pmillen

I smoke-roasted this in a Karubecue C-60 stick burner but previous cooks were done in a Cookshack Fast Eddy PG500 pellet pit. I think it would cook up well in a kamado. It's the best thing I've ever cooked. I doubled the recipe for a dinner party. Ingredients One bone-in pork loin roast 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves 1 teaspoon garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste Optional Pan Sauce ¾ cup dry vermouth or white wine 1 cup water Salt and pepper to taste Instructions 1. Trim off unneeded fat and silverskin to expose the meat to the rub. 2. Rub the roast all over with mustard. Sprinkle it with the thyme, sage, garlic, salt and pepper, patting so the seasonings will adhere. 3. Put the loin back in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. 4. Preheat pit to 350° F. 5. Place the loin in the pit, bones down, until it reaches an internal temperature of 145° to 150° F. 6. Remove the roast from the oven, place it on a cutting board, tent it with foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, if desired, make a pan sauce 7. Place roasting pan over high heat. 8. Add the vermouth and water. 9. Bring to a boil, scraping up all the browned bits. 10. Continue to boil until reduced by about half. 11. Slice the pork into chops and serve, drizzling each serving with the pan juices.

I didn't have a 7/16-inch bit and no time to go buy one. So I routed the cables alongside the firebox tailpiece (where the heat enters the pit). I got inconsistent FireBoard readings. I may have overheated the cables or pinched them. As a result, I pulled the FireBoard probes and used the instant read thermometer that comes with the KBQ. This photograph is from the Owners' Manual. The cook went well without a leave-in thermometer.

I did some tests with my Fireboard probes and a hole gauge. The probe cable small end diameter is 5/16-inch. A small end and a probe cable require a 3/8-inch hole. A small end and two probe cables require a 7/16-inch hole. It’s likely that I’ll often have two food probes and a pit probe in use, so I concluded that I’ll need a 7/16-inch hole. That’s too large for the front corners. I’ll drill a new 7/16-inch hole in the top, slightly to the rear of the control knob. I welcome your thoughts.

A biologist told me that deer aren't naturally nocturnal (as I think of them). She said that hunting pressure has made them change their habits, but in places where there's no hunting, like the USAF Academy grounds, they're active during daylight hours.

I felt the need to replace my old Rock’s Stoker with a Fireboard. The Fireboard probe seals are much larger that the Rocks Stoker’s so I’ll need to drill out the front corner holes a bit larger. My plan is to open the holes as little as possible and thread the probes from the inside out. That’s inconvenient but it appears to be a better solution than drilling the holes out large enough to accommodate the Fireboard’s huge food probe connector.

I hunted muleys in western North Dakota many years. It was rare to see them during the day. If I did, it was because something flushed them from their cedar hiding places. It was impossible to approach their beds without alerting them.

This photograph is from the Owners’ Manual. I added the labels. Temperature setting isn’t explained in the manual. The setpoint dial has some temperature numbers on it. I put my desired temperature at the 12 O’clock position, check it with a leave-in thermometer and adjust. EDIT: I didn't see that John had already replied. I can't figure out how to delete this post.

About 175°F is as low as I can get. 325°F is about as hot as I can get it. That grate on top of the firebox is the searing grate for pre- or post-smoke searing. From the Owners’ Manual, page 8: “PRO-TIP: USE THE FIREBOX LID. IT IMPROVES FLAVOR AND BARK AND REDUCES SPARKING AND FUEL CONSUMPTION”

I had to drill out the corner holes with a ¼-inch bit. It just barely removed material, so I don’t think it affected the air flow. EDIT: I first ran my probes down the firebox hole into the cabinet and out the louvers in the rear. The front corners are cooler for the cables.

I have some more information on this prime rib cook. The KBQ’s temperature adjustment is a bit vague. So, I monitored the cook with my Rock’s Stoker. The temperature was easy to settle in at almost exactly my target 250°F and varied by only ±2° (4° from peaks to valleys). I’m not at all troubled by larger temperature swings, as long as the average temperature stays close to my setpoint. So, this was surprising performance.

I had the bottom poppet valve open all the way (re-burned, cleaned, smoke) and the top valve closed (untreated, stronger smoke). I don't recall how long it cooked but the smoke flavor was a bit lighter than I prefer. I used 9 oak ½ splits (splits cut to half-lengths) and 3 cherry. I have two ways to add smoke flavor (1) use stronger wood or (2) open the top poppet valve a bit. I don’t want to misrepresent myself. I don’t care for strong smoke flavor (the kind that I burp for a few hours) and I avoid creosote. But I want to add a bit more smoke flavor, so I’ll proceed with caution in small steps. As an aside, my poppet valves appear to move on their own. Binder clips will pin them in place.

I followed your prime rib process (see below) but smoke-roasted it in my KBQ a few weeks ago. It was excellent and will improve as I learn to adjust the amount of smoke flavor. I will be smoke-roasting two bone-in pork loins for a dinner party in three days. I hope to post a synopsis in the Pork Recipes section.

To close this out...I used my new Karubque C-60 (KBQ) to roast a 19 lb. prime rib roast. I followed the John Setzler method that KJTerp recommended above. It was to everyone's liking. I think that the next time I do it I'll give the meat a bit more smoke flavor which is easy to do with the KBQ. However, I need to be cautious about adding more smoke because after standing in the smoke for a few hours I become desensitized to it and don't notice the smoke flavor to the same extent as my guests do. I was told that taking a shower and changing clothes while the meat is resting helps to return the pitmaster to smoke-taste normalcy.

A great cook! How did you capture the drippings for the gravy? Can you see your way clear to publish it in recipe format in the Beef Recipes section? Minneapolis Marriott Hotel...Rosewood Room...Steak Diane...Romantic dinners for Marcia & me. With enough information, I may try to surprise her.

Oh, don't give up on the Akorn. It's a good little unit and there are a lot of owners on this site that can give you first-hand advice. Who knows? Maybe there's one near you that will invite you over for a quick demonstration. Thinking of demontstrations...perhaps your dealer can fire one up and coach you a bit.