First ever charcoal cook pr()n - Epic Fail! - 2015 Performer Deluxe

Welp... I got an insane deal that I couldn't pass up on a brand new performer deluxe... so here's my story.

This is my maiden cook on the new pit - I never had a kettle, so I'm a complete charcoal newb when it comes to kettles (i've had numerous smokers). Anyway, I was not happy w/ the meal, but it did turn out some good pr()n!

Long story short is I need to learn the cooker and how to manage the temp... I was able to get up to 400 degrees with the lid closed and vents all the way open, but I was unsure of how hot the indirect area was compared to the direct side of the grate... either way, it's a learning curve and it just get's me stoked for my next cook!

Brought the performer deluxe home... it's a beaut'




Picked up some sirloin "filets"... thought this would be a decent way to break it in since I didn't want to spend too much on steak.



Got the grill up and running w/ some B&B Oak Lump...


Too much draw on too little fuel? Propane tank died down, but still has some left... oh well, charcoal was pretty well lit anyway.


Got the bok choy and some broccoli on the grill skillet, little bit of S&P and EVOO, also some taters with evoo and melting pot garlic & wine seasoning, and the steaks rubbed w/ some montreal, indirect, reverse sear:


Decided to ditch the grill skillet, was getting in the way:



Final plate - I burnt one side of the steak, and didn't get grill marks on the other... I overcooked the steak and undercooked the broccoli and tater... the ONLY thing that was up to standard was the bok choy... I'd definitely do it like this again... you have to snip the dried out leaves off, but the hearts are so good and tender. Decided not to show the burnt side and overcooked shot.



Oh... and last but definitely not least, here are the beverages!!




Troegs Java Head - Delicious stout, good alcohol, but not boozy since it's not imperial... very light body for a stout.
Troegs Hop Back - Not my thing, too sweet and malty, was expecting more hops, but this was pretty old, so they probably all gave way to age.
Otter Creek Fresh Slice White - Really good white IPA, wish I actually had it fresh... it was juicy and citrusy, great beer.
Mikkeller Black Hole - Great stout, high alcohol content, aged about 5 months, not boozy, very drinkable and yum, loved the actual coffee grounds at the bottom of the glass, great touch!
Evil Twin Molotov Cocktail - One of my favorite Double IPA's - If you can find this in your area, drink it and drink it well. Be careful, it'll get

Looks great to me Steve. Like anything else, you have to learn about your new friend. Love your Bok choy and your counters too.

It was a good first effort. A couple of ideas. I have started to use Weber's cube starters and they work very well and I don't have to worry if I have propane tanks or not. Are you using an instant read thermometer to check the meat. That has helped me when I cook. I love my Performer and love grilling on it. Good Luck.

Thanks Bob - I use the cube starters to ignite the chimney for the WSM, but since this was the maiden voyage on the performer, I figured I'd go with the propane assist.... It works real well, but I think a little too much for that small tank, at least when its less than half full.

I have cooked this cut probably 50 times, so I typically go by feel. I use the thermometer with most other stuff, but yes, that would've protected me. I got too comfortable in a new situation... but live and learn!

Your gonna do great. As I said, great first effort with a new tool. I have just never been comfortable with the feel method. Give me my toy's and I can rule the world. Wife definitely does not like it when I look at new accessories for my WSM or Performer. The only way I will get a gasser is to find one that needs a lot of work on Craigs List.

Steve I also have a performer and love it, it won't take long to get the hang of it. Also I got the adapter hose that is used by the folks that have the portable Qs to hook up a 20# bottle for the performer. Going on my second year and the tank isn't half empty yet, works great if you don't have to move the performer around a lot and a lot cheaper than buying the small bottles.

Rich Dahl said:

Steve I also have a performer and love it, it won't take long to get the hang of it. Also I got the adapter hose that is used by the folks that have the portable Qs to hook up a 20# bottle for the performer. Going on my second year and the tank isn't half empty yet, works great if you don't have to move the performer around a lot and a lot cheaper than buying the small bottles.

Click to expand...

The idea of a 20# tank is a good one. Since I have a couple of spare tanks I don't use, not a bad idea. Rich, do you have the part number for that adapter hose? I will also continue to use the cubes depending on what I am doing. And of course a 20# tank will just sit on that bottom shelf so no problem.

Steve,

2-3 cooks, and you'll have a good handle on everything.

You said you've had smokers before. You should have fun using this kettle as a smoker. I holds temp beautifully.

