It's Bar-B-Que Season!

[Norm]

Well I finally got over being intimidated by this monster Patty got me for Christmas and I must say I'm a bit ashamed for procrastinating putting it together for so long. This is the first thing I cooked on it.



I figured if I was going to screw something up I'd go with cheap hamburger. :D

Since then I've cooked different things and it is very easy to use. The one thing I'm still learning is how to control the temperature but it gets easier every time I use it.  I have been using hardwood chunk charcoal with it and boy does it ever make a difference in the flavor. The brickets just sit in the corner now.

[Paschale]

I have been using hardwood chunk charcoal with it and boy does it ever make a difference in the flavor. The brickets just sit in the corner now.

A friend of mine has a BGE and loves it--makes everything from pizza to Thanksgiving turkey on it.  And as to the charcoal, I totally agree with you on the hardwood chunk charcoal.  I stopped at a roadside BBQ place today that uses charcoal, which I haven't used in a long time.  I think being over charcoal too long adds an almost oil like taste to food that isn't good at all.  I'd rather have something cooked over gas than over charcoal, to be honest.  But hardwood's the best, hand's down.

[york]

Norm,you have the extra large,BGE.....is over 200 pounds and big bucks....mine is the large BGE,big enough for me...

A good lump charcoal is "royal oak" if you can find...

[mad dog]

                                                                                                                                                     I like cooking with hardwood, second choice is charcoal. if I'm in a hurry its the outdoor microwave

[ScottAR]

Lump charcoal is all I buy if I have a choice. 
Hardwood pieces in a bag.  Briquettes taste nasty after
time with the good stuff. 

I do have a partial bag of kingsford around here somewhere
from last Christmas when I thought I would run out of
the lump.  I couldn't find any natural chunk. 

The turkey has to go for 3-4 hrs so it takes some wood to cook in a
barrel grill in 30-40 deg weather. 

Smoking a bird on the holidays is one of my favorite things.   

[Norm]

I never felt the high price justified the cost for lump hardwood charcoal, boy was I ever wrong. I found a local guy that has it shipped in by the semi load. He's the same one that Patty bought the BGE from and was only a dollar a bag higher than Kingsford.

[sawguy21]

Has anyone tried the digital meat thermometers with the long probe? I saw one used on a cooking show so decided to try it.
It has two scales on the 'cook' mode, the desired maximum and the current temp. That was fine at first in a small roast but then the current temp scale read HI and it started beeping to indicate the meat was done after 10 minutes, the heat was at the lowest setting. I tried leaving the lid open and routing the lead so it did not touch metal but no change so I gave up, yanked it out and used a timer. Am I doing something wrong or are these things junk?

[crowder888]

My wife got me one for fathers day this year...used it once and its sitting in the closet collecting dust now.

[zopi]

I thought most of them were kind of gimmicky...and i don't like things that take up much space and have only one purpose..I went to the restaurant supply and bought about 5 of the little cooks thermometers..drop one in the apron pocket and fuhgeddaboudit.

couple bucks apiece.

[Norm]

Some people are dedicated when it comes to good bar-b-que.



13°F with a brisk wind. Nope not me sent to me from my son.

[Roxie]

That looks wonderful.  Your son must be a chip off the old block!  Let's just hope he was dressed for the weather, and not wearing his Dad's standard BBQ outfit.     :D

[beenthere]

Sure looks like the bird was dedicated too....looks good (and dressed for the occasion) ;D ;D

[Mooseherder]

Looks like he was making beer can chicken. ;)

[Norm]

Even with our family genetics he knows better than to do that Roxie. ;D

[SwampDonkey]

It's sure don't feel like BBQ weather here today. Burr, where's my wool blanket? :D :D

[Tom]

I didn't know there was such a thing as Bar-B-Cue weather.

[SwampDonkey]

There is around here. It usually begins at around 65 ° and gets more enjoyable with increasing warmth and decreasing biting insects and ends way before 10° F :D :D

[ScottAR]

I do about as much smoking/grilling when it's cold as warm. 
Just takes more wood.   ;D

I "hot box" a turkey for Thanksgiving for the past few years on the
barrel grill.
Makes it nice and smoked, frees up the oven, and gives me something
to do and stay out of the way from all the other cookin'.

[SwampDonkey]

Yeah, but cold according to Larry down there is 65 F, not 10F :D

[ScottAR]

It'll probably be in the 20's when I do the Christmas one...
I just won't dilly dally around out there...  :D

Actually, on these long cooks, I point the front of the grill at a window
so I can watch the thermometer from inside.  I only go out to put
wood on. 

[Paschale]

I fired up my grill for the first time this year today...as an act of protest, against the weather.  I just ate a steak, but it was nice eating something cooked over an open flame again.  Another month or two of this junk...blech.   >:(

[semologger]

I havent realy stoped since turkeyday. I barrowed dads electric smoker. Well now prob stole it. I willl have to tell em it broke till i can get me one. I have many ideas of what i am going to make. Only problem i had is with the cold that i takes the thing so long till i can get the first piece in my mouth. ;D

[sawguy21]

I wanted to fire up the grill today, bright and sunny, but unseasonably cold here. Spring can't arrive soon enough.