When you put it in the jars HOT and cap the lids --- you form a vac seal --- its pretty cool --- 20-30-40 minutes later you will hear the lid 'POP' and know that its sealed. NO problem keeping those in the fridge vs the freezer. The clock doesn't start until you open them..... perfect. Plastic doesn't seal as good ad 'canning jar' --- these jars can go 6-8-10 months no problem.

I wanted to make grilled drumsticks. Problem is the kids leave a lot of meat on the bone. So, I had an idea.

I decided to go with skin on thighs and cut the bone out. I am not a butcher and left a lot of meat on the bone. Don't worry I saved them for broth.

I smoked them to impart some smoke then crisped the skin on the grill and got the sauce sticky.

They came out really good and will definitely make them again. So good that there are none left to take a picture for you guys!

The bads:

I like Head Country BBQ Sauce. So I picked up some of their rub. I don't like the rub. Has artificial smoke and it makes the house smell like hot dog water. Not pleasant.

I ran out of BBQ sauce, so they are lightly sauced - my fault.

I also barely made it to the end on my current propane tank. it was barely holding 300F while I waited for the sauce to dry up. Got lucky.

I let mine cool down room temp then into freezer easier to pop out, just never had glass in for several months


ginger garlic spare ribs and huli huli chicken with cucumber kim chee and rice

116 dry aged rib eye

yesturday
chilli ramin 2 poached eggs and char sui with chives




white wine 3lbs oysters and red onion

I gotta say I've been feeling pretty stoopid lately.... I broke out a pak of bacon this week and my first cook I cooked them as usual - in the CI pan on the stove. Typical 'messy spattering' and 'smoke' and unevenly cooked bacon, but still good. It dawned on me all the vids I've seen of cooking bacon in the oven..... I NEVER wanted to put bacon on a sheet or a pan just because it seemed like it would be a bigger problem to clean, but I realized I could put the bacon in a CI pan that I would have cooked it in IN the oven without any more 'issues'..... DAMN --- bacon in CI in the oven @350 for 20-30 minutes is just TOO DAMN EASY!!!! No standing around the stove and flipping - no smoke -- totally hands off! A huge benny is that there is so much less buildup/sticking to the CI - sure you still have to scrape it, but its easy.... and the bacon grease collected is PRISTINE! No floaty little chunks at all.

I hate to admit I was 57 before I figured this out... I just feel so stupid.
I'm betting that you could criss cross the bacon to make more without any issue too.... There is a new reason for the 12" CI pan now!

I use parchment paper to line my baking sheet. Same result, less cleanup (unless your CI needs a new coat of grease.)

Made BBQ drums and wings. 1.5 hours on the smoker, then finished on the grill.

The drums suck compared to the wings. Not that the drums sucked on their own. But Jesus, wings kicked their ass.

Probably going to shift away from drums and just make BBQ wings.

Crinkle up aluminum foil and smooth it back out. It'll leave a rough texture. Use that aluminum foil to coat the bottom of a cookie sheet.

Put bacon on aluminum foil and cookie sheet in oven.

The foil not only reflects heat to the underside, but also has relatively little surface area in contact with the foil so it doesn't stick, and the grease is captured on the foil. Don't even need to wash the cookie sheet, AND you can either pull the foil off carefully and dump the grease into a container to save for later, or let it sit and congeal and then ball it up and dispose of it in the trash.

I learned this when I was like 7... Thought it was common knowledge.