Randy Parr
TVWBB Super Fan
It has been seven years since I first visited this site in preparation for a party for one of my nurses leaving for higher education...it was the summer soltice then and seven years later it returns.
The crowd remains about 50 people and two smokers tend to be enough since we added hamburgers and hot dogs for the kids a few years ago. The "Ribfest" as we call it is now just a thank you party for my nurses...a family day where the kids are safe and occupied on our large wooded property...it's rained every year and no one seems to care. Moms bring a set of dry clothes for the kids...and there are talks of the volleyball game being combined with a wet tee-shirt contest, since all of the players are usually soaked by the end of the game...and even previous couch potatoes will join in...claiming to partake in the sport, but always picking the opposite side of the net that contains the most well endowed of the female players...
We have always been able to clear dinner before the rain, but this year the weather has been much different. The wettest June since the 1930's, as of today we have had only 3 days of sunshine this month. The rain has been constant...flooding at times and I was fairly certain I would not be so lucky as to clear dinner before a downfall.
Amazingly, no one was cancelling due to the weather...we are all so starved for some time outdoors that I think everyone was willing to deal with whatever came just to spend some time outside of four walls. So this year I rented a 20x40 tent and moved the bullets out to the barn where the overhang would protect against any downpours.
As usual, I used the BRITU recipe...why mess with perfection? Over the years I have learned to stagger the smokers an hour apart so that second helpings are always warm and fresh. My second best investment this year (the tent being the first) was the purchase of a chaffer. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was able to comfortably fit the contents of one smoker in the 2 inch pan. Other than changing the sternos once during the night, it required no tending other than refilling once with the second smoker's contents and for the first time in 7 years I was able to sit down and eat with my friends. The ribs stayed warm and moist the entire night. My third best investment was a 5 inch painters brush I had picked up at the hardware store that morning. Tired of multiple passes with a simple basting brush, the 5 incher completed the job of saucing the ribs in one or two passes.
The tent set up beautifully and because part of the foliage was under the tent, I hit the garden center at the end of the street for some black-eyed susans, gerber daisies and pink cosmos that I nestled among the foliage for a little color.
The first batch of ribs is usually done at 5pm and that's usually when everyone shows up...so I was shocked to see people arrive in mass by 4pm...everyone seemed to be in the most festive mood despite the grey skies and drizzle. Ripper went clamming that morning and provided the crowd with the the most amazing little neck clams that we look forward to every year, most eaten raw but I saw a few thrown on the grill for the faint of heart (hey we are islanders here...we have salt water in our blood). Jen's shrimp platter and Xing's chinese dumplings were the perfect appetisers and kept the natives from getting restless while the ribs finished smoking.
The rain stopped just as we sat down to eat...and although I'm sure I had more people than seats at the tables, the constant flow allowed anyone who wanted to sit and eat the opportunity.
I was showered with stories of battles for time off in the unit (after all SOMEONE had to stay behind and take care of patients)and business trips that were cancelled to attend "the party of the year".
The ribs were as usual perfect...and the combination of such wonderful BBQ fare and being outside seemed to energize everyone...including the kids who, as one mom put it, had a spark in thier eyes at the ability to run around in the rain and dark without mom going postal. Mom's knew from experience to bring rain gear and a dry set of clothes...so...let em run...
After dinner, those that played an instrument, broke em out and played for the crowd ... when the entire tent started singing Steve Miller's "The Joker" I think it could be heard the next town over.
By 9pm it started to downpour, but with the tent it made no difference, I had side walls for the tent in case it rained sideways, but never needed to use them.
People stayed much later than usual and all left with a smile on thier face.
Thank you again Chris, for the site and all of the wonderful guidance you give. Because of it, my party is talked about all year, anticipated all year...and in a year where so many people were cranky and depressed with the weather...the wonderful smell of the apple and cherry wood smoking, the taste of those amazing ribs...brought sunshine and smiles to everyone there.
My annual donation to the site will follow, but there is no amount of money that can equal the heart that you put into this site...
