In answer to yer OP:BICR late 1967, mebbe it was even early~ish '68...
fracmeister
fracmeister
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Last edited by Mr. Bones; October 6, 2018, 02:32 PM.-
That's a long career of burning wood and charriing dead animal flesh my friend -
fracmeister I ain't got but a Learner's Permit!
Still, been puttin th 'Hick' in 'Hickory Smoked 'fer quite some time, indeed...
(Still leanin t'wards mid/late '67...)
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I have a pretty big extended family, and when I was a kid my uncles would always be grilling or smoking something. I have some cousins outside of Memphis that cooked competitively - they actually made a smoker out of 2 cast iron bathtubs (next time I get down there I'll take a pic - the damndest thing I have ever seen) that will hold a whole hog and will hold low and slow temps for days. Grilling and smoking has always been an everyday type thing. I have always had kettles - going on about 35, 40 years now I guess (dang I am old). I started smoking years ago on a cheap Brinkman water smoker - went through several of those before I stepped up to the WSM. So I guess all of that is to say I don't think I ever smoked or grilled for special occasions only. It was always just a more better way to prepare food. I will say this though - until I came across this forum, I had only cooked for close friends and family. I am venturing out now.
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Mine's kind of a cheat answer, but sous-vide made smoking—at least "quick" smoking—part of my regular cooking. I can prep food on weekends, sometimes two-week's worth—and then smoke it when we actually eat. When I realized it was something that wasn't an all day affair, I did it more. Having a Flame Boss is nice because I can monitor a long cook from work if I start it before heading to the office.
"Traditional" smokes, especially ribs, almost always still indicate a special occasion. Same with smoked turkeys.
I've only been cooking in any legitimate fashion for about 6 years and grilling/smoking for about 18 months.Comment
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Well I do sous vide a lot. Mainly on those steaks, chicken, etc. I have even done (thick) burgers! Last year I sous vided one turkey and smoked the other. No one had a strong preference for either one! -
fracmeister Burgers are my favorite things to do in sous-vide, by far—at least big ones anyway. Pointless for little griddle burgers.
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I’ve always cooked and worked in restaurants but I lived in cities so didn’t always have room to low n slow/smoke. When I got married and moved to a house it had a great gas grill. As I learned on this site and got ideas from my brother(owns a bbq joint in Utah) I realized I wanted a Komodo cooker. I settled on the Komodo Kamado last year. My bbq passion jumped ten fold.Comment
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When I realized two things:
1. A fan controller can allow a long cook whenever even when the family is busy all day.
2. Vac sealed and frozen leftovers are almost as good as fresh and can be consumed anytime.Comment
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My foodsaver has been a great investment. Pulled pork, half chickens, pork chops - even slices of brisket and beef loin roasts come out of those vacuum sealed bags in the deep freezer and make a quick and tasty meal using the ‘science oven’ as Potkettleblack calls it. -
I wore out two food savers and ended up with a chamber vac sealer.
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Any time I fire up the Grilla, it becomes a special occasion.Comment
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I am confused, a normal state for me sometimes. It was mentioned a "special occasion " vs. "who I am".
Everytime I fire up a grill/smoker or turn on the stove is a special occasion. Burgers, tri-tip, chickies, turkeys, brats & fryin eggs etc., is special. I guess I am the odd duck that every cook is an event, love it. Which is one of the reasons sous vide doesn’t interest me in the least. I view it similar to a micro-wave.
I guess I’ve gotten old enough to just appreciate the time, effort & skill (not that I have much) in cooking, no matter what it is, a meal for a few guests or just breakfast. It is one of the reasons I wet shave (mug & safety razor). I’m not in a hurry anymore. Savor the moment whatever you do, and life will be special.Comment
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Changed for me when I first found this site. Before that was fast and hot on a gas grill.Comment
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For me the change came somewhat recently.
Growing up as a boy, Dad grilled, so I started grilling like him.
Smoking for occasional get togethers started many years ago, but in just over a year, it has become a high volume production for a growing number of cash paying customers.
Also, as the volume increases, the fun is not at that high level that it used to be.
I suppose that is the way it is when your hobby becomes a sort of a job...Comment
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I always loved to cook food, but I was never really good at it. I really loved making ribs so I went looking. I found Amazingribs.com and I followed the recipe for Last Meal Ribs and they were a huge hit at my work party. In 2008, AR became my go-to site for BBQ. It was not until late 2014, that I finally got sick of the ads and thought I should support the site that was helping me so much. Then I joined the Pit. This is where my BBQ really took off. Before I joined I cooked BBQ maybe three or four times a year. Now it is almost 3-4 times a week. (Including grilling) Once I finally got some interaction with real people and I was able to pick a few brains in The Pit, I realized that I was on too something that I really enjoy.
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I saw a cheap Masterbuilt smoker at Home Depot and several reviews said it would be pretty decent and punch above it’s weight with an extra $50 in some upgrades and modifications.
I’ve always been a rib and brisket fan, although I’d never tried cooking brisket indoors. We hadn’t used the grill much beyond burgers and some steaks, and ultimately sold it when we got to Colorado to avoid having bear bait on our deck. Not sure why, but that cheap smoker caught my attention. Several of my co-workers smoke like it’s their job, but i wasn’t ready for the $2k end of the pool.
As it turns out, spending part of a weekend fiddling with temperature and a propane valve is fairly relaxing, and a great way to almost enforce some downtime once in a while. I was only a few smokes in before my wife switched from "are you going to be screwing with that all day?" to "I want brisket." Having her buy in on killing a day playing with smoke certainly helps.
So so I was never a special occasion smoker - I started out with a couple batches a month. Keeping the oven off indoors during the summer months, and having ribs, brisket, or wings to take to work the following week is awfully handy.Comment
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It started when I moved in my current house in 2011 and there was an old beat up bullet smoker in the backyard. It did the job until the wifey bought me a gasser. I look forward to my cooks, even the long ones. It’s just plain fun to see raw meat turned into pure goodness through temp control, smoke and patience. Eating your rewards ain’t bad either. Besides, in AZ, it’s always time to cook outside!Comment
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I think I can bullet-point this;- The first time my foodie wife said "I don't like tri tip" and I realized it was because she'd never had it cooked/cut right.
- When my neighbor (an avid hunter) kept showing with the latest kill and saying "whaddaya think?"
- When friends and family kept saying "y'know, I'm out of bacon/canadian bacon & I can't eat the storebought stuff..."
We don't wait for certain days on the calendar anymore, but there's still a ritual/community feel to it that makes it a special occasion. In our neighborhood, we're never far from a party breaking out anyway. When the smoke starts going in the back, kids start playing in the front and chairs and tables are set up, I really feel a strong sense of connection.
That's special...Comment
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