The Grilling and Cooking Thread

[Skinsfan1311]

12 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

The only recipes they had on there were for premade crusts, not fresh dough.  I went medium to account for the fresh dough, and while the crust was crisp, I like more char.  I think I’ll go med high next time for sure.

Looks fantastic! 

It takes some  experimentation to adjust cooking with them. I have it down pat with the kettle, but am still getting used to the grilling on the gasser. 

The fun part is, even the "mistakes" taste good.  

 

[China]

Broke in the new Grill Grates tonight.  Just did burgers.  Man they get hot.  I'll have to adjust from what I'm used to.

[Skinsfan1311]

2 hours ago, EmirOfShmo said:

I'm actually cooking one tonight, too. I haven't cooked them on a grill grate. I use a stone (used in kilns) to cook them. The stone is pretty nasty so I put course corn meal on parchment paper & then put the pizza on top of that. Grill gets to 600 degrees put it on the grill for 4-5 minutes. Done. 

I love your setup.

A kamado type grill is definitely in my future.  I'm a cheap ****,  so I'll hold out until I find a great deal on a new one, or a used one.

Any tips on what to look for, when buying one? 

[steve09ru]

Got the pork butt done today- smoke for about 4 hours on the grill then had to finish up in oven but still came out with a to. Of smoke flavor.

 

made own Vinegar mix that turned out nice with a decent kick (apple cider vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne, red pepper)

[Skinsfan1311]

4 hours ago, China said:

Broke in the new Grill Grates tonight.  Just did burgers.  Man they get hot.  I'll have to adjust from what I'm used to.

It's crazy, isn't it?

An unintended consequence of a hotter running grill is that you don't use as much propane. Same deal with charcoal. I don't use nearly as much.  

Edited May 16, 2020 by Skinsfan1311

[Mr. Sinister]

I bought some beef tips, bell peppers and onions to make kabobs on the skillet for Sunday.

[EmirOfShmo]

1 hour ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

I love your setup.

A kamado type grill is definitely in my future.  I'm a cheap ****,  so I'll hold out until I find a great deal on a new one, or a used one.

Any tips on what to look for, when buying one? 

Thanks, I appreciate it. Here's a couple of things to consider: 

 

What do you plan on cooking? Large cuts of meat (brisket, pork butt, etc.) take 6-12 hours or more depending on the size of the meat. Can the grill cook that long on a single fill of charcoal?

If you only plan to use it for smoking, you don't need a kamado style grill. You can get a smoker to do that (electric, propane or charcoal).  

Does it leak (they all leak). How do I fix it? Or can you leave it alone and still cook successfully?

Are replacement parts available? 

Surface area for cooking - make sure you can fit what you plan on cooking, i.e., they all can't fit that 20 lb Thanksgiving turkey on it.

Weight of the kamado - I need to be able to move it up/down about 10 stairs whenever I redo my deck floor. Some of these bad boys weigh 600 pounds!

Ease of use - how easy is it to use? Can it consistently hold a temp for a long period of time? The temp you need to hold could be 600 for a steak sear or cooking a pizza. It could also be 100 degrees to cold smoke cheese. 

Price - how much do you want to spend? Heck, people build them out of old hot water heaters, wine barrels, and 55 gallon drums. Basically, anything that will hold a temp for a long period of time will suffice. Of course, how it looks on your deck/patio might be important to you (or your spouse). 

Where will you put your grill? Kamado style grills are well insulated. I have mine near deck railings. I don't need to worry about the deck igniting during a 8 hour cook because the exterior is only warm to the touch. I'm pretty sure if this was a kettle style grill (like a Weber) I wouldn't be able to have this type of setup. I'd be concerned the exterior temp would be too hot and damage the deck.

Ease of cleaning - how do you empty the ashes? 

For ceramics, what happens if it cracks? How good is the warranty?

Cover - make sure there's a good cover available for it if you plan on keeping it outside. 

 

Accessories you'll need to buy:

Deflector to sit between the flame & the grill. I use a $3 Walmart pizza pan. It lasts 8-12 months depending on how much I cook. 