Thanks guys - I don't doubt that I'll have a good handle on it, just like every pit I've owned. I'll keep y'all updated!

Hey Steve... How long did you run the propane lighter to get your briquettes going? I run mine 1 - 2 minutes max and a bottle of fuel lasts me a couple of months, of course depending on how frequently you use the grill. I've found that if you let it go too long it warps and bends the charcoal grate. Maybe they've corrected that now. Mine is about three years old.

Wish my bad cooks were that good! You can also get to propane hose at blowes for like $15. It's an appliance hose for stoves and portables. That's what I use.

Steve R;
I may not have been a "perfect" cook, but it sure looks pretty dern good to me.

I have a Craig's list Performer with gas ignition. I use a charcoal starter (Weber, large) and set it on the charcoal grate over the gas flame exactly 3 minutes, turn the flame off, then let it set for a total of 20 minutes before I dump.

Using only 3 minutes at a time, I get a LOT of starts on one tank. I buy the larger tanks in a two-pack:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Worthington-Pro-Grade-16-4-oz-Propane-Cylinder-2-Pack-303978/203122888

My son lives in North Carolina, grills all year 'round, and tells me he uses three tanks per year. So, he has instant lighting for about ten dollars per year.

I just picked up a new performer for $50.00 (see the Buy/Sell column) with out gas start. I will use the old Performer (leave them both set up) to start my charcoal. When/if it croaks, then I'll go back to using one Weber cube on top of an empty tuna can (puts the starter cube up inside the chimney for greater efficiency) to start my charcoal.

As an aside, while I have used lump on occasion, my "go to" charcoal is simply Kingsford Original which I buy in quantity when it's on sale.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53

Not too shabby for your first cook! It'll get better!

you will love it as time goes by, nice cook, great looking food, enjoy

Your dinner still looks great!!!!! Yum!

Awesome info Robert. Thanks a lot. I used the ignitor for about 10 minutes until it started to frost and die down. The coals lit themselves after that. I'll take your advice and use the chimney next time with less time on flame. I only use kingsford blue in the wsm, but that's mainly for consistency. I prefer the flavor and burn from lump, but maybe I should stick to the basics and go with kingsford until I get it perfect. Thanks again.

Robert McGee said:

Steve R;
I may not have been a "perfect" cook, but it sure looks pretty dern good to me.

I have a Craig's list Performer with gas ignition. I use a charcoal starter (Weber, large) and set it on the charcoal grate over the gas flame exactly 3 minutes, turn the flame off, then let it set for a total of 20 minutes before I dump.

Using only 3 minutes at a time, I get a LOT of starts on one tank. I buy the larger tanks in a two-pack:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Worthington-Pro-Grade-16-4-oz-Propane-Cylinder-2-Pack-303978/203122888

My son lives in North Carolina, grills all year 'round, and tells me he uses three tanks per year. So, he has instant lighting for about ten dollars per year.

I just picked up a new performer for $50.00 (see the Buy/Sell column) with out gas start. I will use the old Performer (leave them both set up) to start my charcoal. When/if it croaks, then I'll go back to using one Weber cube on top of an empty tuna can (puts the starter cube up inside the chimney for greater efficiency) to start my charcoal.

As an aside, while I have used lump on occasion, my "go to" charcoal is simply Kingsford Original which I buy in quantity when it's on sale.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53

Click to expand...

Like Rich said you will love your Performer and I do for sure. You have the right idea and your cook looks great. Hang in, you will love it.

Steve this cook shows that grill looks like it's going to be nothing but headaches, save the trouble and send it my way

In all seriousness maybe your propane tank may be lower then anticipated?

also as noted above many people still use a chimney and use the gas assist to light the chimney and fill the baskets.

Funny you mention it, the propane tank must've been extremely low, because it died only about 45 seconds into it's next use this weekend. I put a new one on and it was perfect. I even let it run a few extra minutes to see if it would frost up, but it ran perfectly with no overdraw or anything like that.

Charlie Lauer said:

Steve this cook shows that grill looks like it's going to be nothing but headaches, save the trouble and send it my way

In all seriousness maybe your propane tank may be lower then anticipated?

also as noted above many people still use a chimney and use the gas assist to light the chimney and fill the baskets.

Click to expand...

Hmmm, must be a defective Deluxe Performer. You can send it to me, I'll pay the shipping costs too.

Seriously though, food still looks good! I'd take a plate of that any day.