tony b

Sometimes during a cold smoke, I'll lightly tap on the side of the smoker with tongs to make sure that things are settling and staying lit.

Rainy today, so probably no grilling out tonight, but I did get to last evening. Chicken Shawarma on the menu. Chicken was pre-marinated from Trader Joes. On a 325F grill, direct, with cherry wood chunk. Plated up with a cuke & red pepper relish and tahini sauce, Bibb lettuce for the wrap, and a side of curry rice.

My deck is made out of Trex. I specifically made the contractor use the under decking system so that there were no holes on the deck planking. Added to the job, as they had to work on ladder underneath, but I think it was worth it to not have unsightly holes and screws showing. You can use shavings from cutting the planks as filler in the screw holes, but I dispensed with that need with the under deck system. As far as I remember (it's been over 10 years ago), but I don't recall the contractor using any special blades or drill bits.

Happy St. Pat's Day, ya'll! Having to celebrate at home though, as the local government asked the bars to stay closed today. A nice corned beef sandwich (not homemade) with a good Irish Ale! Sláinte!

Second on the Lumber Jack pellets.

Did OK at the local supermarket today, but they'd been hit hard yesterday, according to the folks working there. Many employees were out in the store re-stocking some items. Meat counter was a little thin, but most things were to be had. Unfortunately, in parallel, they'd run a sale on the thicker cut pork chops that I like, so naturally they were out! I had to settle for the regular cut ones - I'll survive! Soup and pasta shelves were hit hard, but the good imported Italian pasta was plentiful, which is all that I buy anymore. No paper products, but I didn't need any. Liquid hand soap was sparse, but there was plenty of bar soap - what's with folks? Liquor/beer/wine department hardly looked fazed - woo, hoo! The real adventure will be tomorrow when I hit up CostCo and Trader Joes. Will be interesting to see how hard they've been hit.

As well as nuts, salmon - you get the general picture.

I plan to go shopping tomorrow. Will be curious to see what the shelves look like, as it's been a week since my last shopping trip?

Indeed!

Another reason that I like you, MacKenzie! I, on the other hand, did not grind up my chuck roast. It went on at 275F indirect, with the smoker pot of mesquite, post oak and coffee wood chunks, rubbed with a mix of Oakridge Secret Weapon and Cimarron Docs, with an extra hit of fresh ground black pepper. Took it off at an IT of 200F, just like a brisket, except no pink butcher paper. Plated with another round of the French mashed potatoes (sous vide in butter & 1/2n1/2, seasonings - 192F for 90 minutes, then run through the food mill with the smallest disc, then added sour cream and boursin cheese (garlic & herb), S&P), with a Bourbon mushroom gravy. The potatoes came out almost as good as the ricer/screen version, but with half the work. Next time, I'll up the butter even more!

Shows how stupid folks get in times like this - you can feed a lot more folks on a pork butt or full packer brisket than on a whole chicken!

I miss The Pig. So far, our local market (HyVee) has plenty of meat on hand. My freezer is pretty stocked right now, so I'm not terribly worried about running out.

I've got 2 batches of beer in process right now, plus a couple more that I still have a couple of gallons of left, so I'm good for at least a month! LOL! I'm pretty good on TP for a while, but thanks anyway, Aussie!

1) I use the FiAir blower - it's battery powered. Does a good job. Only complaint - the batteries can get dislodged with normal handling and it won't run until you take the back cover off and readjust them. Not a biggie problem, but when you're trying to get the grill up and going, it can be a tad frustrating (full disclosure - I have practically zero patience!) https://smile.amazon.com/FiAir-Charcoal-Tailgating-Campfires-Fireplaces/dp/B00D5FS7HA 2) Same as MacKenzie - scoop from the top. 3) Nope, just use aluminum foil on the lower grate to stop the drippings from hitting the coals and to provide indirect heating to the main grate. If I think that there's going to be a lot of drippings, I use the drip pan that came with the KK. 4) Everyday cleaning of the grates - I use a Grill Floss. A 3/8" open-end wrench works almost as well and is cheaper. https://smile.amazon.com/GrillFloss-Ultimate-Grill-Cleaning-Tool/dp/B000PAV28E For the rotisserie baskets and forks, I soak in PBW (Powdered Brewers Wash), which can be found at any homebrewing supply store/online. It's not cheap, but you only use a little at a time; it works great and makes cleanup a snap. A word of caution - stay away from cheapo brass bristle brushes and similar things. If you use the Kurly Kate recommended by MacKenzie, follow her "good practice" and make sure that you wipe down the grates thoroughly with a wet rag/paper towel afterwards. Folks end up in the Emergency Room from ingesting metal bits that find their way into the food. This is not an internet urban legend - here's a link to the CDC's website. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6126a4.htm https://globalnews.ca/news/4166966/bbq-brushes-metal-bristle-safety-standard/

Good thing that concrete had set or the pooch would have left his signature on the new patio - LOL!

So tell us what the panko brought to the table? Never seen anyone try this before, so I'm naturally curious.

I'm in total withdrawal - no March Madness?? They cancelled the local hockey games, too and our baseball opening day has been pushed back 3 weeks (at least for right now.) Almost everything here involving crowds of people is being cancelled. I had a concert ticket for the 27th - CANCELLED! Fortunately, I have lots of TP (I buy the bulk packages all the time at CostCo) and plenty of food in the freezer/pantry to last weeks.

If you didn't receive a thermometer with your KK, contact Dennis. It's standard equipment on all KKs. I'm sure he'll have the warehouse expedite you one.

We still do here. Thanks for the tip, just in case I run out of TP - LOL!!

Pretty salmon, indeed!

I really like Porter Road's stuff - everything that I've tried from them has been excellent. For more exotic stuff, I go with D'Artagnan. Never tried Butcher Box or Crowd Cow.

@Pequod - thought you'd marinated those drumstick in bad Mexican beer - thankfully not!

Another fairly nice day here yesterday (gloomy and misty today), so I took advantage and grilled out some pork tenderloins. 350F direct, apple wood chunks. Rubbed with a combo of suya pepper and berbere. Plated with some roasted kale (with B&W sesame seeds) and plain rice. Sauce was a new one - white miso paste, mirin, butter with shiitake mushrooms. I liked it; nice counterpoint to the spicy pork.

It can almost be that when it comes time to clean it! However, PBW (Powdered Brewers Wash) does a super job on it - no scrubbing required, just soak and wipe off with a sponge or paper towel. Easy, Peasy!

Most of the proposals (35 states are considering it) are to make it permanent and stop the swapping back and forth in the spring/fall. You'd get to keep your extra hour of daylight. It's being debated in our legislature here, but the two draft versions aren't likely to go anywhere this session.