Quote :

"What's everyone grilliin' over this holiday weekend?"

probably some nice steaks and veggies on Saturday night. going saltwater fishing on Sunday so hopefully we'll be grilling some fish. I'll be in Calabash so we'll probably do a low country boil with shrimp and whatever else is fresh too.

Quote :

"Also if anyone spots any great meat sales post 'em here plz!"

we should have a separate thread for that. meat only.



[Edited on May 21, 2015 at 11:36 AM. Reason : nobody reads the last post]

5/21/2015 11:34:52 AM

Headed down to Atlantic, anybody have suggestion for the best market around that area?

5/21/2015 3:51:44 PM

if every single person at my high school wearing these told me anything...



but I have no idea, I go to Brunswick County beaches

5/21/2015 4:26:21 PM

^ i will not step foot near Sanitary, especially on a holiday weekend.

[Edited on May 21, 2015 at 4:43 PM. Reason : comma]

5/21/2015 4:43:30 PM

5/28/2015 11:16:11 AM

Quote :

"Also if anyone spots any great meat sales post 'em here plz!"

synapse, are you local to the Raleigh area? If so, there is a great little place to get good meat at good prices. It is right beside Sunni Sky's Ice Cream in Angier. It looks like the last place you might want to buy meat, but if you go inside and check it out. you'll be impressed.

5/29/2015 12:20:10 PM

Dang I don't really make it that far south very often, but this might warrant a special trip.

Any other butchers/independent meat markets I should check out? I'm more interested in ^ type of places, not the fancy Butcher Block places selling $14.99/lb sirloin. I already go to Nahunta

5/30/2015 11:56:13 AM

^^Oh really? I've never been there but we used to go to Sunni Skys all the time. What's it called? I am not a fan of Sunni Skys but I can let my wife drag me out there if I can get some good meats.

5/30/2015 1:03:16 PM

It is simply called "The Country Store." I'll warn, it doesn't look like much, and it doesn't look like much when you go inside either, but it is just a guy, cutting great cuts of meat, for good prices.

6/1/2015 8:49:44 AM

you can find some good prices at the Asian markets. the one on 55 has better prices but Grand Asia has better selection. you aren't going to find steaks, but for roasting meat, bones for stock, chicken, pork, etc. it's great.

I was there last week and saw a bag full of huge chicken drumsticks for under $5 that had to be three pounds of meat.

They also have dirt cheap seafood of all varieties and even live fish / shellfish.

[Edited on June 1, 2015 at 4:37 PM. Reason : .]

6/1/2015 4:36:02 PM

The meat counters at places like that sketch me out

6/1/2015 7:30:13 PM

Finally got my wife to sign off on a BGE - getting an XL in the next week or 2

6/1/2015 9:08:50 PM

How do i keep flies away? As soon as i fire up my grill they invade my patio.

6/2/2015 11:39:51 AM

^DEET

6/2/2015 12:09:46 PM

Best thing for house flies is a big fan. Thermacell for mosquitoes.

6/2/2015 12:13:33 PM

Quote :

"you can find some good prices at the Asian markets. the one on 55 has better prices but Grand Asia has better selection. you aren't going to find steaks, but for roasting meat, bones for stock, chicken, pork, etc. it's great. I was there last week and saw a bag full of huge chicken drumsticks for under $5 that had to be three pounds of meat. They also have dirt cheap seafood of all varieties and even live fish / shellfish. "

Just be cautious of where that meat comes from and how it was raised. There could be a bad reason why the meat/seafood is so cheap. I would much rather pay extra for humanely raised, pastured meat. The flavor is completely different.

6/2/2015 1:33:27 PM

Quote :

"Just be cautious of where that meat comes from "

I doubt they have those little placards like some places

6/2/2015 1:40:35 PM

we should all just do a cow share

6/2/2015 2:52:11 PM

^ or a buying club for large orders of assorted meat. I would be down for that.

