So this is a smaller picnic that I smoked/cooked on the KJ classic a week or so ago. I didn't bother dry-brining this cut. I cut the fat cap off, rubbed it with yellow mustard for glue, gave it a good dose of Meat Church Honey Hot Hot and Honey Hog, and threw it on the KJ at 225. I had the heat deflectors in place for indirect with a drip pan slightly above the deflectors. No water in the drip pan (doesn't seem to be required in the kamado). I threw a couple chunks of hickory on the coals. I cooked it until 203 internal, brought it inside, wrapped in in foil and towels and into the cooler for a couple hours then pulled for dinner. The bark was great (very chewy and tasty) and the meat inside was tender. Turned out really well.
I did run out of fuel at one point during the cook, which lasted about 17 hours (I didn't crutch and the stall took awhile - coupled with the temp loss when I had to add fuel). I believe I did not use enough charcoal and I lit the lump at the bottom of the pile, so maybe this affected how it burned. I also used the kickash basket and the increased airflow vs the stock firebowl may have accelerated coal consumption.
In any case, here are some pics; the picnic is on the left side of the KJ - there is a beef blade on the right.
I did run out of fuel at one point during the cook, which lasted about 17 hours (I didn't crutch and the stall took awhile - coupled with the temp loss when I had to add fuel). I believe I did not use enough charcoal and I lit the lump at the bottom of the pile, so maybe this affected how it burned. I also used the kickash basket and the increased airflow vs the stock firebowl may have accelerated coal consumption.
In any case, here are some pics; the picnic is on the left side of the KJ - there is a beef blade on the right.
Comment