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rustwood

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Everything posted by rustwood

  1. Sorry the road show was such a bust. I have never heard of them doing demos, but I've also never heard of them not starting with so little stock. I imagine that was some kind of screw up. I've been wondering about the price increase as well. My guess is that with the divide and conquer rig included and their growing following, they don't need to to compete with the BGE on price as much as they have in the past. As for the Pit Boss, I am sure it would be fine. Although they say it is a 24" grill, the inner diameter is more like 22". That may be a plus not minus though. Around here they start getting marked down for clearance by July 1. I think last year they were marked down from $599 to $399. I do not need another cooker, but at that price I was tempted. I have seen a post from someone who has already bought one there this year so it appears they will be stocking them again. It also appears the Visions are back at Sam''s Club again this year ($549 online). I like the KJ, but the Visions are looking good for almost half the cost.
  2. Everyone has issues with competition chicken thighs. When I have judged, I would say I get bone-in at least 3x more often than boneless; however, the knuckles are cut off the ends of the bones so it is just one small bone. Also, because everyone wants crispy skin, the entries are generally a lot darker-colored/well done than you might expect. That is why teams cook thighs - it is hard to overcook thigh meat. As for meat glue, I presume you know that the main reason that is done is so that you can scrape the underside of the skin. That makes it thinner and less fatty, thereby somewhat easier to get crispy. We have a hate/love relationship with using meat glue. We hate to do it, but it works. If you don't, it is going to be almost impossible to get bite-through skin that won''t slip off during judging. The general technique for crispy skin involves cooking the thighs through at a lower temperature (cool side of the grill), then carefully using the hot side of the grill and frequent flipping and/or switching to the cool side to get the skin crisp but not burned.
  3. rustwood