Dual Zone thermometer - a decent one costs about $50+

Pizza stone - I use a stone used in kilns (~$30) I bought from a ceramics store. There are 'pizza stones' available. But I find them to be pretty flimsy & they crack easily. 

There are blowers that can be added to almost any grill that will allow you to hold a temp for a long period of time. Prices for these are $150-300. These also fit Weber kettle grills. So you don't necessarily need a 'kamado style' grill for long cooks. These adapters take the guess work out of cooking (but that's the fun part!)

 

Others on here with more experience....? 

 

Here's a link I used for info on evaluating kamados. It also has some good recipes & other info - go to the "Talk About Your Cooker" section where you'll see most of the popular choices discussed. 

 

https://www.kamadoguru.com/

 

Let us know what you decide. Kamado cooking is awesome!

 

[Skinsfan1311]

2 hours ago, EmirOfShmo said:

Thanks, I appreciate it. Here's a couple of things to consider: 

 

What do you plan on cooking? Large cuts of meat (brisket, pork butt, etc.) take 6-12 hours or more depending on the size of the meat. Can the grill cook that long on a single fill of charcoal?

If you only plan to use it for smoking, you don't need a kamado style grill. You can get a smoker to do that (electric, propane or charcoal).  

Does it leak (they all leak). How do I fix it? Or can you leave it alone and still cook successfully?

Are replacement parts available? 

Surface area for cooking - make sure you can fit what you plan on cooking, i.e., they all can't fit that 20 lb Thanksgiving turkey on it.

Weight of the kamado - I need to be able to move it up/down about 10 stairs whenever I redo my deck floor. Some of these bad boys weigh 600 pounds!

Ease of use - how easy is it to use? Can it consistently hold a temp for a long period of time? The temp you need to hold could be 600 for a steak sear or cooking a pizza. It could also be 100 degrees to cold smoke cheese. 

Price - how much do you want to spend? Heck, people build them out of old hot water heaters, wine barrels, and 55 gallon drums. Basically, anything that will hold a temp for a long period of time will suffice. Of course, how it looks on your deck/patio might be important to you (or your spouse). 

Where will you put your grill? Kamado style grills are well insulated. I have mine near deck railings. I don't need to worry about the deck igniting during a 8 hour cook because the exterior is only warm to the touch. I'm pretty sure if this was a kettle style grill (like a Weber) I wouldn't be able to have this type of setup. I'd be concerned the exterior temp would be too hot and damage the deck.

Ease of cleaning - how do you empty the ashes? 

For ceramics, what happens if it cracks? How good is the warranty?

Cover - make sure there's a good cover available for it if you plan on keeping it outside. 

 

Accessories you'll need to buy:

Deflector to sit between the flame & the grill. I use a $3 Walmart pizza pan. It lasts 8-12 months depending on how much I cook. 

Dual Zone thermometer - a decent one costs about $50+

Pizza stone - I use a stone used in kilns (~$30) I bought from a ceramics store. There are 'pizza stones' available. But I find them to be pretty flimsy & they crack easily. 

There are blowers that can be added to almost any grill that will allow you to hold a temp for a long period of time. Prices for these are $150-300. These also fit Weber kettle grills. So you don't necessarily need a 'kamado style' grill for long cooks. These adapters take the guess work out of cooking (but that's the fun part!)

 

Others on here with more experience....? 

 

Here's a link I used for info on evaluating kamados. It also has some good recipes & other info - go to the "Talk About Your Cooker" section where you'll see most of the popular choices discussed. 

 

https://www.kamadoguru.com/

 

Let us know what you decide. Kamado cooking is awesome!

 

Thanks!   

 

I research everything to the nth degree and this is exactly the kind of information that I was looking for. 

 

I own four kettles, (I know...it's an obsession...I find them cheap and can't pass them up).  I use to own more, but I've given away a few.  One of them is basically, a full-time smoker. Two of them are for tailgates, and one is used as a grill.   As far as smoking goes, with the Slow n Sear insert, it holds temp all day.    No deck to ruin, (we have a large, cement patio), and nothing nearby to catch fires. 

