David Pace
New member
Greetings. I'd cooked with Smokey Joe Silvers for a bunch of years off and on, buying one every couple of years to take to football games. I always loved them, and liked how I could get them super hot for searing steaks and such.
I then had a several year grilling hiatus, cooking just once or twice per year, due to apartment dwelling and limited tailgating.
Recently, I bought a Smokey Joe Gold without realizing the vent situation and became frustrated by my inability to achieve good temps. I couldn't get any decent color on my food, etc.
Anywho, I found this topic last week and read some of the discussions, and just wanted to say THANKS! I tried configuration 1 posted by Paul A. B, I believe, where you use like 3/4 of a chimney full of charcoal (I used regular Kingsford briquettes) and then put a small rectangular drip pan in the SJG and then put lit charcoal on both sides, perpendicular to the vents, which I left open. I can link to the very helpful diagram Paul posted if anyone is interested.
This worked GREAT. It was like 25 degrees out this afternoon by me and very windy (which I'm sure helped a little). I first cooked 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts which I'd marinated in italian dressing and then cut and pounded thin. Cooked for a few minutes with the lid off directly over the coals to color them up, then flipped and cooked a few more minutes without the lid. Then I moved them closer to the center of the grill (over the drip pan) and put on the lid to let them finish cooking. Delicious, and beautiful color. Finally, some HEAT!!
I then did a similar treatment to some medium thickness pork chops. Again, beautiful color and cooked to about 148 (the one I checked) internal.
Finally, by that point I figured my fire had probably burned down a little and I threw on some wingettes. I cooked these for, what, 20-25 minutes with the lid on at all times and I just got in there and rotated and flipped as needed to make sure they cooked and didn't burn.
All in all, a great grilling session. The SJG went for about an hour to cook all three meats. I'm curious how much oomph it had left in it, but it was really cold out, so I came in and ate
Thanks again, all, especially Paul AB for the diagrams!
I then had a several year grilling hiatus, cooking just once or twice per year, due to apartment dwelling and limited tailgating.
Recently, I bought a Smokey Joe Gold without realizing the vent situation and became frustrated by my inability to achieve good temps. I couldn't get any decent color on my food, etc.
Anywho, I found this topic last week and read some of the discussions, and just wanted to say THANKS! I tried configuration 1 posted by Paul A. B, I believe, where you use like 3/4 of a chimney full of charcoal (I used regular Kingsford briquettes) and then put a small rectangular drip pan in the SJG and then put lit charcoal on both sides, perpendicular to the vents, which I left open. I can link to the very helpful diagram Paul posted if anyone is interested.
This worked GREAT. It was like 25 degrees out this afternoon by me and very windy (which I'm sure helped a little). I first cooked 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts which I'd marinated in italian dressing and then cut and pounded thin. Cooked for a few minutes with the lid off directly over the coals to color them up, then flipped and cooked a few more minutes without the lid. Then I moved them closer to the center of the grill (over the drip pan) and put on the lid to let them finish cooking. Delicious, and beautiful color. Finally, some HEAT!!
I then did a similar treatment to some medium thickness pork chops. Again, beautiful color and cooked to about 148 (the one I checked) internal.
Finally, by that point I figured my fire had probably burned down a little and I threw on some wingettes. I cooked these for, what, 20-25 minutes with the lid on at all times and I just got in there and rotated and flipped as needed to make sure they cooked and didn't burn.
All in all, a great grilling session. The SJG went for about an hour to cook all three meats. I'm curious how much oomph it had left in it, but it was really cold out, so I came in and ate
Thanks again, all, especially Paul AB for the diagrams!