After about a year of researching and seeking advice from friends who I consider grilling experts (thanks especially to I.C.), I settled on buying my very first grill - the Kamado Joe Konnected.
I selected this grill because it uses charcoal, which imparts smokey flavors (as opposed to gas grills), allows flame contact with meat, and reaches temperatures of up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit (unlike smokers such as the Traeger). Lastly, the charcoal can be ignited electronically or manually, and the grill can be operated via bluetooth, if so desired.
Kamado Joe Konnected
After saving enough duckets, I took the plunge and made the purchase. The grill arrived early this year. I assembled it and then pretty much just gazed at it diffidently for four months, because I don't know how to grill. I mean, I've grilled a few times, but I am not knowledgeable or skilled in this area in the least.
Inspired and enthused by a visit from family that lives out of the country, I garnered the courage necessary when starting something new, and fired up the grill. That friends, was the beginning of a whole new and wonderful world (and albeit on a small scale, further confirmation that risking failure in order to grow is necessary and rewarding). Since then, I have been grilling multiple times a week this summer and enjoying the learning process, as well as the food.
Spare Ribs
The video above, is the first meal I made using my Kamado Joe. I went with something I am accustomed to making in the regular oven -- sticky Asian spare ribs. I have made these ribs so many times, that I don't use measurements or the same ingredients each time, but I can tell you that the staples for my marinade are a combination of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, chili oil, rice wine vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and a bit of oyster sauce.
Occasionally, I will add Chinese five spice, cinnamon, black or white pepper, green onion, gochujang, red chilis, paprika, bay leaves and/or onion. It all depends on my mood and what I have readily available in my kitchen. Normally, I slow bake the ribs in the marinade until tender, and then finish them off in the broiler to caramelize the sauce and develop a bit of crust on th emeat.
This being my first experience with the Kamado Joe, I was too intimidated to utilize the grill for the entire cooking process, so I opted to start the ribs in the oven per usual, and finish them on the Kamado Joe. Armed with a tried and true recipe, I was able to just focus on learning to use the grill. The meal, which included grilled corn, Chinese broccoli and rice, in addition to the spare ribs, turned out nicely. As you can see from the video, I was able to achieve some nice grill marks on the spare ribs, and the smokey flavor lent by the charcoal, improved on my recipe.
With one successful meal using my Kamado Joe under my belt, I decided to try a second, where I ventured the farthest from my comfort zone to date. It is also the meal I am most proud of -- the 16-hour smoked brisket and ribs.
Sixteen-Hour Smoked Brisket and Ribs
Ten Pound Brisket
First, let me shout out my cousin, who inspired this meal. His enthusiasm, patience, precision and humility, made trying something new together, a true pleasure and joy. Oh, did I mention that even though this was the first time either of us had smoked a brisket or ribs, we decided to invite 12 people over for dinner? No test run whatsoever; we just went all in. Stupid or courageous? You be the judge. Now, let's get started.
The first thing I learned, was about buying brisket, and I learned it while standing in front of the butcher counter, texting my cousin and googling things in real time. I learned that there is a difference between the point and flat cut of the brisket, you need to buy quite a bit of it to do an overnight smoke, and butchers (though mine was very patient), don't love it when you show up to purchase $100 of meat with little to no knowledge. I eventually figured things out and bought what we needed.
Seasoning the Meat
After getting the meat home and drying it off completely (this is important if you want a nice, even crust), my cousin trimmed it a bit and then we went to work, liberally patting in a kosher salt and freshly ground, black pepper (equal parts of each) mixture over every part of the brisket.
When we were finished, we placed the meat in my Kamado Joe that was pre-heated to 225 degrees Fahrenheit, shut the lid and prayed for the best. Other than opening it early the next morning to add a couple racks of ribs, which needed less cook time than the brisket, we kept the grill closed to ensure a consistent temperature.
(Almost) Finished Product
Another amazing feature of the Kamado Joe, is that in addition to charcoal, you can add wood while grilling, to impart various additional flavors. Upon the advice of a pit master, I opted for apple wood which contributes a mild, sweet and fruity flavor. All throughout the night and the following day, that lovely scent, coupled with the roasting meat, wafted in and all around my home.
Resting Your Meat
Once we removed the meat from the grill, we covered it in butcher paper, put it in an insulated container (we used a cooler) and let it rest to maintain its warmth and seal in the juices. The sweet spot for resting a brisket of this size is about 2-3 hours, so be sure to backward plan for that.
Incidentally, some people insist that you should spritz the meat with apple cider vinegar while it is cooking and/or while it is resting. We decided not to do that. Neither my cousin nor I are huge fans of a strong, vinegar flavor, so we omitted this step and limited the vinegar to the homemade barbecue sauce that he made (and I neglected to photograph).
Summer Stone Fruit Salad
It's almost time to show you the finished brisket, but first, here is what we chose to serve with the meat. To celebrate the bounty of summer, I decided on a stone fruit salad that included white nectarines, yellow peaches, Rainier cherries and black plums. To that, I added fresh dill, mint, goat cheese, salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
Roasted Cauliflower
Next, I roasted some cauliflower with olive oil, and then seasoned it with a touch of ras el hanout and sea salt.
Crispy Garlic and Dill Smashed Potatoes
Lastly, I made smashed potatoes. This process consisted of par boiling small, yellow potatoes, smashing them with a fork, placing them on a baking sheet in a single layer, drizzling them with olive oil and then roasting them until they are golden and crispy. Once out of the oven, I added garlic, fresh dill and sea salt.
Carving the Brisket
And now for the main event. We all gathered around the table to watch my friend carve the brisket. I let him do the honors because he was the only one who had previous experience making and carving a brisket. I had no interest in messing things up in the final stretch, by haphazardly sawing away at the beautiful, smoked meat.
The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and so flavorful. The brisket was simply incredible. Maybe it was all the effort and patience we put in, the mounting anticipation, being surrounded by close friends and family, or something else, but I thought this was the best brisket I have ever had, and I've been to Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas, reputed to have the best brisket in the United States (and it is indeed, amazing).
Thank you again to my cousin, and to those brave, guinea pigs that attended the barbecue; feel free to chime in with your comments. Incidentally, the brisket not only fed the 12, close friends and family members in attendance, but there was enough left over to send home for two other people who could not attend.
In addition, I brought the remainder of the meat to a family cookout in San Diego, where we fed an additional six adults for dinner and made brisket, breakfast tacos for four the following morning. This was definitely time and money well spent. Now, armed with a little more experience and confidence, I am very much eager to try this again and progress further in my grilling journey.
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