Grates questions

[Stile88]

Just a few questions about the grates of kk on the 23 there are 3 tiers i believe and 4 on the 32 when all you gurus cook on them do you leave all  the levels of grates in while you cook whatever you are cooking or do you just use what you need 

ALso i hear a lot of you talking about heat soaking the grill is this necessary to do this or does it depend on what you plan to cook 

 

Thanks in advance btw

[5698k]

I strictly use the grates as I need them. There's no need to have a lower grate in when only using the upper.

Heat soaking isn't necessary when cooking hot, or grilling in general. You want to heat soak when doing a lo/slo, but even then, I'm not sure it's completely necessary. When your grill is soaked, you'll see your temp come back more quickly after adding proteins, making your cook times more consistent.

Rob

[MacKenzie]

I mainly heat soak when I'm doing bread or pizza.

[dstr8]

Besides pizza and long slow smoke/roast sessions where I thoroughly heat soak my twenty-three...the flat out best roasted chicken is when I get the KK heat soaked to about 500º...place the whole, meticulously dried, salted, herbed & rested, bird on the top large grate...shut off all air...and 45-60 minutes later you have what I believe is the best roast chicken.   Even beats out my rotisserie attachment!   Moist (even the breasts), tender, juicy, crisped skin...damn its looking like I just talked myself into a grocery store today run for a whole bird

Different tools for different applications.   But the KK does it ALL!

Edited May 15, 2016 by dstr8

[MacKenzie]

dstr8, I am going to have to try your KK heat soaked method. It sounds wonderful. I hope you post pixs of the chicken you are now planning. It will help my motivation.

[dstr8]

I thought I had pics of the chicken roast off but after checking...nope.   So next time.   Its Judy Rodgers' recipe (Zuni Cafe Cookbook adapted to my KK ;); Judy who died a few years ago at age 57 was the owner and chef of the famed Zuni Cafe in San Francisco; I've been there several times...):  http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015770-zuni-cafe-chicken

I've cooked chickens a multitude of ways over the years including brining, slow roast/smoking, frying, etc., etc., and since trying Judy's recipe a number of years ago its my 'go to' roast chicken recipe.   Coupled with a heat soaked KK...its just crazy good worthy of:  Repeat, repeat, repeat...

 

 

[tony b]

3 hours ago, Stile88 said:

Just a few questions about the grates of kk on the 23 there are 3 tiers i believe and 4 on the 32 when all you gurus cook on them do you leave all  the levels of grates in while you cook whatever you are cooking or do you just use what you need 

ALso i hear a lot of you talking about heat soaking the grill is this necessary to do this or does it depend on what you plan to cook 

 

Thanks in advance btw

As others have said, you only use the grates you need in whatever combo - example drip pan on the lower grate, food on the main grate. You will need to use the main grate to support the upper grate, when you use it in that configuration. Another tip, the upper grate is also your "searing grate" - flip it over with the long handles/legs pointing up and set it on top of the charcoal basket handles.

I usually only do long heat soaks for pizza/bread on the stone. Sometimes for whole chicken on the upper grate, if I'm doing it indirect. Even for low/slow cooks, I'll just let the KK come up to near target temp, with grates in place. Then add the food. 

dstr8 - you beat me to the punch. I was looking for a recipe, as I recognized what you were doing on the KK as very similar. It's also similar to what Emeril does.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe.html

[MacKenzie]

Thanks, dstr, I have made a paper copy and a saved file.

[bosco]

I only leave the main grate in.   

 

If I low and slow I will also add the lower grate to hold a drip or I use the stainless double drop pan.  

I have been talking to Dennis and thinking about adding lower grate with foil for low and slow and a piece of foil. No more deflector if it works 

heat soaking... All Kamado's benefit from a nice heat soak.  It helps maintain temps during cooks and provides a more even heat distribution 

[Stile88]

22 minutes ago, bosco said:

I only leave the main grate in.   

 

If I low and slow I will also add the lower grate to hold a drip or I use the stainless double drop pan.  

I have been talking to Dennis and thinking about adding lower grate with foil for low and slow and a piece of foil. No more deflector if it works 

heat soaking... All Kamado's benefit from a nice heat soak.  It helps maintain temps during cooks and provides a more even heat distribution 

 

thanks for all the replies does give new light to this so i need a storage shelve for the grates lol

Dstr8 that is a good tip i am going to have to try that

i so wish i had the money to pull trigger but hopefully soon

 

bosco what do you mean by foil instead of a deflector??

also say you are doing some chicken breasts how long are you heat soaking before you throw them on ??

