Sanny

Beautiful tile work. So even and pretty! A work of art, even if you don't cook on it. What's the big square vent on the side? I know what the front one is, of course.

12 hours? But the best part of fresh baked bread is the first few hours (after cooling) when the crumb is soft and tender. When I was a kid, I wouldn't eat fresh bread the next day, cause it was not tender. Ok, I was nuts. But still. You'll have to let us know if it's still wonderful after a 12 hour sit. Seems to me it would start getting stale.

Flank steak turned out yummy. I marinated it in the soy/hoisin/apricot preserves, etc. Got the grill nice and hot while I went to the library, then seared on each side, and shut it down to dwell. Sliced thin, of course, which is best for flank steak, and served on slices of italian bread. For some reason, "add image to post" link is coming up with a blank window. I do have a pic... There. Got it. No imaginary meal for me!

What time should we be there?

tri tip Speaking of sirloin tips, what's a tri tip? I saw them the other day at the store, and didn't know what to do with them.

Marinated flank steak That's my plan for the day. Marinated in hoisin sauce, soy, ginger, garlic, some hot oil. Of course, it's going to rain shortly, so we'll have a damp chef. Fortunately, the dog and I had a walk to Starbarks while the weather was still somewhat clear. She had her plain bagel, I had iced green tea. Anyone else cookin fun stuff? I know there are SOME of you out there who have your KKs, and aren't among those who are drooling with anticipation.

My dog loves me. Doesn't matter (much) if you don't. Well, not too much. Ok, just a little.

Zactly!!

That's about standard for BGE, too. Before I found the Cowboy and store brand Royal Oak, I bought BGE for $20 for 20lbs. Plus tax. I was horrified that I was consigned to a lifetime of expensive cooking fuel! Then I discovered there were other brands available, and they were good and didn't cost as much. Whew!!

I like that one. And Blue Velvet (bloooooer than velvet was the night....). And Alice Blue Gown. (If someone were to wonder what Sanny stands for, it's short of "Alice Ann.") Am I blooooo? Am I blooooo? Aren't these tears in my eyes tellin youuuuuuuu. (Nuther oldie.)

Yup, black is good too. But there won't be leaks from around the gasket, so the only smoke staining would be around the damper on top, and maybe around the base. :::: I just like blue, is all. My house is blue outside. My cooker is blue. My cooker's jammies are blue. The walls of my kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and dining room are blue. Porch furniture is white with blue cushions. Flowers in the flower boxes are pink and blue. My first two cars (both buicks) were white with light blue interior. Then I went Japanese, and the only choices were white with tan or grey. Even my sky is blue! See, I LIKE blue.

Babies!!! YAY, Johnnyboy! Good luck with the new grandbaby! You make him some Jammies yet? Give him a big kiss from us when he arrives.

See, Doggy, YOU got a nugget of gold in your stocking. Our Deej is getting a lump of black coal. But we love him just as he is.

Mac.

I bet it's not that bright in person. Probably much more muted. I'm guessing a wedgewood color, rather than "swimming pool." And either way, wedgewood or swimming pool, it's pretty.

Blue I think it's pretty in blue...

Our Majestic knows EVERYTHING!!! Even how to make a whole grain paella just the way he likes it.

And the team thanks you. Go gettem!

Re: lump charcoal in utah

pat pat PC Hey, PC. It's ok. We each like what we like, and don't like what we don't like. And sometimes the reason we don't like something is not the product, but the support. For example, I don't like meatball sandwiches. Not that I don't like the meatball or sauce or sandwich, but it was the first lunch I ever bought in school in first grade, and I thought I couldn't go to recess unless I finished it. I was the last person in the cafeteria, and I couldn't finish my sandwich, and cried because I thought I couldn't have recess. So, no meatball sandwiches for me. So, if you got a delayed, fuzzy, expensive shipment of extruded lump, I can surely see why you wouldn't want to do that anymore. Especially when you could have something other than a meatball sandwich that you like just as well. You're a very experienced Q-er, and are good at controlling your temps. I'm still a novice at that, and like the fact that it's hard for me to get the extruded to make a bonfire. Din't say it was impossible, just harder for me to accomplish. And, I like that it's from a very renewable source. On the other hand, many of the lump mfgs use waste wood that would otherwise be trash, so that's fine with me, too. What I don't like is the thought that someone is chipping up mature wood just to make charcoal. So, I avoid that if I can. And you're right! Much of the "fun" of Q is the yummy "outside over a wood fire" smell that gets into the food.

Take yer lumps (again) I use the extruded for lower temp things, so it does go far. Like you, PC, I use Cowboy for the other hot and quick sear/grill stuff. Or Royal Oak (in some other rebranded bag). It's fine too. Some have recommended setting up the fire in a certain way, with big pieces of lump, then little ones. I find if I pour the lump into a bucket and give the bucket a shake, the little ones go to the bottom. Then I can use the big ones for the base of the fire, and work my way to littles on top. You know, someone eventually worked out the physics/geometry/math of why that is that the little ones go to the bottom. Seems obvious, but there you go. There's math in it, so someone had to do an equation.