fall climate...hmmmmm....If only I were back in school and needed an idea for a science project. I'm over it...a guru or stoker will be purchased in the near future. Anway, Firemonkey, good tip on adding the heat deflector when you light the charcoal. I've thought about that, but thought it would be too difficult to try and get my foil packet with the wood down under the deflector. I'm going home to the US for Christmas and think I'll pick up a small dutch oven to act as a heat deflector / smoke box. Anyone have a particular make/model/size that they recommend for this purpose? Don't you all just love Thanksgiving leftovers??? We're having smoked Turkey fajitas tonight...

So, I used to cook a Turkey every year on my POSK when we lived in the USA, I had it down to a science. When we moved to Singapore, the tiles had started falling of by then, so we packed it away in storage and it didn't make the trip. Fast forward 4 years later here in Singapoe, and I've recently upgraded to the KK and have been using it every chance I've had for the last few weeks, trying to quickly learn its nuances in preparation for Turkey Day. I've figured out temperature contol and time to heat soak pretty quickly - and I'm not using a guru or stoker. Yesterday, we had out Thanksgiving dinner (Thur/Fri not holidays here in Asia), and the target meal time was 9PM. We bought a USA (Norbest) 20lb turkey (only thing we could get here - to the tune of $125 USD). I was planning on a 4-4.5 hour cook for that size bird at 325F-350F. I preheated the K for about an hour and leveled it off at 350 before adding my smoke wood (foil packet method), heat deflector, drip pan with gravy fixins, and Turkey. She was done in 2.5 hours (I pull the Turkey out when it hits an breast temp of 160, then foil and cover with heavy towels for 30 minutes to let the meat rest, and she ends up around 165). Great bird, very moist, and I'll post some pics in another post later. My question for you guys & gals is.....why did she cook so fast? It didn't impact the quality at all, but I'm starting to wonder if my ambient temperature here in Singapore (it was about 85F last night during the cook), or perhaps even the fact that I'm at sea level has something to do with it? Is there anyone else out there in a very hot/humid climate that finds their cook times much less than "normal?" Dennis, if you read this, how about you in Indo? Like I said, it didn't matter, and the bird stayed nice and hot foiled and wrapped in towels until the 9PM dinner time, but I'd sure like to time it better next time. Brian

Re: New to forum from AU G'Day Frans - Congrats! I just received my bronze KK a couple of weeks ago and it is awesome...you're gonna love it! Had some Brits over for dinner on Sunday that were very impressed with the aesthetics , but were more impressed with the beef tenderloin (Aussie beef I might add).