 

I own a three dual-mode thermometers, a couple of decent, reasonably-priced Taylor's, and a high-quality Thermoworks Smoke, dual-mode thermometer.

 

I'm impressed by how they get so hot, with so little fuel and hold those rock-solid temps.  For someone who grills/smokes as much as I do, anything that saves on charcoal, is a big plus     

 

From what I'm reading, I'm not seeing that I need a kamado grill, but really, really want one.  I'm always looking to expand my cooking horizons and I definitely see one in my future. 

 

Thanks, again for the great tips and resources!

[PleaseBlitz]

It’s BRISKET DAY. 

[TradeTheBeal!]

FAT!!

 

 

[skinsmarydu]

Is that lasagna? Cuz that's what I brought home from work 😁

I baked it here. 

 

Edited May 17, 2020 by skinsmarydu

[TradeTheBeal!]

STRONG LASAGNA ENERGY!

[TheGoodBits]

Got an 8lb pork butt going on at midnight. Seasoned generously with course salt and black pepper, bit of cayenne mixed in. 

[HOF44]

12 hours ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

 

 

From what I'm reading, I'm not seeing that I need a kamado grill, but really, really want one.  I'm always looking to expand my cooking horizons and I definitely see one in my future. 

 

Thanks, again for the great tips and resources!

You’ll end up finding an egg for $25/bucks at a yard sale!!

[skinsmarydu]

Scrambled cheesy eggs & sliced avocado. 

 

[Kosher Ham]

What kind of cheese? 

[skinsmarydu]

6 minutes ago, Kosher Ham said:

What kind of cheese? 

Yellow deluxe American. 

[Skinsfan1311]

15 hours ago, HOF44 said:

You’ll end up finding an egg for $25/bucks at a yard sale!!

Damn right!

I'll also haggle until the seller slaps me, or relents, just to make me go away.

No shame in my game. None.

 

Dinner tonight with our son and his girlfriend. 

Ribeye roast was trimmed, tied and dry-brined last night.

Sides will be sous vide honey carrots, mashed potatoes w/gravy, caramelized onions with a balsamic reduction.

Mrs Skinsfan baked some oatmeal cookies for dessert.

Edited May 17, 2020 by Skinsfan1311

[Mr. Sinister]

I have never really enjoyed avocado, save for that BLT from Panera 

[HOF44]

14 minutes ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

Damn right!

I'll also haggle until the seller slaps me, or relents, just to make me go away.

No shame in my game. None.

 

Dinner tonight with our son and his girlfriend. 

Ribeye roast was trimmed, tied and dry-brined last night.

Sides will be sous vide honey carrots, mashed potatoes w/gravy, caramelized onions with a balsamic reduction.

Mrs Skinsfan baked some oatmeal cookies for dessert.

Out of all that the sous vide honey carrots caught my eye!! That sounds awesome. 

[Kosher Ham]

22 minutes ago, Mr. Sinister said:

I have never really enjoyed avocado, save for that BLT from Panera 

 

Not sure if that was intentional or not. 

 

I'm not a fan either. 

[skinsmarydu]

34 minutes ago, Mr. Sinister said:

I have never really enjoyed avocado, save for that BLT from Panera 

One of my favorite local joints has a BLTnA, I always add cheddar and onion. I actually bought bacon last week just to make em at home. 

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

14 minutes ago, Kosher Ham said:

 

Not sure if that was intentional or not. 

 

I'm not a fan either. 

 

My wife loves avocados and guacamole, I cannot stand that ****.  She dips carrots in avocado mash instead of ranch.......

 

[skinsmarydu]

It's an acquired taste...I used to think it must taste awful because it looks like baby 💩.

[Mooka]

54 minutes ago, Mr. Sinister said:

I have never really enjoyed avocado, save for that BLT from Panera 

 

I make desert avocados sometimes.

 

You just drizzle caramel on top and sprinkle some rock salt.

 

You should try or make some for your wife. Just 3 ingredients: Avos, Sugar, Salt