Kalamazoo Shokunin Kamado KSHOK430, Use And Care Manual

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KalamazooGourmet.com 18
Not Your Typical Kamado
The Shokunin Kamado Grill has a number of unique characteristics that make its use
different from more traditional designs. Most notably, the way you control temperature —
you may be surprised how small the vent openings can be set. Even experienced masters of
the kamado should review these operation instructions.
Configuring the Fire Grates
There are three levels at which you can build the fire. The main fire grate sits at the lowest position, and it can
remain in place during any cooking session, even if the fire is built on the adjustable fire grates in the levels
above.
There are three basic configurations of the fire grates for cooking:
1.
LOWEST FIRE POSITION: Build your fire on the main fire grate, which is positioned in the lowest fire grate
position. This creates the most gentle heat inside the grill because the fire is further below the cooking
grates. This position is ideal for barbecue and smoking, and we refer to the fire in this position as “the
barbecue position.” With the fire in the lowest position, the adjustable fire grates can optionally be placed
in the middle or upper position and used to hold a water pan or cordierite heat diffuser above the fire.
2. MIDDLE FIRE POSITION: We refer to the fire in this position as “the roasting position.” Position the
adjustable fire grates in the central position and build your fire there. We use this position for roasting at
temperatures between 350
° and 500 °F. For roasting, the fire can be offset to the left or right. The food is
placed on the opposite side cooking grate so that it is offset from (not above) the fire.
3.
HIGHEST FIRE POSITION: We refer to this as “the searing position” or “the grilling position,” depending
on how hot we allow the fire to get. Position the adjustable fire grates in the highest position and build
your fire there. This creates the most intense heat, ideal for foods that cook quickly, such as skirt steak,
asparagus and hamburgers. With an offset fire built at this position, the Shokunin Kamado Grill is ideal for
the “sear and slide” technique for making the perfect steak. Sear the steak(s) directly above the hot fire
built to one side of the grill, then move the steak(s) to the indirect side (where there is no fire below), close
the lid, and coast to the desired doneness. We flip and rearrange the steaks every 5 minutes during this
portion of the cook.
NOTE: Kalamazoo strongly recommends cooking with all-natural hardwood
lump charcoal rather than briquettes.