Big thanks for 2018

[holehogg]

There have been a few mishaps along the way that played a role in my learning, BUT I can say with certainty that the free site and the pit have more than significantly moulded my current abilities. It’s been a truly fulfilling period of my being and looking expectantly for what’s to come.

It’s just over a year since my first low & slow cook and I feel I now have the confidence to express myself without worrying about failure. I have self-assessed my progress and given myself 70% pass mark. Deciding that’s high enough for me to have the freedom to experiment and irrespective of the outcome I will not become disillusioned.

The downside to learning from this site (not that there is any) is my inability to absorb and retain all the information that is available BUT the big plus is it’s always accessible.
What really trips me up is sharing with people that are so set in their ways that no matter what you say most do not want to change or accept the advice or completely disagree without a valid explanation or reasoning.
Their loss that reminds me of a story I heard and often share:-
A home cook is preparing a roast and hacks off a chunk of the meat before placing it in the roasting pan. When asked why she cut the piece off she replied “my mother always did”. On questioning her mother why she cut off a section of the meat she replied “the hunk of meat was too big for my roasting pan so it needed a trim”.

One of my fond or over-optimistic memories was learning that it was not critical to have the cooker run exactly at 225F. I would fiddle with the gas knob every time it went a little over the mark. I eventually learnt that my smoker dialed in almost perfectly at 230 and accepted that was okay.

Big thanks to all fellow pit members for their contributions that make this place an enjoyable place to learn and participate.

I look forward to upping my game in 2019 and wish the same for you all.

[CaptainMike]

Great testimonial, and I can only echo your sentiment. AR and The Pit have given me so much more confidence at the grill and in the kitchen, and have expanded my skills and experiences exponentially. Many of my friends are now believers as well because, well, you can't argue with success. Grill on, Pitmaster Holehogg!!!

[Mr. Bones]

I'm always delighted to share in yer stories, an experiences, an wish to thank ya fer sharin em with us, Brother!!!!

Learnin is my favourite thing, in this life...

Otherwise, my brain would jus be used to hold my ears apart, or make a restin place fer my beloved cowboy hat

That'd git borin, purty dang fast, I'd haveta reckon...

[Troutman]

You know in this barbeque life I've had the privilege and the honor to learn from some really good cooks and chefs. Most of them you've never heard of and therefore do not know. One (well really two) are my parents. Their love for good, well prepared, freshly produced food got me started in becoming a foodie. Meals, especially on Sundays, were really religious experiences where we worshipped at the dinner table.

As we progress in life we pick up some here and there but the love of cooking has to be ingrained in you. We all have to eat but for some of us eating is a necessity rather than an experience to be enjoyed. For those of us who enjoy we seek out better ways of preparing food and the joy of a well prepared, delicious meal becomes our mantra.

Yea Meathead and other contemporaries who have helped me learn how to look at food and understand how the basics work together to make the final outcome work through not only our sense of taste, but with our eyes, sense of smell and even tactile feel as well. Cooking then for me is a passion, and at my age it's probably my last and final (and I dare say best) drug.

May your fires stay hot, your smoke stay blue and may all my Pit friends have a great and Happy New Years of cooking and eating great food !!! Later ......

[Steve R.]

The good thing is there is no need to memorize information that is readily available on this site. You have learned the basic principles, and that is the main thing. It was by dumb luck that I stumbled on this site when I was trying to learn how to make the smoked meats that I love so much. It's almost embarrassing when friends and neighbors heap the praise on my BBQ, because I learned everything I know right here.

[RichieB]

Thanks for sharing holehogg. I've been here since April. What I know is; I don't know much. And I've learned a fair amount to make me be a better cook since joining. So that tells you where I was prior to joining this community. I appreciate the patience, willingness to coach and the sharing of expertise by the members who clearly have a greater knowledge. I also relish the non-political, non-judgemental environment.

Looking forward to the coming year and hopefully increasing my abilities.

[Ahumadora]

Meathead has bought great pleasure to the dinner table for millions of people enjoying great well cooked food. There will always be the non believers who will argue their way is the best cause thats how uncle/ grandpa cooked. This site has has greatly advanced all of our cooking skills. With bbq there is always something new to learn no matter how skilled of a pitmaster you are.

[RonB]

This site sure has upped my game and broadened my repertoire. Thanx to all who helped.

A quick story: The son of a close friend has a friend who now asks "Did Ron make this?" every time he tastes something he really likes at any get together.

And the members here know it's not magic - it's knowledge.

[panteracfh3]

Well said. Since I joined in July, my knowledge of BBQ has increased immensely. When I joined up, I wasn’t sure how much benefit I would get. Once I got in the Pit, I immediately realized that I knew about 0.00001% of the BBQ world out there and I had so much to learn.

So thanks to all for the great knowledge, encouragement, & friendship. I’m looking forward to another year of learning and creating with everyone. Cheers!

[FireMan]

You have come a long way. It’s been great to follow your progress & your lack of fear. The retention thing I totally relate to. Keep smokin!
Your words of “others inability” are so true & go much further than BBQ. Something to remember.

[obiQsmoker]

Ditto that holehogg! Like you, I started my learning process here and 2018 has been a HUGE leap in my smokin’ education. Great bunch here - thanks to all of you, for sharing a bit of yourself!

[Black99vette]

holehogg thanks for sharing. I too was out in the grilling /smoking wilderness until I found AR. There is a lot of incorrect information out there. And don't feel bad because I can't remember everything I read on this site (Or in general - I think it started when I turned 50!). I'd like to think everyone here is contributing to educate the world on better grilling / smoking practices and science. Even if we don't remember the definition of Maillard reaction while talking with friends.

I remember when I started I thought the more smoke the better. I had a few cooks that probably would have given someone carbon monoxide poisoning if they eat it!

[Fire Art]

I didn’t know squat when I joined now I know diddley squat but I sure eat good thanks guys