tony b

Nice cowboy ribeye for dinner last night. Sous vide @ 130F for 2 1/2 hours, then onto the sear grate to finish. Pecan and Post Oak. Did a simple cheese and asparagus tart to go with it. Plated with a nice cold iceberg lettuce salad with bacon, tomatoes and blue cheese, paired with a lovely 2013 SLV Fay cab. And gotta have shrooms on the steak! But what to do with leftover asparagus tart?? Sous vide poached eggs on top for Easter brunch with a heavy dose of purple crack! Happy Bunny Day, ya'll!

@ckreef - think Salmon Lite.

To quote a previous POTUS - "I feel your pain!"

I like to do briskets at 275F and there's still a bit of a stall around 160F IT. After the stall, around 170F, then I wrap in pink butcher paper (ala Franklin BBQ) until the IT hits 203F. I'm still partial to doing butts a bit lower at 250F.

If it had been me, I'd have toasted that puppy with the MAPP torch in a heartbeat! No regrets!

Like that one, too!

Yes, but I haven't gotten to use it yet. Like Tucker, I plan to use it for veggies while searing stuff on the lower grate. Might give it a go on a reverse sear steak cook, with the basket splitter - charcoal in the front.

I also love the coffee rub from Dizzy Pig. https://dizzypigbbq.com/product/red-eye-express/

Welcome to the Obsession. Can't wait to see those pics of the uncrating and first cook!

@MacKenzie - what? no purple crack??

No harm, no foul, in my book!

Like "The Man" said, open the vents top/bottom and close the lid. I typically do several full turns on the top and open the half moon on the left knob. Once I get to about 50F below my target temp, then I set the vents for that temperature. You don't want to overshoot, as it's really hard to bring the temperature back down once the KK is heat soaked. No one uses the big ceramic heat deflectors anymore, as noted - just slows down the heatup process. Either aluminum foil on the lower grate or a drip pan works. Be cautious about pulling the lower vent door out, as ashes can get in the door frame making it hard to close the door fully and stop the airflow to snuff out the charcoal. If you want to "turbo" the airflow, pull the Guru plug out instead.

True, those of us with the smaller KKs can't get this same configuration; but, the 23" can do a decent approximation of it. However, the 23" has a round charcoal basket, so we can do front/back splits and not just left/right. This front/back configuration works great when you are using the rotisserie, as you can put the fire in the back, so the meat as it rotates in and out of the direct heat zone.

I may have figured out a pattern, as it just did it to me again. I was posting an emoji only response. I've also noticed that it usually does it after a couple of posts, as well. Never on the first one.

Any progress in fixing this?? I had it blow up again earlier today. It's getting frustrating, as it's totally random when it happens, so you never know when it will do it.

Assuming that you will have the normal amount of side dishes/salads/dessert, etc. That's probably too much meat, as you're currently planning a full pound per person (pre-cooked). Two boneless legs should be enough. I like to keep it simple - make a paste of olive oil, fresh rosemary, crushed garlic cloves and S&P (maybe some purple crack if you have it). Rub the legs generously with it, both inside and out. Tie up the legs with good butcher's twine. Cook direct on the main grate @ 350F until an IT of 130F (lamb should be cooked no more than medium, IMHO). For lamb, I like to use a combo of oak and apple woods for smoke. Good luck and post pics of the big Bunny Day cook!

Got that site bookmarked for future spice shopping. Thanks for the tip, MacKenzie!

Hang in there, Charles! As the saying goes, "If at first you don't succeed, try and try again!"

He's such a hoot!

Indeed. We often see moisture seeping out around the bottom of the draft door - the beauty of the KK!

Glad it worked out for you. One question - when you opened it up after the cook, had the wood chunks inside turned to charcoal or was there a bunch of ash? For others that want to do this, it's not necessary to put that many holes in it, nor do they need to be that big. Three small holes (1/8" drill bit) are really all it takes. The idea is to let just enough air inside to support the wood smoldering (producing smoke) without it getting enough air to actually burn. Also, to be complete - the holes go in the bottom and not in the lid to force the smoke produced to exit back into the fire and burn off some of the nasty volatiles to produce cleaner smoke. OK, lecture's over, class dismissed!

THANK YOU for adopting an older dog! They need good homes, too! He looks like a sweetie!