    Costco

    I buy cheese at Costco - far too often given that I am usually the only one in the house who eats it. I like the Sartori Merlot Bellavitano, which at my store periodically alternates with other Sartori varieties that I generally don't like as much. The Cabot extra sharp cheddar is tasty and a good value - especially on sale. I often buy Kirkland maple syrup, olive oil and balsamic vinegar as well. Their vanilla extract used to be (and perhaps still is) a great item at a great price, but I won't pay what it costs these days (at any store). I now have a big bottle of imitation vanilla and am reserving the last of my sub-$10 Costco natural bottle for when it seems like it might make a difference. I'll second Smokeydoke's recommendation for Kirkland gin as well. Does anyone buy seafood at Costco? I am often tempted by their wild caught salmon and shrimp when they have a big fresh seafood display.
  4. On the one hand, I was hoping that was going to end with an awesome dip in liquid nitrogen or something. On the other hand, now I know why the bags always leak when they are thawing in the fridge.
  5. Unless something has changed, the divide and conquer rig is included with all KJ's - that's the main reason I think they are worth a premium. For a while after the divide and conquer rig first came out you would see old stock that didn't include it, but I haven't seen one of them in a long time. Prices do seem to have gone up. I just did some searching and saw someone say that it was $969 at roadshow in December. Here is a pic I have from a roadshow in July of 2016:
  6. How much of a price difference is there? If it is less than $200, I would definitely go for the KJ - you aren't going to replace it any time soon and accessories that come with it are well worth that premium. I don't know what they are now, but in the summer of 2016 the large KJ was $780 at the roadshow. Pro-tip - you can get a smoking deal on the units they have unboxed for display. Around here people are lined up at the opening to try to get the display models. The down side is that you have to pay for it, then come back in the last hour of the event to pick it up. It isn't boxed up so you really have to pack it carefully. Bring 2X the padding that you think you will need, a large vehicle and at least one strong friend. We were there in the last hour and the person who had bought the large display model got talked into upgrading to an XL in the box. My buddy was right there to snap up the large. I know they they threw in a wok rig, cast iron grates and some other stuff, but I don't recall if that was in addition to a price break.
  7. I have had a Vision Classic for about 5 years and have no complaints. I picked it up on clearance at Costco so it was a no brainer at less than half the cost of a BGE. I like their 2 level cooking grate, although more often than not I just use the main grate to hold my drip pan and put the meat on the top grate. Overall it has held up quite well. I am even still on the original cover - even though it is out in the sun and rain all year long. I have replaced the gaskets twice, but both times it was due to user error (first trying to cook pizza at silly-high temps and later getting called away for far too long after lighting it). I do think that the KJ and BGE are in a different class in terms of quality, fit and finish. What that generally translates into is easier temperature control. Once you get over the learning curve, you can largely set the vents and forget it with the KJ and BGE. That is still difficult with my Vision - especially at lower temps. I ultimately bought a temperature controller (Party-Q) - which, regardless of the cooker, allows me to sleep easier during overnight cooks. To be fair, I have heard from other owners who say they have no problem getting a steady low and slow temps on their Vision. If you are a Costco member keep an eye out for a Kamado Joe Roadshow event. You can get a great price at them, plus a lot of free extras.
  8. @curls I am a big fan of Dizzy Pig. I try many BBQ rubs and seasonings, but Dizzy Pig products are the ones I consistently re-buy and use for regular meals at home. I especially like their Bombay Curry-ish seasoning. It makes it easy to throw together a quick and delicious meal. As for cookers, I don't think you can go wrong with a BGE, but there are other cookers available that are also quite good. If I were going to buy one now, I would be very tempted to get a Kamado Joe. They include some nice options and are a good value. As for size, you can cook a lot of food on the standard (large) kamado. Unless you routinely cook for a crowd, you might be happier with a large. It will heat up faster and use less charcoal. Many opt to add a medium or mini to their arsenal instead of stepping up to an XL. Of course if you want to cook a 20 lb turkey (without spatchcocking it), or more than 3 racks of ribs, then you need an XL.
  9. I have done this extensively and find it useful; however, I am glad that I have used it to copy recipes to the recipe database app I use (Paprika). I say that for a couple of reasons. The first is that I just find it much more convenient and useful to have them in the apps since I can easily do things like create shopping lists, scale the recipes, take notes, and sync it all between my phone, tablet, and PC. In response to @Smithy's recent inquiry, I also find it makes it easier to search recipes and flip between them for comparison. The second reason is that I just discovered an issue with my Kindle notes. Some time last year Amazon revamped their notes page/tool. When I just went to the current notebook page, I had no entries. I then opened a book to check for highlights and they were still there. Eventually I discovered that if I created a new highlight, all of my old highlights would appear on the notebook page, but only for that title. I also think the old kindle highlights page allowed you to search all of your notes, but the new one only seems to search the titles and author info. Of course it takes some effort to copy highlighted text from a kindle book into a recipe database. There are tools that can help (e.g. bookcision), but I also find that once I have identified a specific recipe that interests me, it is often fairly easy to locate a copy of it on the web. It is then very easy to import it into a recipe database. Also, I often learn a lot about other variations when I search for a recipe on the web. I frequently end up saving a different recipe for the same dish instead of the original. The time this process takes also helps me to resist saving countless recipes that I will never use. I have many recipes in my database that I haven't made, but I do my best to keep them curated. The app also makes it easy for me to browse and search just the recipes that I have made. FWIW, I have done the same sort of thing with physical books via scanning a recipe into a PDF file and then using OCR to capture the text. If you have the right tools available, it is surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it. As you might imagine, I have come to the point where I generally prefer e-books to physical books. There are many reasons for that, but one of them is that "piles" of un- or under- read e-books just don't weigh on me the way that piles of physical books do.
  10. I just bought this for 1.99: Classic German Baking: The Very Best Recipes for Traditional Favorites, from Pfeffernüsse to Streuselkuchen by Luisa Weiss I've had an eReaderIQ alert on it.
  11. Thank you! I had just added that to my wish list a few week ago.
  12. For frozen gin and tonics, I am very happy with Kirkland London Dry Gin (1.75L for under $20). In Delaware, I'd say Total Wine's selection is at least 10X larger for both beer and wine, perhaps not as much for spirits.
  13. I totally agree and believe the discount is intended as a perk to encourage people to volunteer. Just to clarify about the pricing - I believe their target is 1/2 of the estimated resale value, not the retail value. The prices end up being quite low, although as you said, they are often higher for things that are more valuable and/or in demand.
  14. If you don't like thrift shop workers getting first dibs, then you are going to hate this: A friend volunteers at a thrift store where the policy is that the volunteers get 50% off of everything - so first dibs and a discount. They won't let her pay full price so, to her credit, she doubles the price when she sees something she wants. Unfortunately that is not a common practice and other volunteers take full advantage. With that said, some of the volunteers are not especially well off themselves. Also, their goal is to price things at about half of the actual value. I believe the idea is to provide affordable goods for those in need, but they are well aware that many of their regular buyers sell on Ebay. As in many instances, perhaps their is no way to adequately serve those who are in need and simultaneously prevent people from gaming the system.
  15. rustwood

