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Czilispiel - a long report on a fun weekend in Texas

Did something I hadn't done in a long time this weekend, I went to one
of the many parties/fairs/celebration/national pride things we have
here in Texas, usually about two month.

This was the meeting of the Czechs/Germans/Mexican cultures, and this
particular event has been going on for about 30 years, so as far as
these things go, not too long. Apparently it is a revival of an old
tradition that was started up again in the 70s.

There was a bbq competition (non sanctioned), a chili cookoff, a pie
judging (top pie went for $1000!!), lots of sausage, beer and curly
potatoes. And with the Shiner brewery about 40 miles from the
shindig, there was a lot of cold Shiner. They even had an Elvis
impersonator there, too! The town of Flatonia is literally shut down,
the main streets blocked off, and the affair is flanked by the main
street buildings that are maked by their owners names, with dates like
"1876" and "1884". All proceeds for the event go to the High School
as they don't have enough folks there in the city to generate the
taxes they need to stay afloat.

It was a step back in time as there was so much bullshit flying
around, and it was obvious most of the folks there knew each other, at
least in passing. There were about 35 entrants on the chili, and
almost 50 on the barbecue. There were some barbecue team names I
recognized as well as many of their sponsors. Quite a few competed
regionally and were from as far away as Florida.

I don't want to start any crap here or have a call to arms to defend
anyone's personal preference on how they cook their meats. It isn't
and editorial, just observations from a step back in time.

This was a traditional Texas BBQ, and I noticed several things that
took me back 30 - 35 years when I started burning stuff on the grill.
Long smokes came later, but in my younger years I just didn't have the
patience for large pieces of meat to sit for hours on the pit.

The first thing I noticed was NO charcoal. No one was using it. Not
a soul. I did see the old traditional burn pits where we used to
preburn the wood to get coals and shovel them into the pit as needed.
Not too many of those either though, as most now have large pits with
an end made for 24" logs, but most just had really large fire boxes.
I saw the biggest pits have ever seen in my life there, and some of
the ugliest, too, but no one even spoke of charcoal or had a charcoal
burner going.

Second thing, was no sauce. One of the sponsors there had a booth
(and a great pit and pitmaster) that was showing taste testing the
sauce, but he didn't put any on his meats. I haven't put sauce on
beef since I can remember, but it was nice to find fellow smokers
that don't put it on anything. And very little rub was used, some
just with a basic salt/pepper/garlic powder mix. That's it. Some had
their favorites to be sure, but most powedered with some storebought
stuff, or something they bought from one of their friends on the
circuit.

Third - this is Texas. Brisket is king, here. I went to every single
pit, and not one had anything but brisket. Nothing went to the judges
table except brisket. They held back and put on some chicken and
sausage for themselves, but that was only a few. Most smoked
briskets, made egg/sausage tacos off the side in the morning, and
threw chicken on after the briskets were done and resting.

But no pork at all, no ribs, butts... nuthin'. Just Texas brisket.
When I was a kid growing up in the 60s early 70s, I actually didn't
know there was anything else but brisket and sausage, and the only way
we ate chicken was grilled (rarely) or fried (mostly). Guess these
small towns didn't get the memo. I admitted that I sure liked a good
rack of spares while enjoying a cold one with some of the pitmasters,
and they allowed that they did to. But as they said, "there ain't no
place for that stuff here at a barbecue competition."

And maybe it's a Texas thing. Not one person foiled, timed, rested,
wrapped in towels, or used remote thermometers. About half had therms
on their pits, but NO ONE had them in the meat while cooking. They
weren't stupid, they all had 12" instant read therms with them, they
just didn't fuss or fidget like so many do these days. They learned
the way I learned, know your pit, know your fire, enjoy cooking and
drinking beer.

Here's the best part, though. I am not sure why they would do this,
but apparently it is another tradition. Many of the teams that show
up do 3 -5 (some more!) briskets, the optimal size being 12 - 15
pounds. They cooked up sausage for themselves, and if they are in the
competition chili as well. They eat that stuff all day, washing it
down with a cold one when thirsty so they are literally eating all
day. So at the end of the day after they have turned in their
competition brisket, they have tons of beef left, as they only turn in
a few slices off the best brisket. Them good old boys are full of
beer and good times, and want to get rid of all the brisket they can
so they can sit down and do some serious drinking and wait for the
dance to start. They slice up whole briskets (and whatever else they
may have) and put out the pieces with toothpicks and paper towels for
everyone to try.