6/2/2015 3:32:20 PM

we could probably pool to get prime meat that way too. any idea where we could buy from? there should be enough people local to Raleigh on here that we could make this actually happen.

6/2/2015 3:34:59 PM

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/06/08/411778404/pitmasters-embrace-new-barbecue-truth-rested-meat-is-sublime

6/9/2015 12:39:11 PM

BBQ place I worked at does a "Texas Brisket" where the second half of its brisket smoke is wrapped butcher paper. Basically they smoke it for 7 hours, pull it out, wrap it in butcher paper, then smoke it for another 7 hours. Then they rest it still in the butcher paper. It's fucking delicious.

6/9/2015 12:46:36 PM

Anyone used one of these? I was interested until I saw the price.

http://www.amazon.com/SMOKENATOR-1000-Kettle-Barbecue-Converter/dp/B000HI3I68/ref=sr_1_1

[Edited on June 9, 2015 at 1:19 PM. Reason : V I just replaced my set of those...1st set lasted 2 years.]

6/9/2015 12:51:14 PM

^nope

My dad just got all new parts for his 80s Weber charcoal (grate, ash sifter, etc.) and picked up these

http://www.amazon.com/Weber-7403-Char-Basket-Charcoal-Briquet/dp/B000WEMGM4/ref=pd_sim_86_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=18GM0E6YKXAGQQXCQR35

He intends to use them for indirect heat/smoking but I pushed them together and grilled a couple steaks on there and they were really great at concentrating the heat in one area.

6/9/2015 1:05:54 PM

I do that with the charcoal baskets in my performer.

6/9/2015 6:19:30 PM

That baffle thing and steam pan aren't necessary for low and slow on a kettle. You don't need any special equipment. there are videos of various methods on YouTube.

6/9/2015 6:21:51 PM

Yah I do the same...but I like wasting my money on shit so I was curious

6/9/2015 6:42:07 PM

Quote :

"Finally got my wife to sign off on a BGE - getting an XL in the next week or 2"

got my cyberQ today and set it up earlier tonight - excited for this weekend

6/10/2015 9:36:48 PM

Used lump charcoal instead of briquettes for the first time. I am now a huge fan.

Lump charcoal >>> briquettes

Anyone else got feelings about this?

6/11/2015 8:52:02 AM

http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/05/grilling-smackdown-lump-charcoal-vs-briquette.html
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumprankpoll.htm

[Edited on June 11, 2015 at 9:00 AM. Reason : i've never used lump...wanna try it now though ]

6/11/2015 8:58:46 AM

Honestly didn't think anyone used briquettes anymore. Lump is god.

6/11/2015 9:14:21 AM

definitely lump for low and slow cooking. If Im searing or just doing hot dogs and hamburgers I dont mind using briquettes.

6/11/2015 9:33:08 AM

Quote :

"Finally got my wife to sign off on a BGE - getting an XL in the next week or 2"

I just picked up a Kamado Joe Classic from the Costco Road show. I am having second thoughts about the size. The classic (same size as large bge) would certainly be fine for 90% of the time (or more) of my family of 4. Just trying to decide if getting the Big Joe is worth it while it is still in my truck.

6/11/2015 9:49:20 AM

Quote :

"I just picked up a Kamado Joe Classic from the Costco Road show. I am having second thoughts about the size. The classic (same size as large bge) would certainly be fine for 90% of the time (or more) of my family of 4. Just trying to decide if getting the Big Joe is worth it while it is still in my truck."

same way i felt - the large would have been fine for most of the time but since i'm not going to go back and trade up later i went ahead and got the XL

6/11/2015 9:52:36 AM

Quote :

"definitely lump for low and slow cooking. If Im searing or just doing hot dogs and hamburgers I dont mind using briquettes."

My problem with briquettes is the ash. I feel like a lot of it gets on my food as the coals burn, but it may just be the way air moves through my grill. Didn't feel like the lump charcoal produced nearly as much, and there was hardly any on the food I cooked.

