tony b

Excellent job, MacKenzie! Looks awesome. And to quote Ina Garten - "How easy was that?"

Thanks everyone! This is actually a very simple cook. I used my immersion blender's wire whip attachment to beat the whites. The whole cook takes less than 15 minutes.

And you haven't even done a whole chicken yet! Wait until you try that - your mind will be blown! Doesn't matter what technique - whole (just don't do that stupid "beer can" thing!), spatchcocked, or rotisserie.

Ding, Ding, Ding!!! We have a winner!!!

Very nice, indeed.

Trust me, it's crossed my mind a few times since last November!

Today's installment of Purple Crack Cooking - Purple Crack Eggs in the Clouds. Apparently this has become one of the "newest things" in cooking. http://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodculture/cloud-eggs-arent-just-a-pretty-instagram-trend-—-theyre-delicious/ar-BBATtF8?li=BBgdrt0&ocid=spartandhp I learned how to make these many years ago from a good friend's Italian mother. She called them "Bird's Nests" and served them on her toasted homemade bread. Here's brekkie from this morning, and yes, that's my homemade bacon! Prepped, with a dusting of Purple Crack. Out of the broiler. You just want to get a hint of color (colour) on the whites, but not let the yolks set too much. Warning - Food Porn ahead!

I'm a big Santa Maria style for tri-tips. I use Oakridge BBQ's Santa Maria rub. Killer! Also, why I try and keep some red oak around. I'm currently out, so need to order more from Fruita. I typically use the splits. Dozer's cooking tips are spot on - medium rare is the way to go. It is also amenable to reverse searing. I've done both techniques with equal success.

I stash the 2nd basket in the big plastic tub with my charcoal. I just swap back and forth as needed, topping them off each time. And, if any charcoal spills out in the tub, it just ends up back in the pile with the new stuff. No mess, no fuss.

I would have never guessed that in a million years!! Tasty looking meat, too!

Sounds like someone is now on the hook for supplying the crew with tasty bits!

I bought the second basket with my splitter. Just makes things easier to swap back and forth. Less mess, too.

I'm sold on the pink butcher paper for brisket. Not a fan of foil on brisket (makes the crust mushy). I generally wrap my briskets around 170F - AFTER they come out of the stall. I never wrap my butts or ribs on the grill. If I need to hold the meat until dinner time, I'll double wrap them in foil when the come off the grill, wrap that in a big towel, and toss into a cooler. It will stay hot for hours. At very low temps (225F) the stall can last several hours, depending on the quality of the meat. The key here is patience. If you get jammed up for time (guests waiting for food), you can crank up the temperature (325F) and power through it. The classic difference between Low & Slow and Hot & Fast.

OK, Aussie, clue me in on this one?

Current stock - post oak, hickory, mesquite, maple, apple, cherry, peach, pecan, alder and grape vines. I usually stock red oak for Santa Maria tri-tips, but I'm currently out. Post Oak and Mesquite for beef. Alder for salmon. Various combo's of the others for pork and chicken. Usually one base wood (hickory, pecan, maple) with a fruit wood (peach, apple, cherry). Used to use grape vines more, but not so much these days. Very mild wood. I scored some pimento wood from Jamaica, along with the leaves, for doing jerk. Adds a lot of flavor. But, it has to be imported, quarantined by customs, so it takes months to get.

Good basic info on keeping your knives in good shape.

Sick, MacKenzie, just sick! Not only making the pasta, but grinding the grain to make the flour, too! DAH-HAMN!!! @5698k - Roger that, Robert! Not only great cooks, but serious plating skills and professional grade photography! There's a reason we call it "food porn!"

Or, when someone does something very unique that works out well, "That's so Linkletter!"

If you're doing a multi-hour low & slow, they tend to equilibrate out at about a 20F difference - nothing significant. But, directly to your question, you should base your cook on the temperature where the food is.

Or worse, centimeters - Yikes!

Thanks wicked kewl! Never seen that exact process before. I know water jets are used to cut many materials cleanly, especially styrofoam, foam rubber.

Nice use of the Purple Crack. I put some in the sour cream for my baked potato last night, but then added red palm oil to it instead of butter. In the tug of war, red palm oil wins over Purple Crack for coloring, but Crack wins on flavor hands down! What's that on your plated steak slices?

You're on the right track, as many have named theirs after famous dragons. Tell your son that he can call it Norbert if he wants to, especially after he inherits it when you're gone.

If I recall correctly, it was like "Sea Green." I think that there was a Blue version, too. I know that Dennis has discontinued several colors due to unavailability and/or slow sales, and that one might be one of them. He will do custom colors if he can get the tiles.

Great news, indeed! Would have been a crying shame if it had truly been lost.