On May 24, 12:25*pm, sf > wrote:
> On Mon, 24 May 2010 12:10:24 -0400, "Zeppo" > wrote:
> > I have the Smokey Joe Silver, not the tuck and carry. I'm pretty sure the
> > vents were wide open, so It might have been the charcoal. I'm really out of
> > practice using a charcoal grill and I've never used one so small. I started
> > them in a charcoal chimney filled to the top, and dumped them into the grill
> > when they were pretty much grey all over. The first side went well, but it
> > seems like fat and juices dripping off the steaks put out the charcoal. The
> > second side never got a char. Course, this was almost a year ago so I can't
> > be sure I'm remembering it right.

You don't need to let the coals get gray all over. That's a leftover
from decades ago when folks dumped naptha onto briquets. I do realize
that there are ignorant slobs out there who still put that crap on
charcoal, but you're not one of them. Letting charcoal get ashed over
is not terrible, just wasteful.
>
> Your coals were too cool or you didn't have enough of them. *Fat
> should cause flare ups, not put the fire out... so you should have had
> a good char if your fire was right.
>
Not enough coals? Heck, a whole chimney full for a Smoky Joe? Just
for a couple of strip steaks?

I wonder if Mr. Kuthe is going to Indy this weekend, or might instead
be enjoying some steaks cooked over a wood fire, out in the forest.

--Bryan