Fatty-Cake, Fatty-Cake, Smokin' MAN!!! Process & q-view

[chefrob]

you really need one of these........

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Ha-hah!!! Thanks, brother!

I left the grate dry...I could have put smoked side pork drippings on it from yesterdays smoke too. Thing is, the sausage has a lot of fat content so shouldn't stick, but the sausage actually wraps partly around the grate wires due to the heavy load above it...nearly 10lbs on a 9" diameter area, supported with a base of raw pork sausage...quite a feat, if you think about it. The stuck grate always does make for a challenging finish, but the issue is easily overcome.

Eric

 

[caveman]

Thank you Sir! (Always taking notes.)

 

[smokin relaxin steve]

I couldnt wait last night... i was dieing to get into work this morning to see the end result... LOL!!!!!!

One Word: THAT IS FREAKING AWESOME!!!!! (okay so i cant count)

:poi nts:

:PDT_Armataz_01 _37:

 

[wildflower]

That would be a 10 in any one's book, good planning and good job

 

[thunderdome]

THat could feed an army.

Wow!

 

[bman62526]

Amazing! Well deserved points...

 

[scarbelly]

WOW - That could be the best novel I have ever read!!
Great pictorial process as well

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Man, that's hilarious!!!!!!!!! When I got about half-way through this, I was starting to wonder whether or not I would be getting fitted for a SJ before the fatty-cake was finished! LOL!!!

That was a pretty good first run, wasn't it? I just had my second slice of it tonight with dinner...1/2 of the fatty-cake is still in my fridge, with 5 of us eating on it...I still can't believe how well it worked.


Thanks to all for your interest. I knew this would be a rather hefty project to undertake before I started it...my original plan was for a triple-layer, and I just could not see it happening very well...maybe that's why I put it off for so long, and then, I decided a couple weeks ago to go after a more attainable goal, which would have a much greater chance for success.

Will I ever try the triple? With the degree of success and lessons learned from this double-layer project, it does have me thinking about the triple again...I think a change in the theme would be in order, of course. Oh crap! I can't believe I'm actually considering this again! LOL!!!


I'm sure that having a few fatty-pies under my belt before tackling this double-layer beast gave me some insight as to how it could be accomplished...and now, the double-layer is no longer a serious challenge for me, sooooooo...

You know, thinking back on it now, the pies are just one step away from this cake...the biggest difference in the level of difficulty is getting the two layers joined together and getting a good seal on the meat, and then of course, the flip onto the grate with half of the cake exposed (unlike with the pie flip) which really was pretty simple and easy...same basic method. How much more difficult could a triple be, anyway!?!?!? Right?????


Anyway, sure was fun to do this bad boy! Took some time, but I gained quite a bit more experience along the way.

And, I'm more than happy to have been able to share it with everyone here...that makes it more than worth the effort, just to be able give something back.

Thanks again everyone!

Eric

 

[treegje]

That must be a flavor explosion.

 

[beer-b-q]

The Cholesterol Police were on here wanting to know if anyone knows your address. They said the AMA has a Hit Contract out on you...

 

[badfrog]

That my friend is truly a masterpiece; very impressive concept and execution.
I would like that for breakfast with a little pico de gallo on the side and a tall glass of OJ.

 

[l r harner]

would maybe a bacon "pie" crust keep the gground pork off the great better

ow jsut make the whole works on a ham steak :)

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Hmm, I hadn't thought about a bacon layer on the very bottom...it would change the texture of the crust, maybe not rendering out as much fat from the sausage or developing a crusted surface...it might stay too soft on bottom and want to fall apart, I'm just not sure about that...(just thinking about what ground meats do when they are covered with something). That is a very good thought, worth looking into further.

Really, the sausage wrapping itself around the grate has been an issue since the first fatty pie I made (single layer). They work OK on a regular wire grate, but a double layer like this one would probably be a disaster on wire grates...just too heavy...it would be like running multiple cheese slicers through the bottom of it. The jerky grate worked pretty well, though.

Thanks for having a look, everyone! These probably aren't something I'd want to make very often, because they are pretty labor intensive and time consuming. Man, it's a heckuva ride to build and smoke one though! Yeah, I must be nuts, but, I'm still thinking about the triple layer...it would be over 13lbs of goodness...someday...(sigh).

Let me just say, if you like a good challenge, and you like fatties, then this would probably be right up your alley. I can say the double layer is humbling to get together and get back off the grate after it's smoked. Something to look at with great satisfaction and pride...it's worth every minute to it takes to make it happen.

It kept me thinking, as I started putting it all together...with all sorts of questions running through my brain, like: am I doing this right?...man, did I forget something?...do I have the correct layering for the flip onto the grate so the bottom layer will be on bottom?...will it even hold together???

It kept me on my toes for a couple hours until I was down to the last couple of steps before the smoke. Tons of fun to pull it off for sure!

Thanks again, all! If you feel adventurous and want to give it a try, drop me a line with any questions you may have. Even if you'd like to do a single layer first (pie). This particular project seemed like alot more than I wanted to tackle at first, but it's not nearly as difficult as I figured it would be...on a scale of 1-10 for difficulty, I'd give it a 7.5, maybe 8...there must be tougher things to do than this when it comes to cooking, though, I can't think what they might be at the moment.

May your freezer(s) be full, and your smokes be plentiful!

Eric