Timothy F. Lewis
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I dealt with some of the worst smoking weather I’ve ever attempted! Serious rain for three days leading up to the start of the cook including 1.75” falling in the 24 hour period on Thursday. Made a trip to Costco on Friday around noon when I was ready to leave, the rain was coming down so hard at a 45 degree angle right in the doors they were not letting folks leave (slip liability, I’d guess) so, we were standing around there for maybe 20 minutes until it let up enough to have them squee gee out the path and get to the car without getting skin soaked!
Loaded up and headed back home (10 minute drive) more and more massive downpours, 18 wheelers were crawling down the road to not obliterate smaller vehicles in either direction. Got home and the idea of cancelling this party was high in my mind, 2 inches of standing water in the driveway! No, this party can’t go on! Ten minutes later, the water has receded and I just decide, there’s too much stuff bought and prepped to back out so, I pull out the canopy, set the windscreen up under that and staked everything down. And bit the bullet (sorry bad pun) and set up! Started the whole thing at about four thirty just due to weather concerns.
Totally full ring applewood on the bottom for smoke. Touched off the fire and buttoned it all up and didn’t really look, aside from dialing in temp in the first hour or so until 2:30 when I heard a huge cloudburst with wind wake me and saw that temps had dropped a bit more than I’d hoped.
Pants on, raincoat, waders (not really) sou’wester, and out to shake ash and then I figured it wasn’t a bad idea to take a peek and added some more coal closed it all back up and went back to bed. Another deluge hit around 5:30 and that served as my alarm clock. I was just plain awake, anyway, I ended up adding coals two more times before removing the butts now rendered to the “Buttah” state only looking at about 1:30 Saturday afternoon (no peeking through the whole thing!
My fathers basic recipe for beans, Joan’s “Monster BBQ Mac and cheese” (thank you Joan) and the afore mentioned butt after about a two hour rest:
The bone pulled easier than you could kick off an old loafer! I held the second one off until pretty much everyone was full so, I could send some home with guests. That bone virtually jumped out! The longer rest was Kismet, this one was even more juicy and tender!
A good time was had by all. Sorry, no cake pix, I was too busy, some folks on the deck, some in the garage some in the back room but, we managed to pull the whole thing off.
One note, I did a full batch of the Mac and cheese and it filled a half pan and an additional 1/3 size (loaf pan) I can’t believe the recipe when it says it should all go in a 9x13 pan! I think if you used a full 2 lb. box of macaroni you could pretty well do a second half pan! I forgot to get the Colby for that but using all cheddar was delicious, I’m not fond of the “texture” of most American cheeses in these things so that why the all cheddar with Romano topping. Just my preference. Had I made it when I was going to do a deep frying session I’d have used the big hotel pan and chilled it down after baking and made deep fried Mac and cheese fingers! There’s always another feast to be done!
Loaded up and headed back home (10 minute drive) more and more massive downpours, 18 wheelers were crawling down the road to not obliterate smaller vehicles in either direction. Got home and the idea of cancelling this party was high in my mind, 2 inches of standing water in the driveway! No, this party can’t go on! Ten minutes later, the water has receded and I just decide, there’s too much stuff bought and prepped to back out so, I pull out the canopy, set the windscreen up under that and staked everything down. And bit the bullet (sorry bad pun) and set up! Started the whole thing at about four thirty just due to weather concerns.
Totally full ring applewood on the bottom for smoke. Touched off the fire and buttoned it all up and didn’t really look, aside from dialing in temp in the first hour or so until 2:30 when I heard a huge cloudburst with wind wake me and saw that temps had dropped a bit more than I’d hoped.
Pants on, raincoat, waders (not really) sou’wester, and out to shake ash and then I figured it wasn’t a bad idea to take a peek and added some more coal closed it all back up and went back to bed. Another deluge hit around 5:30 and that served as my alarm clock. I was just plain awake, anyway, I ended up adding coals two more times before removing the butts now rendered to the “Buttah” state only looking at about 1:30 Saturday afternoon (no peeking through the whole thing!
My fathers basic recipe for beans, Joan’s “Monster BBQ Mac and cheese” (thank you Joan) and the afore mentioned butt after about a two hour rest:
The bone pulled easier than you could kick off an old loafer! I held the second one off until pretty much everyone was full so, I could send some home with guests. That bone virtually jumped out! The longer rest was Kismet, this one was even more juicy and tender!
A good time was had by all. Sorry, no cake pix, I was too busy, some folks on the deck, some in the garage some in the back room but, we managed to pull the whole thing off.
One note, I did a full batch of the Mac and cheese and it filled a half pan and an additional 1/3 size (loaf pan) I can’t believe the recipe when it says it should all go in a 9x13 pan! I think if you used a full 2 lb. box of macaroni you could pretty well do a second half pan! I forgot to get the Colby for that but using all cheddar was delicious, I’m not fond of the “texture” of most American cheeses in these things so that why the all cheddar with Romano topping. Just my preference. Had I made it when I was going to do a deep frying session I’d have used the big hotel pan and chilled it down after baking and made deep fried Mac and cheese fingers! There’s always another feast to be done!
(I was privy to this cook).
!
