tony b

I did my last rack for about 4 hours @ 225F (w/guru control). They were St. Louis cut, so a bit thicker and being Swabian, they had higher fat content. But, Dennis is correct about how to test for "doneness." I wait until the meat pulls back from the ends of the bones before I start "bend testing" them. I want a bite to it and not "falling off the bone."

Just follow Dennis' directions on the venting and you'll be just fine. It's a simple process. Just stay on top of it and it goes pretty smoothly. I didn't have any tiles bubble, but you do smell it as it's offgassing. Good Luck! Check out the forum posts on pizza to get you stoked for doing yours!!

Sorry to hear that MK. I don't buy direct from Carl at Rustic Rooster. I get mine from the local butcher shop at our Farmers' Market (Big Boy Meats). Unfortunately, I don't think Nate ships. Fingers crossed for Susan's shipment!

Just checking in to see if the folks that ordered some of the Swabian have had a chance to cook it yet and hear what they think? I just did 2 racks of Swabian St. Louis ribs on Sunday. Just got a pack of Jowl Bacon, which I've yet to try, but can't wait.

Not many things on this planet better than a good salmon belly! Believe it or not, we get Copper River Salmon here in Iowa during the season. I always vacuum seal up a bunch for the freezer. It's the best (IMHO).

Stunning! Welcome and hang on, you're in for the ride of your life! But, dude, where's the food porn? Rule #1 of the Forum - no food pictures, it didn't happen!

Killer. I did a couple of racks of the Swabian ribs on Sunday. Pretty tasty!

I use parchment paper for both pizza and bread. About 3/4 of the way through, just remove the paper then to firm up the bottom.

My 2 cents - FWIW. First, I'm not that anal about my drip pan/heat deflector looking shiny and new. I don't foil. If I need a clean pan to catch dripping, I use a disposable aluminum one, sized to fit whatever I'm cooking (most often it's to catch duck fat, a valuable commodity!) So, the ability to foil aspect is not high on my list, but if it's easily incorporated into the design, "no harm, no foul" in my book. As I said before, I like the handles for ease of picking it up, especially when hot. I also liked the deeper construction, because if you're doing several pork butts at once, you can accumulate a lot of fat drippings, so the extra room is nice. As far as weight is concerned, all that matters to me is that it has sufficient wall/bottom thickness that it doesn't warp with moderately high heat. The rods on the bottom could supply the extra stability to prevent warping, while providing the insulation that folks seem to want.

Wagyu must be much less expensive there, Dennis, than it is here, even from our domestic suppliers. Even at Ruth's Chris (pricey steakhouse), a prime grade ribeye is typically $40 and weighs in at a pound. So, you're saying you can get wagyu there for under $15/lb? WOW!!! The same steak here is going to be $45 - $70/lb, depending on supplier.

Great looking pics. One thing, based on the pictures of your cut steak, that looks rare, not medium-rare, to me. A 1 1/2" steak cooked only 6 minutes (3 per side) normally won't get you to medium rare, even with a screaming hot (900F) temperature. But as long as you enjoyed it, call it whatever you want!! I did a prime, bacon-wrapped sirloin filet (about 1 1/2") last night - reverse sear: 4 minutes per side at 400F direct on the lower grill; then fired up the KK to searing temps with a nice flaming block of red oak (Santa Maria style). Turning every 15 seconds or so (including the sides to crisp up the bacon wrap), for about another 2 minutes total. Came out right at the border between rare and medium-rare. YMMV BTW, to second what Dennis said, I lower the lid to it's "natural resting position," but don't latch it, during the sear phase. I can peer inside and watch what's happening, without turning the lid handle into a branding iron. Just raise the lid enough to flip the steaks over and re-lower it until I'm finished.

Gorgeous hunk of meat! Yeah, too bad it's so damned expensive.

Wicked Good Charcoal also makes a very good briquette. I use them in the baby Grill Dome (when I use it - rarely now), as they didn't clog up the air intake as bad as lump. Nothing inherently wrong with briquettes if they're made well.

After seeing the internet posting about the 8-legged goat, I was about to ask about this chicken!

Obviously the wind was not blowing in the right direction, or you would have smelled the pork steak cooking on the KK yesterday on cherry and red oak.

Love the new design, Dennis. Two things stand out besides the conforming shape - handles to make it easier to pick up and move; and, the sides look higher and more vertical, which means less likelihood of hot fat sloshing out if you have to move it, or for holding water/stock/wine/beer for steaming during cooking. One question - what grate size(s) are you making them for? Lower grill, main, or sear? I expect that you'll make separate ones for the 23" and Bad Boy 32", but since you're making them in a conforming shape, for which grate becomes important. Will definitely want one when you go into production.

Yummy looking duck! When I did my Peking Ducks last month, I saved the dripping fat in a pan. Used it to fry potatoes lyonnaise that night and make frites with it the next. Nothing better than potatoes cooked in duck fat!!!