So... I must have eaten a pound and a half of samples. Some of just
OK, but some of it defies any description it was so good. And the
variety was incredible; there were briskets with almost no bark at
all, but an excellent, mild, penetrating oak tang to the meat. It was
sliceable, but still fork tender. Then there were the big taste guys,
lots of bark, heavy smoke, and just a tiny bit of heat. The meat was
a little more chewy, but still quite tender.

I guess I am posting this to remind folks to have a good time when
barbecueing. What could be better than a some well smoked meats, a
cooler full of iced beer (or a pitcher of margaritas) and having all
your friends over to enjoy the day?

I think too many (I fall into this category myself to some extent)
worry too much about temp gauges, the perfect rub, the perfect lump,
foiling/no foiling, and on and on. All kinds of fiddly little
things. I saw so many out there this last weekend that did nothing to
conform to the group's collective wisdom it was hilarious.

And after this last weekend, I will probably snicker when I read about
how much some obsess with making sure that they conform to the group's
expectations or guidelines ("I wanted to pull the meat at 187.65
degrees, but it got away from me so I pulled it off at 188.326
degrees, so I am wondering if I should eat it or pitch it" type
thing. I have to smile now when I think of those guys out there
cooking away to the sound of their own drummer, doing as they please
without a second thought. And turning out some outstanding product
along the way, too.

As far as I am concerned, I think a lot of folks have probably missed
one of the best parts of the traditional barbecue, and that is the fun
of it all. I think this style of cooking is supposed to be fun,
shared with others, and when I was out there this last weekend I
remembered WHY I actually started barbecueing.

Smoked meats, ice cold beer, good friends. No particular order.

This was actually my 0.04.