    DARTO pans

    I used to have similar opinions about the pricing of hand-made iron work. After taking a couple of blacksmithing classes and making a few things, I now have a much greater appreciation for the amount of work that goes into producing something like this - dirty, hot, physically exhausting work. Still, I personally don't put a high enough value on the aesthetics to justify buying one - I'd rather own 3+ Darto pans.
  16. I am reading this now and so far it is a great read. I am particularly taken by a passage describing some of the "other" parts of the pig that might be employed in making scrapple: "...other parts of the pig were also frequently employed. They included the feet, ears, tail, and snout; although separately each of these items was considered a worthy subject for specialized recipes. The feet could be used for making souse, the ears could be cut into strips and cooked like pasta, and the snouts could be pickled." It really doesn't sound appealing to me, yet I still find myself fascinated by the idea of pig ear pasta.
  17. FWIW, I also have had the same AEG mixer for ~20 years now and love it. It was used at least weekly for many years yet it shows no signs of wear. I don't use as often now, but it is still going strong - I just made some pizza dough with it on Friday. Also, last year I was in the right place at the right time and could have purchased one new in the box at a deep discount. I passed because I decided it is extremely unlikely that I will ever need to replace the one I have (I was tempted to buy it and resell it, but I didn't).
  18. I am sure it varies from brand to brand, but according to the Glad FAQ: Do Glad® products contain BPA or phthalates? No. All Glad food protection products do not contain any phthalates or polycarbonate, nor is Bisphenol A (BPA) used as a raw material in their production. With that said, it also says to leave 1" between the food and the plastic in the microwave. While ribs in a smoker are going to be a uniform temperature, I am sure that is not the case in a microwave. I've had plastic sag onto meat and melt into it - not good.
  19. I don't know the actual answer, but I can tell you that when cooking ribs, after a couple of hours in the smoker is not uncommon for people to wrap them in plastic wrap (and then foil) before putting them back in smoker that is set to at least 225 or 250. This includes competition teams who are very unlikely to do anything that might reduce their chances of winning.
  20. @Katie Meadow's Turkey pot pies inspired me to make turkey calzone tonight. A little gravy, shredded 20 hr sous vide turkey legs, and a few random leftover cheese cubes turned into a surprisingly tasty treat. My original craving/motivation was for pepperoni (which I also made), but I stuck with the turkey. I should have tried this while I still had other leftovers in the fridge. Of course it is hard to go too far wrong with hot turkey and good gravy in fresh baked dough.
  21. I'll be working on leftovers for quite a while as I cooked 42 lbs of turkey last week - for 8 meat eating family members. I had planned 1 bone-in breast (lightly smoked) and 1 whole (legs and boneless breast cooked sous vide) as my family expects to leave with leftovers. The last turkey was due to my inability to resist the $10 off special at Costco on Friday. I split it into a bone-in breast (heavily smoked) and legs (20 hour sous vide - came out great). I completely processed all 3 carcasses for stock, gravy and dog treats (using carefully picked meat bits from the cooked down carcasses). I did the first carcass on Wed in a big pot and then made gravy with some of the stock, neck, wings and giblets. I did the other two carcasses in a slow cooker. It was easy - except that I had to break up the carcasses into small pieces to fit it all in. It went into the pot on low before bed and in the morning I had beautiful broth. Due to space constraints, the only veggie was a single onion. I will just keep that in mind when I use it though. I imagine it would be even easier to do a single carcass in a slow cooker. As for leftover meat getting dry, I usually don't have issues with dark meat and it is less of an issue when white meat has been cooked sous vide. Still, I tend to use leftover turkey in wet or very moist applications. I'll be making soup today. Enchiladas can be made with enough sauce to keep the turkey from drying out - right?
  22. Now that the day is upon us (for those of us in the USA), how many and what sides are you actually serving today? I got to wondering after Sam Sifton from the NYT mentioned that he is making 4 sides for a dinner for 30 - including lobster mac and cheese. We added one extra, but a couple of them are quick/easy to make and we roasted the sweet potatoes and apples last night - along with some other prep work: Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples Crispy Brussels Sprouts Hash Roasted Cauliflower w/ Romesco Sauce Mashed Potatoes Copes Corn Of course also turkey, stuffing/dressing, gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce, and desserts. I am feeling good about the plan for today, but I may feel differently in about 8 hours. Nothing is all that difficult to make, but the last half hour or so always seems to be a mad dash. I am sure no one will go hungry, so hopefully I will be able to keep calm and enjoy myself today. I admire those of you who have truly mastered that particular skill. Happy Thanksgiving!
  23. @Tri2Cook, I had been planning to make some goetta anyway so I had started it shortly after I posted. I guess great minds think alike You inspired me to throw some Aleppo pepper in the pot just now though. I am doing it in a slow cooker and will be adding some cornmeal a half hour before it finishes cooking.
  24. Thanks for the William Woys Weaver reference. That may turn out to be a bit of a rabbit hole for me. I see he also has a book entitled "Country Scrapple: An American Tradition", as well as many others. Google books appears to have the full text of Thirty-five Receipts from "The Larder Invaded" - including a recipe for scrapple that looks very doable. FWIW, although I grew up as a "native" scrapple eater (with a fondness for pon haus - a related breakfast food from mostly south-central PA and western MD), I recently discovered goetta (rhymes with feta). Goetta is another variety of fried breakfast loaf that is very popular in Cincinnati. It contains both ground beef and pork, but the main feature is that it uses pin oats (steel cut oats) as the grain. I found a number of recipes but have only tried one so far. I enjoyed it, although it seemed a little too crumbly. Some of the recipes I found call for adding cornmeal to help bind it. That seems like a good idea and might also make it a bit more scrapple-like (which is a good thing, at least for some of us). The recipes I saw vary quite a bit in terms of seasonings, but I went with one that was mostly just sage because that is my preference for scrapple and pon haus.
  25. Here are a couple of things we have added in recent years: Crispy Brussels Sprouts Hash Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples We like them both, but even though the latter makes a big bowl that serves 10, it goes fast on our table.
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