 

 

[bosco]

A heat soak for me is for low and slow and say I am baking ie. pizza or bread.  The longer you let it soak, the more stable and convection like it becomes.

As for chicken, I do my chicken at 375 on the main grate.  I basically let it get to temp in about 10-15 min then cook those suckers!

Last... Dennis recommended this and several others have stated it in the past as well.

with a KK you really do not need a deflector stone in place when doing low and slow.  The reality is that the fire to main grate distance is far greater than that of a standard ceramic.  With that said, many have use foil over top of the lower grate as a deflector and cooked low and slow with the meat on the main grate.  How cool is that?

I do have a double bottom steel drip pan that I have not yet used, but I may just foil wrap that (to keep clean) and bypass the lower grate, foil or deflector

 

[ckreef]

I love my double bottom drip pan. I usually foil line it for easy cleanup. Acts as a drip pan and deflector all in one.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[Stile88]

That is cool and interesting forgive me but i am taking this all in there is a slight learning curve to what i have been accustomed to doing all these years .

 

Now when you get a kk isnt the deflectors included so if we are able to just use foil would dennis not include this then 

 

Ok i see so depending what you are doing depends how long you heat soak it .i am working hard to come up with the money i really want a kk 

You guys are awesome thanks for all the info i am just taking it all in

[bosco]

It comes with deflectors.  A piece of aluminum foil is pennies and easy clean up.  Forget how a traditional ceramic works.  

I know Tinyfish has done many low and slow with no deflector stone just a drip pan.  

The short answer is... The KK just works better

[Punmaster]

I am new to the KK, just got mine a week and a half ago. I tried the tinfoil heat deflector method on the bottom grate and it worked like a charm and easy clean up. this was Dennis's recommendation and i will be using it from now on.

 

[GoFrogs91]

I fall into the foil the bottom grate camp as well. I put foil on the grate and put a disposable aluminum roasting pan on top of the foil as a drip pan. With the main grate and upper grate, I still have two levels to put meat on. Super easy clean up.

Heat deflectors are included with all KK grills, but I rarely use them.

Benton

[tony b]

3 hours ago, Punmaster said:

I am new to the KK, just got mine a week and a half ago. I tried the tinfoil heat deflector method on the bottom grate and it worked like a charm and easy clean up. this was Dennis's recommendation and i will be using it from now on.

 

Cool pics, but none of your KK - what's up with that?? Welcome to the family. 

[wilburpan]

On May 15, 2016 at 10:27 AM, Stile88 said:

Just a few questions about the grates of kk on the 23 there are 3 tiers i believe and 4 on the 32 when all you gurus cook on them do you leave all  the levels of grates in while you cook whatever you are cooking or do you just use what you need 

Also i hear a lot of you talking about heat soaking the grill is this necessary to do this or does it depend on what you plan to cook 

I use the grates that I need for each cook. If I’m not using them, they’re not in the grill.

Ideally, I’ll heat soak for low and slow cooks. In my hands, that means letting the grill sit at my target temperature for about an hour. This isn’t time wasted, as what I usually do for cooks is light the grill, set the vents for the temperature I want, then do food prep. By the time I’m done with food prep, I’m at least pretty close to being done with the heat soaking time.

Having said that, I did a rib cook recently where I didn’t have time to heat soak, and the ribs still turned out fantastic. I did light the grill first, and then prepped the ribs, but it was only 30 minutes or so of heat soaking.

 

18 hours ago, Stile88 said:

thanks for all the replies does give new light to this so i need a storage shelve for the grates lol

You can hang the unused grates off the hooks on the side of a KK grill. I built a storage unit out of 2x construction lumber and 1x pine boards from Home Depot.

[tinyfish]

As @Bosco said, I use the stainless steel drip pan lined in foil or sometimes just  a foil pan as  heat deflector. 

[Stile88]

Thank you all for all your input ..with owning a bge i am very close to the flame so i am used to deflectors as many of you were  that own other pots 

The design of the kk is out of this world and just adding foil is really cool for low and slows 

 

This sure will be learning curve when i eventually get a kk