tony b

Another @Syzygies rabbit hole that I will not be following him down! For that kind of $$, I can hire someone to slice the meat for me!

No need. I glow in the dark after working at a nuclear power plant for 30 years!

Indeed. I cook in the rain all the time, when it's snowing, too. Just don't let the inside of the KK get wet. As long as your grout is in good shape, the outside will be fine.

@johnnymnemonic - one of the "tricks" to crispy skin - baking powder. Rub it on the skin before you airdry it in the fridge (preferably overnight) with some salt and maybe a bit of cornstarch (makes kind of a paste to hold everything on). Changes the pH as well as drying it out. Lightly brush it off and apply your seasoning rub before cooking.

As noted, the benefit of the 23" having the round basket so you can put the fire in the back, as Dennis noted on the upswing side of the rotation. Nice job with the longways basket splitter. Dennis is always looking for upgrades, so I'm sure that he's already working on this one.

That would most people's reactions to poochies jokes! 🤪

I'm notorious for having a pantry FULL of spice rubs, most of which get used a couple of times and then forgotten. A few spices will lose some flavor over time, but nothing ever "goes bad." This post reminds me that it's time to do a pantry clean out/purge!

Nicely done on both cooks! Congrats on your Dad's 70th! I did a Prime Top Round roast that I found "buried" in the downstairs freezer. Indirect, with Guru at 250F, smoker pot of mesquite and post oak. Cooked to 195F. Wrapped in butcher paper slathered with Wagyu beef tallow at 170F. Took a bit longer than I had anticipated (an extra hour), but I was happy with the outcome - crazy smoke ring! Plated with sous vide mashed potatoes with gravy made with the shallot crack sauce (awesome!) and some "roasted" corn (LOL - I over did it a bit and the paprika got really dark!)

I built it so long ago, that I don't recall. I "believe" it's stainless. It's never shown any signs of oxidation.

You "cleaned it up" a bit, too!

I have both and use both. Each has its own advantages depending on the cook. Whole birds do better in the basket. Individual pieces do better on the spit with forks. Plus, I fabricated a cage for the basket to roast chile peppers in - works great. YMMV

That's your company? Way Cool! I've been reading about these solar shingles lately.

An oldie, but a goodie! That would be @Poochie's wheelhouse! 🤣

@tekobo - I'm sure that your cider will be just fine. Nice tip on using the lees to marinate meats. I'll try and remember that the next time I make a batch of cider (been on my "to do" list for a couple of months now.) Sound very similar to the Japanese Shio Koji marinade that I've fallen in love with, very similar to your sake lees.

Looks wonderful. You know that I'm now a junkie for suya - thanks to you! Beef, pork, chicken - it's all good.

At least you tried it. I haven't done a caveman in a very long time.

Remember the pic of the snow on my deck on NYD? Well, I cleared it off yesterday enough to get to the KK to cook dinner, seeing as it was the warmest day we'll see this week (34F). A couple of notes: 1) Reminder if you live where it's cold like here, remember to take out your dome thermometer. I know better and forgot. Did a temperature check in boiling water and it was reading over 10F low. Not a biggie, but I'll adjust it before the next cook. 2) A very cold KK takes much longer to warm up than "normal." It's been in the single digits here most of the week during the day and below zero at night. I usually can get the KK up to temp (325F in this case) in about 30 minutes. Last night it took well over an hour. Threw off my whole cooking schedule. Which I took advantage of with an extra glass of wine while waiting! Trader Joe's chicken shawarma thighs on the menu. Plated with curried rice, side salad and homemade tzatziki sauce. Good thing there's leftovers, as we're back in the deep freeze again. Super windy, too. Windchills in the -15F range all day today. High tomorrow and Friday of 2F. Stay warm and safe, ya'll. Poor folks stranded on the VA highway overnight had it pretty rough!

That would be my personal Hell for sure!

Glad to hear that mom is doing better!

I just paid $1.30/lb for KJ Big Block lump on Amazon (20 lb bag). I know that I'm paying extra for the "free Prime shipping," but it's a very good lump, nice distribution of pieces, and a decent price. The FOGO is good, but the pieces can be way too big, and I have to break them up. Believe it or not, cantaloupe sized charcoal doesn't burn all that well. Any quebracho style charcoal is going to impart that flavor profile, some like it, others don't - personal preference. I did like the FOGO Eucalyptus, but it's pricey and not always in stock. Guess that I'm lucky and had good success with Amazon with charcoal shipments, including Jealous Devil (which I like a lot!) Hopefully your bad experience was unique. But at least now you can get it locally. @Poochie - still love ya, buddy!

I apologize, you are correct. I was thinking about Cowboy. Royal Oak is a decent lump charcoal, especially for the price point. I've used it in a pinch as it's readily available at the local big box hardware stores. (btw - that Naked Whiz review is 15 years old. His standards have changed over that time.) But to one point made - folks have to understand how briquettes are made - they usually have a binder to hold them together. So, I find 100% hardwood labels to be a bit misleading. However, I will give Royal Oak credit for saying that their briquettes are made from the leftovers of their lump processing - as an Engineer, I applaud efficiency like that! In most cases, the binder is just a starch base (like the Royal Oak ones). Steer clear of the ones that use paraffin or similar stuff that will produce nasty off flavors - the so-called Quick Lighting ones. Even basic Kingsford (trivia - started by Henry Ford, assisted by Thomas Edison), adds things like limestone and borax, besides the starch. My main issue with them is that you have no idea what woods are being used - even pine and spruce (per Wiki) - not my first choices for cooking with. Their website just says "North American wood" for the original version. But what I really love is their "100% natural ingredients" tag - yeah, I guess limestone and borax are technically "natural." Don't get me wrong, I don't hate all briquettes - I was a fan of the Wicked Good ones, but I don't think they make them anymore. I just prefer to cook with lump, as I know what it is made from and I find that it burns better (hotter & longer) than most briquettes (YMMV).

I was drinking other things most of the evening.

If I had my druthers, we wouldn't either.

another @Poochie classic! 🤣

And if we're lucky, we might see them delivered in 2023!