It’s Kamado, not Komodo…

Before this day, I was a griller. I thought I was cool. I thought I was sophisticated. I thought I was the king of the back garden barbecue. I could cook burgers from frozen. I could grill sausages. I was cooking on gas !

In 2012 I learned about Kamados. In fact, the idea of it was introduced to me by a Canadian work colleague. “I have an idea for your next gadget”, I think were the words he used. Gadget. Clearly, he knew me well, but I don’t think he or I realised the impact that this particular gadget would have on my spare time…or disposable income !

At the time he introduced me to something called a Big Green Egg. Virtually. Using some photos of his own Egg and the Worldwide Interweb. Naturally the idea was intriguing, and sure enough I read about grilling. With this thing, I could make burgers and sausages using charcoal – that sounded cool. But I also read about smoking. Believe it or not, I actually had no idea what smoking was. Barbecue restaurants and smokehouses in the UK were largely unheard of in the early 2010’s. I read about pulled pork. I watched videos about “smoking” brisket. I read about smokers. I learned about charcoal and pellets. I joined Facebook groups. I asked questions. I understood that lots of people had lots of opinions on this stuff. There was passion here, and there was experience, and things to learn. I was intrigued and getting hooked.

Through my surfing, and courtesy of Google, I learned about these “kamados”. I had no significant connection to either the USA or Japan in 2012 (I do now !), but discovered that the Kamado oven was originally a Chinese import to Japan (via Korea), and subsequently exported from there to the USA after the Second World War by returning soldiers. The product thrived in the USA largely through companies like Big Green Egg and more recently, Kamado Joe.

The name kamado is the Japanese word for “stove” or “cooking range”. It means a “place for the cauldron”. A movable kamado called “mushikamado” came to the attention of Americans after the Second World War. It is now found in the US as a Kamado-style cooker or barbecue grill. The mushikamado is a round clay pot with a removable domed clay lid and is typically found in Southern Japan.

Wikipedia – “Kamado”

In 2012, Atlanta based Kamado Joe was the relatively new challenger to Big Green Egg. Quality, warranty, accessories, innovation (add-on gadgets !) and value were the cornerstones of their proposition…and still are, and so I pulled the trigger. A week or so later, my first Kamado Joe (Classic) turned up. In and out of its packaging, it was a monster – reassuringly solid – and it got put to work straight away.

“Beer Can Chicken” sounded adventurous, and a little geeky. The idea of a chicken being held “upright” so that it could cook evenly, with an open can of beer up its jacksie for flavour and moisture gave a sense of the creative opportunities in front of me….and although it was very different from a hamburger, I was sure I could handle a roast chicken.

The Kamado Joe did not disappoint, and the inaugural cook did indeed involve a can of Boddington’s and some “rub” (I was not familiar with the merits of a “rub” – it had not been necessary on sausages !).

Forgive the mess in the picture, but to me the chicken did not look like it could have or should have come out of a barbecue. The look, texture, juiciness and taste were an absolute hit. This thing would seem to have a future ahead of it !