(Mpoconnor7) writes:

>I bought a charcoal smoker this weekend, along with a big bag of charcoal and
>hickory wood pieces. It never occured to be that I might need lighter fluid,
>so it was tricky getting the fire hot enough; I had to sacrifice most of the
>hickory to keep the fire going.
>
>I also bought a rack of ribs, some hamburger and hot italian sausage, and
>smoked it all. I probably cooked the sausage too long (about 2 1/2 hours)
>and
>it had the consistency of a large pork sausage link; next time I'll cook it
>not
>quite as long.
>
>The hamburgers came out suprisingly well, as I cooked those for about 3 1/2
>hours.
>
>I cut the rack of ribs in half so it would fit in the smoker, and used a dry
>rub on them while smoking, although in the last half hour hit them with some
>good barbeque sauce and they turned out great. The ribs cooked about 4 1/2
>hours
>
>Just to satisfy my curiousity I had a Granny Smith apple in my fridge and put
>that into the smoker for about 2 hours and it came out pretty well cooked;
>next
>time I will try cooking it maybe an hour longer and inject it with some
>melted
>butter before I put it in the smoker.
>
>I still have a lot to learn about getting the fire hot enough, and am already
>looking forward to smoking some more hamburgers next weekend.

What you neglected to buy (OBVIOUSLY) is a comprehensive manual on Smoking
Meat... read it, comprehend and commit to memory every detail... could save
your life as well as that of others. And about that lighter fluid:
FERGETABOUDIT, Zippo breath. <g>


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
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"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."