Lucked out on a free performer deluxe

[big_mack]

I think you recommended bacon in my other thread on this board rickgregory. I'm following the free meathead maple bacon recipe. Just started to cure it so that gives me a few days to clean the performer up before its inaugural cook.

[rickgregory]

Very nice. On the bacon - you'll need pork belly and then to cure it. But it's stupidly easy after that. Remove from cure, rinse, smoke to 150F.

Here's a secret about BBQ - it's not hard to do well. It IS hard to do perfectly at the level of top pit masters. But with a little practice, you can turn out really tasty food for some pretty minimal effort.

[RonB]

Congrats! That's a super find.

[big_mack]

This is some beginners luck. Its been about two weeks since I joined the pit and started to embark in to bbq land using an old 22 original that I bought years ago but never really used. I replaced the top grill, put a gasket on the lid, added an SNS and a fireboard and drilled a hole for probes. But I was watching the local craiglist equivalent every other day for used kettles, performers or even a summit. Checking yesterday I saw an ad at the top of the list for a free performer that must be picked up immediately. The add was 22 minutes old. I had the performer in the back of my SUV in under a hour.

Its in decent shape. The lid has a chunk of porcelain missing on the edge. The cart was dirty but in great shape after cleaning. The table is a bit beat up. No rust anywhere. But truthfully it was not well loved (and unwanted by the owner). The two grills are disgusting. And its missing the bowl for the ash catcher (are the bowls sold as a replacement part?). I have no idea why he gave it away but I'll gladly take this off his hands.

My first cook will be bacon. It was suggested as an easy cook for a beginner.