We are not worthy...
(gal's on her knees, bowed down in worship)
The crowd remains about 50 people and two smokers tend to be enough since we added hamburgers and hot dogs for the kids a few years ago. The "Ribfest" as we call it is now just a thank you party for my nurses...a family day where the kids are safe and occupied on our large wooded property...it's rained every year and no one seems to care. Moms bring a set of dry clothes for the kids...and there are talks of the volleyball game being combined with a wet tee-shirt contest, since all of the players are usually soaked by the end of the game...and even previous couch potatoes will join in...claiming to partake in the sport, but always picking the opposite side of the net that contains the most well endowed of the female players...
We have always been able to clear dinner before the rain, but this year the weather has been much different. The wettest June since the 1930's, as of today we have had only 3 days of sunshine this month. The rain has been constant...flooding at times and I was fairly certain I would not be so lucky as to clear dinner before a downfall.
Amazingly, no one was cancelling due to the weather...we are all so starved for some time outdoors that I think everyone was willing to deal with whatever came just to spend some time outside of four walls. So this year I rented a 20x40 tent and moved the bullets out to the barn where the overhang would protect against any downpours.
As usual, I used the BRITU recipe...why mess with perfection? Over the years I have learned to stagger the smokers an hour apart so that second helpings are always warm and fresh. My second best investment this year (the tent being the first) was the purchase of a chaffer. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was able to comfortably fit the contents of one smoker in the 2 inch pan. Other than changing the sternos once during the night, it required no tending other than refilling once with the second smoker's contents and for the first time in 7 years I was able to sit down and eat with my friends. The ribs stayed warm and moist the entire night. My third best investment was a 5 inch painters brush I had picked up at the hardware store that morning. Tired of multiple passes with a simple basting brush, the 5 incher completed the job of saucing the ribs in one or two passes.
The tent set up beautifully and because part of the foliage was under the tent, I hit the garden center at the end of the street for some black-eyed susans, gerber daisies and pink cosmos that I nestled among the foliage for a little color.
The first batch of ribs is usually done at 5pm and that's usually when everyone shows up...so I was shocked to see people arrive in mass by 4pm...everyone seemed to be in the most festive mood despite the grey skies and drizzle. Ripper went clamming that morning and provided the crowd with the the most amazing little neck clams that we look forward to every year, most eaten raw but I saw a few thrown on the grill for the faint of heart (hey we are islanders here...we have salt water in our blood). Jen's shrimp platter and Xing's chinese dumplings were the perfect appetisers and kept the natives from getting restless while the ribs finished smoking.
The rain stopped just as we sat down to eat...and although I'm sure I had more people than seats at the tables, the constant flow allowed anyone who wanted to sit and eat the opportunity.
I was showered with stories of battles for time off in the unit (after all SOMEONE had to stay behind and take care of patients)and business trips that were cancelled to attend "the party of the year".
The ribs were as usual perfect...and the combination of such wonderful BBQ fare and being outside seemed to energize everyone...including the kids who, as one mom put it, had a spark in thier eyes at the ability to run around in the rain and dark without mom going postal. Mom's knew from experience to bring rain gear and a dry set of clothes...so...let em run...
After dinner, those that played an instrument, broke em out and played for the crowd ... when the entire tent started singing Steve Miller's "The Joker" I think it could be heard the next town over.
By 9pm it started to downpour, but with the tent it made no difference, I had side walls for the tent in case it rained sideways, but never needed to use them.
People stayed much later than usual and all left with a smile on thier face.
Thank you again Chris, for the site and all of the wonderful guidance you give. Because of it, my party is talked about all year, anticipated all year...and in a year where so many people were cranky and depressed with the weather...the wonderful smell of the apple and cherry wood smoking, the taste of those amazing ribs...brought sunshine and smiles to everyone there.
My annual donation to the site will follow, but there is no amount of money that can equal the heart that you put into this site...
We are not worthy...
(gal's on her knees, bowed down in worship)
