Sid Post

White one coming my way! Thanks!

I used to be a Penzey's fan and often bought stuff in person at their Fort Worth, Tx retail location until the owner started ranting and insulted people like myself. Not a business I will support now. My new spice supplier finally closed shop after a long struggle dealing with COVID business impacts and slowing sales so, I'm receptive to other suppliers similar to Penzey's to keep my supplies fresh and stocked! Who is good today?

No apologies needed! Maybe just a bit of "lost in translation" of the written word. I'm coming from a "stick burner" smoker background in Texas where I enjoy the smell of nice clean smoke wafting across my beverage of choice on a nice day! If I am there watching the brisket cook, it will "stall" and new folks will up the temps to "push through" the stall and miss an important aspect of getting a good "chew" and flavor profile on their brisket. I don't like tough brisket and absolutely hate overly soft or mushy brisket, which is a 'crime' in most of "real Texas" 😉 and is what is normally served at most mainline restaurants. If a Pitmaster does that with his stick burner at a BBQ joint, he is apt to be "run out of town!". In terms of Flat versus Point, new folks tend to overcook the flats and undercook the points. Myself, I am "point guy" as a nice piece of meat with properly rendered fat and good smoke penetration is true joy on a plate for me! Coffee, like Scotch and Bourbon, or any number of other options are largely a personal preference thing IMHO. After my time in Italy, I got a Pasquini Espresso machine and used Illy coffee and never saw the need for the most part to grind my own beans as Illy hit my "sweet spot" for Espresso. My time in Belgium and the Netherlands mainly, had me well satisfied with Douwe Egbert coffee as well. Though, those 100% Columbian "imports" from my father or my friend coming back from South America were really nice too! In terms of rubs for a brisket, super premium beans are a waste IMHO. Yes, you need good coffee to start with, but the subtleties of the beans and the grind itself will be lost in the 12hr~16hr cook time and the other common things used in a good brisket rub. Like "roasting" your own premium beans to get the exact flavor profile you want is basically what I am talking about with briskets, rubs, and general cooking of briskets in an oven or preferably over lump charcoal or actual "sticks"! I have never used an oven to cook a brisket as it just seems WRONG to me with a smoker and really good seasoned wood outside the front door of my house! Heck, it has been >20 years since I did that with a chicken or turkey as well since I have a Weber Smoky Mountain for them and that awesome smoke flavor that comes from wood, not out of a store bought bottle of "smoke"! Smoked cheese is awesome too but that is a different topic for a different day!

Only if you cook it WRONG! 😜 Long, low, and slow on the smoker will break down the tissues with awesome Umami! Avoid the tendency to up the temperature on your smoker at the "stall" and wait it out as that is where the "MAGIC" happens! I suspect this is what happens in your Sous Vide treatment of your Corned Beef. Hmm ... maybe it's time for me to start looking for a Corned Beef brine for this coming weekend. 😋

Texan here where Briskets rule most "real" BBQs! Generally, the "POINT" will be fattier than the "FLAT". When you get to the smoker to get your order, the Pitmaster will ask if you want Moist or Lean, which is Point versus Flat. By "moist", it will have more rendered fat for that unctuous flavor so many people love! Fat really carries the smoke flavor well from a place with a great PITMASTER! Corned beef generally only comes from the grocery store's deli counter around here so I can't help much with the brining process. HOWEVER, if you want to talk about rubs with coffee, various peppers, various mustards, etc. I'm ready!

Specialty Coffee Association “Golden Cup” brewers are what you want to look for when selecting a premium top grade coffee maker.

Tell me more! I got some SPAM yesterday and need something like that and some seaweed before I go Hawaiian and do a SPAM rice bowl!

How is A4Box customer service? I bought one in the 2nd week of December and it still hasn't shipped. I have emailed a couple of times and haven't gotten a response. I checked my order on their website after seeing a question message about not shipping to a PO Box and my account details clearly show a street address. PayPal does default to PO Box though.

I'm still waiting on mine to arrive. Date Payment Status Fulfillment Status December 4, 2024 Paid Unfulfilled

Considering the Blow Out Price for the cooker, they may be wrapping up sales and future production.

This has me looking forward to getting mine!

I want a low simmer and a high simmer, no boiling. Lentils seem work better for me on a low simmer while out and about so they don't overcook and turn to mush or simply disappear in the water and I don't want to "drink" my lentils! 😉 A little below boiling works better for my Pinto beans as they seem a lot more tolerant of being left on the Crock Pot a bit longer than optimal and it will reduce cooking time. I have used Pressure Cookers in the past for a 'fast' bean cook but, cleaning the safety features and pan in general is a bit tedious and something I prefer to avoid with a little planning before I leave the house. And, a good crock pot has a bit of nostalgia for me with memories of my deceased mother using one a lot during Winter for dinners after grade school. 🥰

The Digital Nesco 4qt version has a 'high" setting with two timer options and the other dial is a "low" setting with two timer settings. It was slightly more expensive than the non-digital version but, the timer function seemed worthwhile. Thanks again Smithy/Nancy! Super helpful as usual. 🥰

Can someone measure the cooking plate on their A4 for approximate dimensions? It looks like the accessory pan set will be sold out for a good while with the holiday sales of the cookers so, I'm looking at things that can "rest" on the cooking or heating surface to do beans and casseroles. The Detroit Pizza pans that are ~2.5" tall look like they may work for my modest needs and, I have been meaning to try a Detroit Pizza at home during this cool weather for something a bit hardier than normal.

Maybe a "She shed"or "Man cave" is in order for your appliance collection! 🤣🤣🤣