Hi, my name is Tony, and I'm a total food geek! [Collective Response: Hi, Tony!] I have 4 more food books coming next week via Amazon - 2 by Ruhlman, one from Alton, and the latest from Peterson - "Done.: A Cook's Guide to Know When Food is Perfectly Cooked." I need help!

There is always some amount of time between taking the steak off the grill and actually starting to consume it. At least 5 minutes or more - transport inside from the grill, while you get the sides on the plate, bread out of the oven, plate to the table, etc. Also, how long does it take for you to fully consume the meat, you don't eat it in just one bite (I hope!) I just don't go out of my way to "rest" the steak for a specific amount of time anymore. It just sort of takes care of itself. (Caveat, I'm only talking steaks here, not brisket or pork butts.) Here's a counter argument about "lost juices" - besides, they aren't "lost" they're still on surface of the meat or on your plate. And, that's what bread is for - sopping up those yummy bits. Note: they discuss the Blumenthal test that Susan mentioned. And I have watched Otto squash the steaks before. A bit extreme, not exactly what you'd expect if you just slowly cut off bites and ate them, like normal people! www.amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_resting_meat.html Ever been to a Ruth's Chris, pretty yummy steaks, right? (overpriced, yeah, but still yummy beef!) How does your steak arrive at the table - on a screaming hot slab of metal. Kind of hard to "rest" a steak like that, don't you think? They seem to be doing an OK business for not "resting" their steaks. Point is, don't get too hung up about it; in the overall scheme of how to cook a great steak; there are much more important things to concentrate on. I don't want to start a war over this, I'm just saying!

Have eaten quinoa in restaurants, but never made it at home. Changed my mind last night and instead of making another batch of the fried rice, went with an old standard - brown/wild rice mix from Lundberg Family Farms. Seek them out if your local market carries them. I used to buy from their online store until my local grocer started carry some of their rice blends in the "health food" section of the store. They are my "go to" for Arborio for risotto. Their Black Japonica is a nice brown rice, too.

Just curious as to how much one of those would set you back?

Glad you liked it. I see snow peas in there too; nice addition! Did you do the rice pilaf style? Just curious as to how brown rice worked for that method, as I've never cooked brown rice that way before. I polished off the rest of mine last night with some yummy chicken leg quarters on the KK.

Susan, you are correct. I roast the steak first at about 350F on the main grill - direct until the meat temperature hits about 105F (as I'm shooting for medium rare at the end (130F)). Mesquite or Red Oak chunks are my woods of choice. Pull the main grill and meat off. I usually already have the sear grill in place.Then it's rock on! Open all the vents wide open, let 'er rip to as high as it will go. Then drop the steaks onto the sear grill for 15 seconds, flip, another 15 seconds, flip, another 15 seconds, flip, a final 15 seconds and off they come. I read somewhere (Amazing Ribs??) that turning every 15 seconds gives better results than leaving on for 30 seconds on each side. I also don't subscribe to the "let it rest" technique for 15 minutes. Who wants cold steak? Go read AmazingRibs.com to dispel this myth. Disclaimer - the above times on the sear assume that you have a serious cut of steak - at least an inch thick. If your steak is thinner than that, adjust the times accordingly and you probably only want one sear per side, not two like for the thicker cuts.

Let me know how it comes out.

Cooked the rice first, pilaf style* with chicken stock, so the grains stay separated. Spread it out on a cookie sheet to cool. Since it was just me, I only cooked a half cup of raw rice. I use basmati, but jasmine works equally well. Cooked my omelet first (until just set) and removed from wok - just a beaten egg (1) with a touch of salt and white pepper over medium heat in about a 1/2 TBL of vegetable oil. Added another TBL more oil and increased the heat to high to cook the white onion (about 1/2 cup chopped), garlic (2 cloves halved) and fresh ginger (about a tsp chopped). Once the onion was translucent and ginger fragrant, tossed in the cooked pork (1/2 cup, diced), chopped baby carrots and celery (1/4 cup each). Once the carrots started to soften, tossed in a 1/4 cup of frozen green peas. (Normally, I'd toss in a chopped scallion - green part only - with the green peas, but didn't have any in the fridge.) In went the cooked rice and cooked omelet (diced up). Season with a bit of ground Szechuan peppercorn (a big pinch), a 1/4 tsp sesame oil, and a TBL of light soy sauce. Toss until everything is coated with the soy sauce and the rice is warmed up. Serve it up! * Pilaf style - toss the dry uncooked rice in just enough oil to coat the bottom of your pot until the rice turns opaque white, stir frequently to avoid burning (it's OK if a few grains turn a light brown). Add your liquid (water, stock) in a 2 to 1 ratio. So, for my 1/2 cup uncooked rice, I added a cup of chicken stock. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes (until all the liquid is absorbed). Fluff with a fork.