Interesting! I guess it shows that you just need a cooker and some know how to make it work. I doubt a beginner would be able to pull it off with so much subjective and self made air blockers. It also takes some willingness to let the temp go whatever it wants within a really large margin of error which a lot of us perfectionists would struggle with until we finally decide it doesn’t matter as much.
Pit Barrel Cooker
Weber Master-Touch
Blackstone Omnivore 4 Burner Griddle
Thermoworks: Signals, Billows, Thermopens, Thermopops, Nodes, bunch of silicone stuff, and more!
OnlyFire Rotisserie w/ Basket attachment for the Weber
Vortex for the Weber
Both of Meathead's books!
Way too many BBQ related accessories, tools, and doo-dads!
Years ago, I bought one of those table-top charcoal grills, the kind that double as a firebox for a larger grill. I think it's a char-broil brand? Maybe a char-griller... I'll have to go look at it. Maybe spent $80 on it. Cast iron grates, pull out charcoal tray, even came with a really nice cast iron grill grate lifter, which I still have and use to lift and drop in the basket for the PBC after it's lit.
Got a rib rack for that thing and found out about the minion lighting method, and believe it or not, turned out some really decent ribs. I dragged it down to the first Nascar race at Kentucky Motor Speedway (we had camping spot #1!), set it on the gravel, and cooked up four baby backs in it. It was stuffed full, that's for sure.
The guys next to us were from one town over from ours in Ohio (go figure, we'd drive 6 hours to meet someone who lives 5 miles away from our house), and we had a rack left over, so gave it to them. They came back over about a half hour later and said those were the best ribs they'd ever had! The town they're from has a rib festival every year, and were telling me I had to enter them. I just laughed! Probably should've tried it, but never did.
Full disclosure, they were pretty drunk, so there was that. I did get a few free beers as a thank you, so I appreciated it! My crew appreciated the ribs as well, so I must've done something right. No instant read thermometer, just the wildly inaccurate lid thermometer, the bend test, and a few pokes to see if they were tender. IIRC, a little toasty on the small end, but perfectly fine.
The grill grates I use now for the Afterburner method over my chimneys. The grill is still in my shed, still in almost new condition. If I ever build an outdoor area, I'll make a spot for it and put it back in use.
I'd cook on that bbqLuv, if that's all that was around. I've seen guys cook all kinds of crazy stuff over some bizarre setups. Trashcan Turkey, anyone? Old 55 drums cut in half, old residential fuel oil tanks cut in half, 55 gallon drums welded to pipes stacked on top of each other, and a few I'm sure I couldn't remember.
Oh, and a wheelbarrow with some extruded steel for a grate.
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