6/11/2015 10:04:13 AM

^ do you grill with your lid open? I keep mine closed except for flipping and never had an issue with blowing ash except when cleaning the ash trap.

6/11/2015 3:44:38 PM

What's some decent lump that won't break the bank?

6/11/2015 3:54:14 PM

I use Royal Oak, not for any other reason than its easy to purchase local to me. I have never had any issues as long as the bag wasn't destroyed before i got it, but i would assume that is the same for all lump.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Royal-Oak-All-Natural-Hardwood-Lump-Charcoal/19546016

[Edited on June 11, 2015 at 4:29 PM. Reason : a]

6/11/2015 4:29:22 PM

I use Nature Glow. I read that it's the food service brand for Royal Oak. I buy it from a grill store. I do not like the cheap Royal Oak from Walmart. It's from South American hardwoods and they have a lot of air in them or something.

6/11/2015 4:46:40 PM

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag11.htm

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm
FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS

6/11/2015 4:53:50 PM

Quote :

"^ do you grill with your lid open? I keep mine closed except for flipping and never had an issue with blowing ash except when cleaning the ash trap."

Depends on what I'm doing. I think part of the problem is the location of the grill relative to my patio/house and the direction the wind is usually blowing when I'm grilling. I'm going to move it this weekend and see if it helps.

Quote :

"What's some decent lump that won't break the bank?"

I bought a bigass bag of Royal Oak from Home Depot in Cary yesterday and it was pretty cheap. I'm gonna go through it and then pick out one of the nicer brands to see the difference.

Quote :

"I do not like the cheap Royal Oak from Walmart. It's from South American hardwoods and they have a lot of air in them or something."

Allegedly from what I just read there are 3-4 different types of Royal Oak, and one of them IS actually from the US. You have to look on the bag to see the country of origin.

[Edited on June 11, 2015 at 5:12 PM. Reason : .]

6/11/2015 5:02:29 PM

that's why i use Nature Glo. it's always the US-made Royal Oak.

6/11/2015 5:37:19 PM

^ where do u buy it?

6/11/2015 5:40:26 PM

https://www.thegrillhousecompany.com/

[Edited on June 11, 2015 at 5:45 PM. Reason : in their actual store. they don't sell online.]

6/11/2015 5:44:26 PM

Quote :

"definitely lump for low and slow cooking. If Im searing or just doing hot dogs and hamburgers I dont mind using briquettes."

I'm no grilling master but this seems backwards to me. From my experience lump burns much hotter and faster, making it better for something you want cooked really hot like steaks and burgers, while briquettes burn slower and more evenly making them better for slow cooking.

6/11/2015 6:15:08 PM

Either one will do for either method if you know what you're doing. I keep both on hand.

6/11/2015 7:20:10 PM

^ so when do u use one versus the other?

6/11/2015 8:31:18 PM

i only use lump in my akorn. i can smoke for 12+ hours at 250 deg or cook at pizza at 500+ deg. just gotta light it right and control the air flow correctly.

most of the time, i use kingsford in my kettle. i really don't have a good reason why.

if i could only have one, it would be the hardwood lump.

6/11/2015 8:40:56 PM

Quote :

"I'm no grilling master but this seems backwards to me. From my experience lump burns much hotter and faster, making it better for something you want cooked really hot like steaks and burgers, while briquettes burn slower and more evenly making them better for slow cooking."

Lump is more expensive so I use it with my Akorn (long cooks or special meats). I have a cheap grill i use for burgers, dogs, and searing steaks and Ill use briquettes with it because the air control isn't great, which means the charcoal will burn until all used up even if Im done cooking and shut the vents. So I feel like Im wasting the lump with the cheap grill.

Like Neuse said, either will work for any type of cook if you know how to use it.

6/11/2015 9:53:49 PM

the lump gives you much better temp control on the akorn, also it burns with less ash

6/12/2015 1:37:51 AM