Summer means smokers!

[TinkTanker]

Did the reverse sear on steaks.

Oh, man....

[Eric]

Did the reverse sear on steaks.

Oh, man....

Seems counter-intuitive, doesn't it?

I'm glad you're enjoying your Weber.

[Eric]

Tink, you've inspired me.  I think the next time we get steaks I may do the "Little Black Egg", where one would use only the bottom and top of the Weber Smokey Mountain for charcoal grilling. 

Are there any neat features on your grill that's not normally found on others?  What's that container (?) on the underside?

[TinkTanker]

The cylinder on the bottom of the Gold is an ash catcher. Your ashes collect in it rather than just fall on the ground. It is vented so you still have great airflow and holds enough ashes that you can go 4-5 cooks before emptying. The Silver has a little platform where you can put a container that probably works just as well. Also, the Gold has the top grates that flip up so adding coals is easier for long cooks. You can buy the flip-up grates for $20 or so. I probably should have just gone with the Silver and saved a few bucks, but this one was already assembled and I was itching.

When I was debating between the WSM and the Gold, using the WSM as LBE was definitely a consideration. It sure looks like it would do the trick. You'll have to let us know.

Maybe it is that I haven't grilled in a couple of years, maybe it is that I've finally learned how to cook a proper steak, but I love cooking on charcoal. I know Meathead says both gas and charcoal are just heat sources, but those steaks the other night were probably the best I've had. I'm not ready to eat them quite as red as he suggests, but my steaks are no longer grey charred chunks. As I told Digby, Ann was raving about them and asked what I did differently. "I learned how to cook them, for the most part."

ETA: The Smokenator will be in for next weekend and I'll give a report on it.

[Eric]

Nice.  Thanks for the report.
I think Meathead says charcoal is best for searing (as you well know) and that most grills just can't get as good of a sear.  It's just when it comes to smoking that it matters less (according to him).  I must say when I reach into a bag of Wicked Good Lump Charcoal pull out a big 3-4" thick log of pure lump-charcoal bliss, I get positively Neanderthal.  Had I known the 18" WSM would be a bit large for our meager needs and that I could convert the Weber grill to a smoker, I'm sure I'd still be propane-free.

The WSM is no where as nice for emptying ash, as it's just all in the bottom of the bowl (sometimes with water that has boiled-over from above, as well as fat drippings).   I probably won't buy one any time soon, but you're definitely selling me on getting that same grill should the propane one break down.  Not to mention yours likely will be working long after. 

[AdmiralDigby]

I made shake n bake chicken breasts for supper .
In the oven .

'cause that's how we roll north of the wall



Now for  and 

[Phyll33]

We had a red kettle Weber grill when we got married and that thing went every where with us. One of the fondest memories
some good friends of ours have was having dinner at our home in Alaska when it was -25 degrees below 0 and my husband
was outside cooking steaks on the grill. *L* That was in the early 70's and we didn't get rid of that grill until we came up here
in 2001. I wanted to keep it just for posterity sake. They definitely have a long life.

[TinkTanker]

What was supposed to be beercan chicken turned into smoked chicken. The bird I got was too big to stand upright, so I have some lovely grill marks on my smoked chicken. Verdict on the cook later.

[TinkTanker]

Broke out the Smokenator for three slabs of ribs. Having never cooked ribs before, I did okay. Not a self-deprecating okay, but merely okay. The Smokenator cranks out some heat. I had the bottom vents open and the top one just barely cracked (not even wide enough to get a thermometer in) and it still ran hot. I finally closed the bottom 95% and the top just barely cracked and it ran about 250ish. Anyway, I did the 3-2-1 and probably put the sauce on too soon. But they were tender, good smoke, juicy. The sauce just got a little overly done. It's a work in progress.

[Spooky]

We (family get-together) had ribs yesterday, but they were Costco ribs. Not too bad.