tony b

Splendid first cook. Interesting wine pairing for sure! For pork, I gravitate towards soft/fruity reds - Rhones or Burgundy varietals.

When I retired, this is one of my presents to myself. I had always wanted a dedicated space to brew so I didn't have to haul all the stuff in and out of the basement up to the kitchen on brew days. Yes, Ken, it's a nice red, but I actually re-purposed the box to stash some nice beers for short-term aging. But, what you can't see for that box is the stash of good Bourbons that I brought back from last year's KY Bourbon Trail vacation! My bar is overflowing, so I'm having to use some real estate in the brew room to store it! Damn, what a major problem to have - LOL!

Pretty close to Aaron Franklin's method. Take as much of the "hard" fat off as possible. It doesn't do anything to help keep the meat moist. It's not going to melt much and like he said, it just becomes insulation on the meat, keeping it from cooking. But, if you like to cook yours fat cap down, then leave some of that "insulation" on, otherwise, trim it as shown.

See if you can find some Tiger Prawns in your area, in particular Asian markets, as they are usually in this size category. In the States, this size is usually only found during peak harvest season in the Gulf, around August.

OK, then, I'll have to get a bit creative then. You running low on anything that you'd like more of, or some other Dizzy Pigs you want to try? btw - finally got to try the Bush Lamb seasoning tonight on some lamb chops. Nice! Need to find an excuse to do a leg or some Denver ribs, so I can really test it out. I'll probably send you some of my "house" lamb seasoning blend, so you can compare. Mine is a blend of different Mediterranean influences, so you'll have to tell me how spicy/hot you'd like it? When I make it, it has a kick to it because I skew towards Moroccan over Greek.

I suspect adult beverages were involved!

Good luck with that first cook of the pork roast. Looks naked - did you put anything on it? I'd take that Unibroue anyday! Love their beers.

Aussie, nicely done. Aaron Franklin says to leave about 1/4" of fat is all. And, I follow his butcher paper wrap technique as well. Works great.

Ken, I'm not nearly that high tech. But, I have a nice arrangement in the basement with a dedicated burner & vent hood, a nice deep commercial sink for cleaning and lots of nice stainless table tops. I'm in the middle of brewing the Oktoberfest right now. The boil is just about done. So, back to the brew room to finish up.

Hey Charles, you got the peach covered?

Those look seriously tasty!

What size shrimp? I suspect that they're at least 21 count (Large).

@Shuley - I only do this with fairly thick steaks (> 1 1/2") to start with. If you use the lower grate*, as in my pictures, I was flipping it about every 5 minutes to start with, and as it began to soften in the middle (i.e., thaw), I dropped down to about every minute. Once the outside begins to look like I want it, then I check the internal temp. I likely med rare, so I shoot for 125F, with a 10 minute rest for a final IT of 130F. If the outside begins to get too dark before you hit your target IT, then you can move the steak off to the side and roast it indirectly until target (a great benefit to having the split basket). If you don't have the split basket, move the steak off the lower grate to the main grate to slow down the cooking. * I wouldn't try this with the sear grate. You'll burn the outside way before you thaw the middle; unless of course you like "black & blue." If you use the main grate, I'd start out at 10 mins per side, then drop down to 2 minutes.

I've done the experiment where you take the steak out of the freezer, lightly oil it, season it, then toss onto the KK. Works great and no need to remember to thaw it out first!

Glad to see that Dennis' bot was kept at bay! LOL Nice looking ribs, too! I have a crazy brew schedule coming up. After the Oktoberfest is in primary, going to try my hand at a kettle sour for the first time - a Flemish Red, ala Duchesse de Bourgogne, for a beer festival in mid-May. Then I need to get my Imperial Stout done for our club competition in July. And, then a Green Tea Belgian Golden Strong for NHC (HomeBrewCon) in June. Finally, at the beginning of May, we're doing a wort rally with a local brewery again. We're hoping the winner can qualify for the GABF Pro-Am in the Fall. Going to be totally brew'ed out by May!

MEAT CANDY!

Guess I'll just have to surprise you with some stuff then.

Just kegged my Witbier this afternoon. Hit the homebrew supply store for the stuff to make my Oktoberfest. A little late this year, but hope to brew it Sunday.

I get post oak from Fruita woods for my brisket. Usually mix of post oak, hickory, and mesquite in the smoker pot.

Damn, now I'm hungry! Can't wait to see the plated pic!

Wasn't worried, Aussie! Knew you wouldn't leave me standing at the alter. You'll have to PM me with your "wish list" for the return box.