A few weeks ago I was very discouraged. There were several things I had planned on smoking for Thanksgiving, but was having problems with the grill. One of the augers kept binding up and would not work. I was able to talk a friend into helping me out. He is much more mechanically inclined than I am and loves a challenge. Several times we would try something new, think it was fixed, and then find out it was back to the drawing board. I stopped just short of checking out the going rate for scrap metal. However, last week we got the bugs out and it is now working better than ever. The bottom line was that the auger was out of alignment and it took a while (and two motors) to get it fixed. Thanks to those who offered advice on a previous thread, it helped with the discernment process.
My wife and I do an annual appreciation dinner for the people we work with and those who have helped in various capacities throughout the year. My wife does the decorations and desserts, the kids do appetizers, and I do the main course. We ended up serving about 75 people last night. Fortunately I was able to cook all the meat on the grill. The menu included: 2 boneless rib-eye roasts (10 and 12 lbs.), 2 pork loins (10 lb. each), and 140 chicken drumsticks. For sides I made maple glazed carrots; green beans with bacon and toasted almonds; a tossed salad with pears, apples, dried cherries, and almonds; mashed garlic red skin potatoes; and cream of broccoli soup. Got a lot of complements on everything, especially the meat. There were some nice smoke rings on the beef and pork. I’ll post some pictures when I get a chance.
I also ended up using a new brand of pellets toward the end of the cook. They are Pro Pellets and made less than 25 miles from where I live. They are used for heating, but I couldn’t find a reason not to try them. They are 100% hardwood and meet the pellet fuel premium grade standards. The burned a bit hotter than the food grade pellets and seemed to do a great job. They were $4 for a 40 lb. bag.
Even though Thanksgiving was a bust, Christmas was saved!! Thanks to everyone here for all of your contributions, advice, help, and support. This site has been a blessing and a source of inspiration. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
