tony b

I'm about 2 chapters in and I'm loving it so far, just antsy to try the butcher paper technique.

She was a tiny woman (4' 10"), but you didn't dare cross her!

TY Poochie. Now I get to have even more pizza fun - my new pizza stone arrived last week from Dennis. It's the new conforming design. But, before I can use it, I have to bend out the handles on my upper grate to make it fit. On my ever-growing "to do" list!

Good way to get started, but it has its limitations - no water circulation, so temperature probe placement is critical, and limited cooking size, food has to fit in the crock pot. I have a Cambro box for doing larger SV cooks with my Anova. I've done 6 steaks at once for a dinner. And a whole rack of beef ribs.

Just barely cracked the cover so far (should be spending more time reading than posting here, ha, ha!) BUT, my butcher paper was delivered yesterday, so I'm going to jump ahead in the book to read up on that technique right away, then double back and pick up where I left off.

I find that now I only go out to eat when it's to meet friends to "check out the new place in town," or when I'm too lazy to cook! And, my choice of places is driven more by whether they have good beers on tap rather than their food! There are only about 3 places in town that can out cook me - and one of them is up for a James Beard award.

Like my one of my favorite t-shirts says,

Be verwee, verwee quiet. We're hunting Wabbits!!

Where's my jar? Ken, haven't you paid the man yet!?!

You, my dear, are pure genius with a camera! Another home run!

I agree, MacKenzie. Ken seems to have Oops'ed that one a lot lately. Maybe we should "disarm" him!

Hear ya, Ken! I grew up in South Carolina in a house without A/C, until I hit high school. Probably the only positive thing about Mom's menopause; she told Dad, either you put A/C in this house, or I'm finding another one that does! Guess who won that one?? Mom didn't ask for a whole lot, but when she did, she meant it.

On top of all the other awesome things that you do in the kitchen - you're into molecular gastronomy, too!! You are a Goddess!!! btw - I had bought a pre-marinated carne asada sirloin from Trader Joe's, not realizing that it was not whole, but pieces. Came dangerously close to breaking out the "meat glue" (transglutaminase) to try and put it back together into a solid chunk. Wimped out and just put the pieces on skewers and did kabobs. Maybe next time.

I've pretty much stopped doing whole briskets in favor of doing smaller roasts - chuck, bottom round, etc. I do them just like a brisket, injected, dry rubbed, and cooked indirect at 250F, either oak, pecan, bourbon staves, or mesquite, mixed with cherry wood in the smoker pot, to about 205F internal. All the veggies are cooked separate. Kabobs of potato, carrot, mushrooms, and onion work well. Note: don't mix the veggies on the same skewers - they cook at different times. Keep them separate on their own skewers, which also allows you to season each differently. Currently waiting for my butcher paper from Amazon, so I can try one using the Aaron Franklin method.

Enjoy the ride, but hang on!! I think everyone here gains weight right after they get their KKs, as they just can't stop cooking on it and experimenting with everything that they've read on the Forum!!

I'll jump on that bandwagon, Poochie! Put me down for a couple of jars, too! ckreef, you're bringing back some fond memories with that one! I grew up in peach country. My folks would buy straight from the orchards. The stuff in the grocery stores these days doesn't even come close!

Poutine rocks! Another awesome cook, MacKenzie!

We used to have a great local BBQ spot here (Al's Rib Haven), since closed; but one of my favs on their menu was the "boney box" - rib tips. Miss the joint. Al's sauce was awesome! Best part, he'd sell it to you! Made many a great rack of ribs with his sauce. He passed a number of years ago and the kids, who all grew up working in the place, didn't want to take it over. Sad!

Hear yah, Wilbur. I put that info to good use last night. Lit the coals in the back of the basket and put my CI pan of potatoes and onions on the front part of the main grill, so I didn't burn the bottom. Was cooking direct. I've done lots of shellfish on the KK in the shells - mussels, clams, and oysters (Drago style - KILLER!!)

And I'll die like one, too!

Here yah, Syz. I had one of the first Indo POSK-7s, so it held up better than the later ones, especially the Mexi's. It was about 8 yo before the top hat collar finally crumbled. Fortunately, I'd already ordered my KK and was just waiting for it to arrive. A buddy has the K7 now. He patched it up and used it a lot before he got an electric smoker - .

Cold soups are the best in summer, even fruit based ones! Yes, there is such a thing. btw - stupid humid here, too! Can't even walk the dogs around the block without coming home dripping wet! Thought yesterday's downpour (first in over a week) would help, but actually made things worse! Thought I was gonna melt cooking dinner last night.

Awesome! Welcome to the magic of KK cooking. Know you've had experiences with other ceramics, but while similar, it's not the same - at all. Can't wait for the pics of the arrival, offloading, and that all important virgin cook! As Tom Petty says, "The waiting is the hardest part!"