tony b

Get one of these, they are magic! https://smile.amazon.com/Kotobuki-190-803-Earthenware-uncooked-resulting/dp/B00C7SIGUO

So, I FINALLY got around to using my new half rack last night. Works great, as expected! Grilled corn on the cob and a nectarine (w/Pineapple Head), with a nice sirloin below. Direct - 350F with a chunk of mesquite. Nectarine went on the salad, with arugula, spinach, red onion, toasted almonds and feta cheese. Grainy mustard and basil vinaigrette. (Sorry, this one was a bit fuzzy!) Plated. Mushrooms with a balsamic glaze on the sirloin. Was disappointed in this corn - very starchy, which tells me it wasn't very fresh.

Not a big deal to slightly bend your angle probes to go through the port. Many of us have done it successfully. Just take it nice a slow and bend gradually. @Alohapiggy - consider building yourself a smoker pot out of a cast iron dutch oven. Works great and no worries about "bad smoke." A couple of key tips - holes in the bottom of the DO, not the lid, and second - only takes 3 small (1/16" - 3/32") holes. Some folks drilled way too many or too large holes and it doesn't work as well.

Glad your daughter alerted you to the problem and you were able to save the cook!

They are amazing grilled with a bit of char on them. It really does change their flavor in a good way. Fingers crossed that I can find bags of them at my Costco.

I like using my Guru on really long cooks, just for the piece of mind, especially if I have to leave the house for a while. While it's not foolproof, it might have saved your cook.

Nothing wrong with that!

@MacKenzie - roasted shishito peppers for breakfast - you go, gurl!! I will have to look for them during my next Costco run. I really like them, especially with a dipping sauce of white soy sauce (Shoyu), sweetened rice vinegar, and sesame oil. I tried to grow them, but I only got like one or two peppers at time, which never was enough. I'm trying again this year, but with 4 plants instead of 2.

I've had fires go out mid-cook before, but it's rare. The one time that I can recall the reason was that my smoker pot was sitting on top of the burning coals and when they burned up more, the pot slide down and blocked the fire from getting to the unlit charcoal in the basket. I now make sure that my fire is started at the front of the smoker pot and not completely under it.

As noted, this part is just to help keep ashes away from the draft door and as a secondary heat deflector so you don't burn up the wooden knobs. Good advice from others to only bend the tubes in the draft door, never the rods on the door themselves. It's a bit counter-intuitive, but you put the screwdriver into the tube and slightly bend it in the OPPOSITE direction of where you want to put more pressure on the draft door.

Someone's running the show over there, as I still get a random email from them same as ever??

He makes it looks so easy - LOL!

Dennis can weigh in with the definitive answer, but my recollection is a FULL pallet is 120 boxes. This order was just a 1/4 of a pallet.

Bad flashback, dude, to my POSK!!

Very nicely done, Aussie! Did you parboil the pieces before the air fryer?

As promised, Bruce, today's rib cook. Indirect, 250F w/Guru, smoker pot with hickory and apple wood chunks. Ribs were rubbed with Sucklebuster's Baam! and Cimarron Doc's and stashed overnight in the fridge. Last 45 minutes, add the ear of corn. Sauced one end with the homemade BBQ sauce. While I've not been a big "sauce guy," this is growing on me. Plated with salad and crusty bread with a nice Rose. Corn was 24 hours older, so not quite as sweet as last night's cook, but still OK.

Dude, that was stoopid! Tomato pie is a new South staple!

Whoa!! Where did that guy come from?? Tony, we haven't seen you post in years, dude! Where have you been lurking?? Glad to have you back in the Family!!

Was wondering if I harvested them and put them in a jar with salt, would it be the same as your salted chives?

Went to water my veggie garden this morning and noticed that my chive plant was in full bloom. I know that they are edible, but can't seem to think of a way to use them that's worth cutting them off??

Thanks for the tip, MacKenzie - I'd never thought of using my chile rack for chicken legs either. Too bad that I didn't see your post in time for last night's cook! Chicken legs marinated and injected with Uncle Dougies, the thigh was rubbed with baking powder and salt and put into the fridge for several hours, then rubbed with Slap Yo Daddy rub, and finished with a homemade BBQ sauce. Cooked direct @ 350F with cherry wood chunks. Plated with some nice pasta in fresh basil and butter sauce, heavy black pepper and Pecorino Romano. And Yes, MacKenzie, I'm having a lot of fun cooking this weekend! Our weather has finally turned the corner after all that rain and storms.

A man after my own heart! I hope to replicate this plated photo later today!

Indeed. Good to know for future pallet shares of cocochar and coffee wood orders!

Hang on, Bruce, I just took a rack of ribs out of my freezer for smoking tomorrow. Pictures will follow - promise! Speaking of pictures - last night's cook - a nice tri-tip from Trader Joes, done Santa Maria style (Oakridge Santa Maria Rub) with chunks of post oak and mesquite woods, basket splitter, started on the indirect side @ 250F, until an IT of 125F, then onto the lower grate direct over the coals to add some more color and crust. Plated with potato wedges in the air fryer with garlic & rosemary oils, dusted with spicy seasoned salt. Had some of the yummy tomato aioli leftover from the night before, so onto the spuds it went. Had some chimichurri in the fridge, as well, so it went on the meat - guess I was feeling "saucy!" Finished off with a nice red wine. Bon Appetit!

I hear that! Whoever said retirement was boring never met me! Some days I'm lucky to get everything done that I want, but the best part is - tomorrow's another day and you get a clean slate on your "to do" list.