tony b

You can always make a sachet with cheesecloth to hold the spices together so they can be easily removed at the end of the cook.

I've not made it from true scratch, but I buy the Wagyu tallow online then cold smoke it in the KK. Lots of uses - like cooking potatoes (looking at you @tekobo) and slathering it on steaks instead of butter! And, it's "original purpose" - to smear on briskets when you wrap them in the pink butcher paper - ala Franklin BBQ.

@CaptMorg82 - Congratulations on the Anniversary. Yeah, I'd stay home for that meal! Looks fantastic!

Happens all the time. The burn front is pretty random, so it's hard to predict which direction it will go. It's because the pieces of charcoal are uneven and how they are stacked in the basket. Pretty much unavoidable unless you light the charcoal in multiple spots and cross your fingers that they burn towards each other. I usually have to move food around on the grate to get even cooking (if I'm using the rotisserie) as there are almost always hot spots to deal with.

Indeed, a good "practice run" for the main event down the road.

@PVPAUL - thanks for the tip! I'd prefer chunks over chips, but beggars can't be choosy!

The hardest part, at least here, is sourcing the pimento wood. There were some regulation changes a few years ago that made it cost-prohibitive for folks to import it here from Jamaica. I have a stash, but am judicious about using it. The leaves and allspice berries are very easy to get.

Awesome!

Can't wait to see how the jerk chicken comes out for you?

Hope the Easter Bunny was good to all y'all! 🐰 Easter lamb dinner here - tenderloins, direct @ 325F. Plated, with rosemary & garlic roasted potatoes and haloumi "fries" (cheese coated in crumbs and baked), side salad, and nice Merlot.

Welcome to the Obsession!

☘️🍀🌈 Not doing anything super special here. A couple of Irish Ales. Bangers & mashed for dinner. A nice Jameson's after dinner.

Pizza stone is a very good add-on. Buying it later risks breakage in shipping solo. Plus, we tell all new buyers to load up the pallet with as much CocoChar and Coffee wood as possible. Only way to get it at a reasonable price without having to buy a full pallet.

I use both techniques, depending on the situation. I just used the smoker pot yesterday when doing a pork brisket. The foil pouch works better on short cooks, as it comes up to temp to smolder the wood faster, but it doesn't burn as long as the smoker pot (at least for me anyway.)

The smoker pot and aluminum foil pouch work on the principle of starving the wood of oxygen so it does not fully burn, but just smolders. Plus, if the holes are pointed downward into the fire, then the escaping vapors burn off the volatiles (like the alcohol), giving you a cleaner smoke. Placing the chunks of wood directly in the basket does work, as you said, if you're patient enough to let it burn past the white smoke phase, but on the downside, you've lost some wood in the process that's not giving you the full benefit.