Thursday, June 21, 2012

Tandoori Chicken in the hole

Before I got the CharGriller Akorn Kamado Kooker, I bought these sword-like long skewers at a Middle Eastern grocery in Ottawa, Ca. I thought that I some how might be able to replicate a tandoori oven cooking experience with these. The steel kamado seems to be able to make this happen. I put skinless chicken breasts ( marinated 48 hours in yogurt and tandoori spice mix)  on the skewers which I had to bend to fit under the closed dome.






















 I put a potato under each breast to prevent the breast from falling off and stuck them in the hole of the cast iron grill. About 23 minutes later at approximately 470F they were done @ 160 F internal temperature. 














They were great! I've done these before on the Weber or the gas grill but I don't think they were ever this good before. Crisp and juicy!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Kamado Twice Smoked Ham

I smoked a 9# spiral cut pre-cooked ham last Saturday. 

I cooked it indirectly over liquid ---water and porter (not sure that the porter made a difference) with water soaked hickory chunks.

 It took about 2 hr 45 minutes to get to 133 degrees F internal temperature with an average oven temperature of approximately 250 degrees F. At about 1.5 hours into the cook I checked the accuracy of a new remote oven thermometer that I got.

 Looking at the ham, I was afraid that it was drying out. So I put foil on the grate under it and a foil tent over it.

 I didn't use a glaze as I don't really like making the meat sweet and sugary. My wife pointed out that I oriented it wrongly.. However, for all that, it came out great.

 After taking it out of the kamado, I wrapped it in foil to sit for an hour. Except for the big piece on the end which was a little dry and black, it was very moist and very smokey.
The thermometer on the kamado is now 50 to 75 degrees low compared to the new remote thermometer which I tested against an over thermometer of known accuracy. I checked the accuracy of the kamado thermometer when I put it together. I have to figure out how to adjust it.
For a finishing touch, I took down the diffuser grate and the liquid and took out the hickory chunks. Then I cooked biscuits.

Delicious. Pillsbury Buttermilk Grands fresh from the refrigerator tube! They were great!