jonj

Whatever works!

Beautiful pig and great spread. I would be proud to bring wine to such a feast!

That is one fine looking pig! I wish I was there to help you with the eating part 😉

I used Weber Smokey Mountain cookers for over 30 years before getting my first KK. I kept my two WSMs, thinking I would use them as extra space. After using the KK for a couple of years, and not using the Weber's, I gave them both away. They are fine for what they are and I made some very good food on them, but for me there was no going back after the KK experience.

You have great equipment!

Another great video, Oscar! Very clear. Well done!

I think you have this very well thought out. Your guests will surely be pleased with everything and a whole pig presentation is something few people actually see in person. Best wishes for a terrific party!

@Troble, I imagine your first decision point re: head on or off will be whether it is a 20 or 30 lb pig. @tekobo's was 9.8 Kgs, or the lower point of your range. I can't wait to see the next episode!

That is a seriously large chamba!

@Syzygies: And this is why I stress keeping the bean-molasses mixture to a simmer or below.

@Aussie Ora, that looks really good!

@Troble, my BBQ bean recipe is not very sophisticated and I pretty much make it up as I go each time. The basic components begin with canned pork and beans, with the “pork” and liquid removed, then rinsed. This is just to get basic cooked beans for the dish – I have made them in the past starting with dried beans and cooking the day before, but found it not to be worth the effort. I sauté bacon (or pancetta), chopped onion and minced garlic (to taste), then add the beans, some of the same kind of marinade I’ve used on the meat (about 1/3 cup or if I have just used a rub instead, a healthy sprinkle of it), some molasses (about 1/3 cup), a dash of Worchester sauce, and some of the BBQ sauce I plan to serve with the meat (about 1/3 cup). All this is basically to taste. I sometimes added some cayenne or crushed red pepper if I think the meal will need some spice. This typically results in a pretty loose mixture, which I heat on the stove to just a simmer, then transfer to my bean smoking pan and place in the smoker for 30 -45 minutes (depending upon the smoker temperature) to gain some smoke flavor and thicken to the right consistency. If left in the smoker too long, the beans will dry out. When the meat comes off the smoker, I carve off some of the edge meat with bark and add to the beans. That’s it.

I'd planned this cook for Sunday, but it rained 4.25" so it was postponed to today. Two slabs of baby back ribs and a pork loin, marinated in Wicker's for 36 hours, smoked at 225°-245° with hickory chunks, no wrap. With BBQ beans, grilled corn and a 2011 Merry Edwards Meredith Estate Pinot Noir.

Beautiful steak, @MacKenzie!

Anytime you are in town, just let me know!

Seems it was steak night for many of us. I cooked a large ribeye last night. Duck fat and Montreal seasoning, cooked direct at excessively high temp. Plated with baked potato and broccoli with a 2007 Jericho Canyon Cabernet. Nothing exotic, just steak night. Very tasty. By the way, I wasn't kidding when I said "large ribeye"; the plated version is only 1/2 the steak.

I agree; this is a very good video of the uncrating.

Simple Sunday night dinner: Italian sausage and pesto fettuccini.

yes

That was a very tight fit! Good work to get it through. You certainly picked a great color for its location.

Very nice vistas!

Well now, @MacKenzie, I would say mustard goes on both hot dogs and burgers and catsup (ketchup) goes on neither, although I have been known to put it on french fries when I didn't have BBQ sauce available. 😉 (and there is some mustard underneath, camouflaged one might say, that Gate's Extra Hot BBQ sauce on those hot links...)

The discussion about Kansas City BBQ made me hungry for hot links. Hickory smoked hot links and corn, potato salad, olives. And, no, it isn't catsup on the hot links, it is Gate's Extra Hot BBQ sauce. Cooled by a 2008 Schramsberg Reserve sparkling wine on the side.

@Troble, yes the sweet potatoes were roasted in cast iron for about an hour at 400 F with evo, salt and pepper and a dab of butter to finish.

With apologies to @Troble, but I saw what he had for dinner the other night and thought it looked really good, so I decided on a similar combination last night. Pretty much straightforward tri tip with santa maria seasoning, roasted sweet potatoes and grilled asparagus. It was a very tasty combination, so thanks TR for the idea.