tony b

Hello, Pebbles! We're all so happy for you MacKenzie! But, now that you have Pebbles, when does Bam-Bam show up???

Great tips, as usual, Syz!

Gorgeous. Hope she does well in the Challenge! Gutsy lady, noticed that she was cutting up chiles without gloves!!

"Shhhh! Be verwee, verwee quite. We're hunting Wabbit!" E. Fudd I grew up hunting rabbits (we raised beagles for hunting), so I've had it just about every which way you could think - fried, stewed with dumplings, pot pie; but never as pulled - in a taco or as a BBQ sandwich. Great idea, ckreef!

You know, in all the years that I've owned it, I've never tried my DO smoker without the flour paste. I may just have to experiment and see if it's tight enough without it. Boy, would that be a DUH moment!

I am so freaking jealous! The only time I tried to do a skin-on pork belly, I couldn't get the skin to crisp and puff up like that - hats off!!!

Go to the source, contact Fred at BBQ Guru.

Fingers crossed that tomorrow is actually the big day for you MacKenzie! We're all just about as excited as you are!

My only other advice - if you go with the bigger size grill, get a second charcoal basket and the basket splitter. Now you have the best of both worlds! The full size when you have company, and the half size when it's just you and the spouse for dinner.

I'm with Ceramic Chef. Been using the CI Dutch Oven smoker pot for years now. Works like a charm. The only thing is getting the hang of the flour/water paste to seal the lid on airtight to force all the airflow out the holes in the bottom. Even with lots of practice, I sometimes get the texture too thin or too goopy. I put the DO smoker on as soon as I know that the coals are lit and going OK. The smoker heats up in parallel with the KK, so by the time you are ready to put on the meat, it's just beginning to smoke. And, the coolest part - you get some nice chunks of lump charcoal as a side benefit when you're done!

From the boys over at Amazing Ribs. Myth # 4: Soak wood before using itWhen I soaked wood chunks overnight, they gained about 3% by weight. Chips gained about 6%. I cut the chunks in half and penetration was only about 1/16". DOH! That must be why they make boats out of wood! Wood doesn't absorb much water! If you toss wet wood on a hot grill, the small amount of water just below the surface will evaporate rapidly, negating any effect of soaking. On charcoal, the wet wood cools off the coals when it is important to hold the coals at a steady temp. Learn more about the Science of Wood.

Great 1st roti cook! Love me some Yardbird! One of my top 5 rubs in my pantry and #1 for chicken! I still swear that ceramics are the best way to cook chicken, and of course the KK is the best ceramic, so even better results!

Love cabrito! Still kind of hard to find around here, but I'm guessing it's going to become easier in the future as it catches on more.

Excellent! Let us know what you think of the book.

Congratulations, Elaine! Welcome to the KK Club (and the Autumn Nebula group!) That's the color of my KK, too. Stunning in the sunlight!) Yes, it seems overwhelming at the beginning, but the learning curve is pretty fast. Don't fret the mistakes, we all make them, regardless of experience! Just keep asking questions and reading the Forum, it's the Wiki of kamado cooking! I have used both chimneys and torches. I'm currently in the torch camp. I use this one and like it for the long reach. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008ZA0F?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00 While Amazon still has a few left, this model is no longer made, but there are others that are similar in design.

I recall folks from the old POSK Forum using terra cotta saucers for planters.

Thanks all for the kind words! The chops went onto a cold grill to "pre-smoke." So, the total grill time was about an hour. Most of the cooking, I'm guessing, took place in the last 30 minutes, after the KK got above 200F. I flipped them over when I put the foil pack on the grill, with about 20 minutes to go. I wish!! I didn't buy directly from the Locker, but from my local butcher at the Farmer's Market. He sets the price. The Berkshire products generally run about twice as much as supermarket pork. But, it's worth every extra penny!!! Trust me, the fat is almost as good as the meat. I ate every bite on these chops, except for the bone!

Yeah, ckreef, but you have a smaller grill to heat soak. A bit harder for me with a 23" to get a large brisket or butt done by suppertime cooking at 225F - 250F if I start the grill around 5:30 am. That's why I generally go with starting just before bedtime and shoot for the middle of the next afternoon and hold in the cooler until suppertime. Nice to have that extra cushion. YMMV

Excellent start. We all went through the "growing pains" when we got our KK, too, so don't be too discouraged! I have a feeling that you're on a very steep learning curve!

Has ANYONE ever been disappointed when they got their first look at their KK out of the crate???

Glad to see you back, FM!!

Yeah, FM - there's still a few of us old POSK owners on the Forum!

Hey Firemonkey! Where you been dude?? Been a while since you last posted. Hope this is a Welcome Back moment!

Sorry for the initial soap box, but the National Pork Board did us all a great disservice when they came up with their campaign of pork as “The Other White Meat†back in the late 80’s. To make us all think that pork was suddenly “healthy,†to shore up declining pork sales as more and more people gravitated to chicken, they convinced pig farmers to concentrate on breeds and farming practices that yielded leaner meat, i.e., not much fat; hence, not much flavor, which was also lighter in color. So, the pork processors began compensating by brining all their pre-packaged pork cuts in the supermarket, e.g., Hormel’s Always Tender, to keep them “juicy†and “flavorful†to compensate for the lack of fat. Fortunately we’ve re-discovered that “real pork†is seriously better tasting and a lot of small producers are reverting back to the original heritage breeds, like Berkshire, and sustainable farming practices (no growth hormones or antibiotics). So, I give you tonight’s dinner – locally grown Berkshire pork chops! Notice this meat is NOT WHITE! And look at that yummy fat! Thought they’d be a good trial for the Cimarron Rub that tinyfish turned me on to. On to the grill. Since I love smoked pork chops, thought I’d simulate that by putting the chops on while the KK was coming up to temp and light a chunk of peach wood to cold smoke the chops before they started to cook. Tonight’s side dishes – curried rice pilaf and a squash and mushroom medley (some assembly required) – zucchini, yellow squash, onions, mushrooms, garlic, Herbs de Provence in white wine and S&P. Done “en papillote†– in this case in an aluminum foil pouch. On the KK, direct, at 300F for about 20 minutes, remember the chops when on about 30 minutes earlier at about 100F as the KK was heating up. 3 small peach wood chunks for smoke. Off the grill and ready to plate. Plated and ready for Dinner! So, moral of the story, seek out your local, small farm, meat producers and support them! Life’s too short to waste it on bland, factory farm raised meat!

You rock! Love that everything in this recipe is by weight, including the water (and in metric!).