Robert

Czilispiel - a long report on a fun weekend in Texas

On Oct 29, 5:11 am, "frohe" > wrote:
> wrote:
> > Did something I hadn't done in a long time this weekend, I went to one
> > of the many parties/fairs/celebration/national pride things we have
> > here in Texas, usually about two month.
>
> > This was the meeting of the Czechs/Germans/Mexican cultures, and this
> > particular event has been going on for about 30 years, so as far as
> > these things go, not too long. Apparently it is a revival of an old
> > tradition that was started up again in the 70s.
>
> > There was a bbq competition (non sanctioned), a chili cookoff, a pie
> > judging (top pie went for $1000!!), lots of sausage, beer and curly
> > potatoes. And with the Shiner brewery about 40 miles from the
> > shindig, there was a lot of cold Shiner. They even had an Elvis
> > impersonator there, too! The town of Flatonia is literally shut down,
> > the main streets blocked off, and the affair is flanked by the main
> > street buildings that are maked by their owners names, with dates like
> > "1876" and "1884". All proceeds for the event go to the High School
> > as they don't have enough folks there in the city to generate the
> > taxes they need to stay afloat.
>
> > It was a step back in time as there was so much bullshit flying
> > around, and it was obvious most of the folks there knew each other, at
> > least in passing. There were about 35 entrants on the chili, and
> > almost 50 on the barbecue. There were some barbecue team names I
> > recognized as well as many of their sponsors. Quite a few competed
> > regionally and were from as far away as Florida.
>
> > I don't want to start any crap here or have a call to arms to defend
> > anyone's personal preference on how they cook their meats. It isn't
> > and editorial, just observations from a step back in time.
>
> > This was a traditional Texas BBQ, and I noticed several things that
> > took me back 30 - 35 years when I started burning stuff on the grill.
> > Long smokes came later, but in my younger years I just didn't have the
> > patience for large pieces of meat to sit for hours on the pit.
>
> > The first thing I noticed was NO charcoal. No one was using it. Not
> > a soul. I did see the old traditional burn pits where we used to
> > preburn the wood to get coals and shovel them into the pit as needed.
> > Not too many of those either though, as most now have large pits with
> > an end made for 24" logs, but most just had really large fire boxes.
> > I saw the biggest pits have ever seen in my life there, and some of
> > the ugliest, too, but no one even spoke of charcoal or had a charcoal
> > burner going.
>
> > Second thing, was no sauce. One of the sponsors there had a booth
> > (and a great pit and pitmaster) that was showing taste testing the
> > sauce, but he didn't put any on his meats. I haven't put sauce on
> > beef since I can remember, but it was nice to find fellow smokers
> > that don't put it on anything. And very little rub was used, some
> > just with a basic salt/pepper/garlic powder mix. That's it. Some had
> > their favorites to be sure, but most powedered with some storebought
> > stuff, or something they bought from one of their friends on the
> > circuit.
>
> > Third - this is Texas. Brisket is king, here. I went to every single
> > pit, and not one had anything but brisket. Nothing went to the judges
> > table except brisket. They held back and put on some chicken and
> > sausage for themselves, but that was only a few. Most smoked
> > briskets, made egg/sausage tacos off the side in the morning, and
> > threw chicken on after the briskets were done and resting.
>
> > But no pork at all, no ribs, butts... nuthin'. Just Texas brisket.
> > When I was a kid growing up in the 60s early 70s, I actually didn't
> > know there was anything else but brisket and sausage, and the only way
> > we ate chicken was grilled (rarely) or fried (mostly). Guess these
> > small towns didn't get the memo. I admitted that I sure liked a good
> > rack of spares while enjoying a cold one with some of the pitmasters,
> > and they allowed that they did to. But as they said, "there ain't no
> > place for that stuff here at a barbecue competition."
>
> > And maybe it's a Texas thing. Not one person foiled, timed, rested,
> > wrapped in towels, or used remote thermometers. About half had therms
> > on their pits, but NO ONE had them in the meat while cooking. They
> > weren't stupid, they all had 12" instant read therms with them, they
> > just didn't fuss or fidget like so many do these days. They learned
> > the way I learned, know your pit, know your fire, enjoy cooking and
> > drinking beer.
>
> > Here's the best part, though. I am not sure why they would do this,
> > but apparently it is another tradition. Many of the teams that show
> > up do 3 -5 (some more!) briskets, the optimal size being 12 - 15
> > pounds. They cooked up sausage for themselves, and if they are in the
> > competition chili as well. They eat that stuff all day, washing it
> > down with a cold one when thirsty so they are literally eating all
> > day. So at the end of the day after they have turned in their
> > competition brisket, they have tons of beef left, as they only turn in
> > a few slices off the best brisket. Them good old boys are full of
> > beer and good times, and want to get rid of all the brisket they can
> > so they can sit down and do some serious drinking and wait for the
> > dance to start. They slice up whole briskets (and whatever else they
> > may have) and put out the pieces with toothpicks and paper towels for
> > everyone to try.
>
> > So... I must have eaten a pound and a half of samples. Some of just
> > OK, but some of it defies any description it was so good. And the
> > variety was incredible; there were briskets with almost no bark at
> > all, but an excellent, mild, penetrating oak tang to the meat. It was
> > sliceable, but still fork tender. Then there were the big taste guys,
> > lots of bark, heavy smoke, and just a tiny bit of heat. The meat was
> > a little more chewy, but still quite tender.
>
> > I guess I am posting this to remind folks to have a good time when
> > barbecueing. What could be better than a some well smoked meats, a
> > cooler full of iced beer (or a pitcher of margaritas) and having all
> > your friends over to enjoy the day?
>
> > I think too many (I fall into this category myself to some extent)
> > worry too much about temp gauges, the perfect rub, the perfect lump,
> > foiling/no foiling, and on and on. All kinds of fiddly little
> > things. I saw so many out there this last weekend that did nothing to
> > conform to the group's collective wisdom it was hilarious.
>
> > And after this last weekend, I will probably snicker when I read about
> > how much some obsess with making sure that they conform to the group's
> > expectations or guidelines ("I wanted to pull the meat at 187.65
> > degrees, but it got away from me so I pulled it off at 188.326
> > degrees, so I am wondering if I should eat it or pitch it" type
> > thing. I have to smile now when I think of those guys out there
> > cooking away to the sound of their own drummer, doing as they please
> > without a second thought. And turning out some outstanding product
> > along the way, too.
>
> > As far as I am concerned, I think a lot of folks have probably missed
> > one of the best parts of the traditional barbecue, and that is the fun
> > of it all. I think this style of cooking is supposed to be fun,
> > shared with others, and when I was out there this last weekend I
> > remembered WHY I actually started barbecueing.
>
> > Smoked meats, ice cold beer, good friends. No particular order.
>
> Bub, you've hit the nail on the head with this post. I'm sure there are
> some who could care less about how we do BBQ down here in Texas but who
> cares. Your message of cooking simplicity and having fun while doing it is
> the one that should sink in for all.
>
> Good post!
>
> -frohe- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Nail: Great post. It brought back memories of the event; I went to
Chilizpiel in 1979; there was no bbq, just chili; too many cooking
teams to count. The crazed Texans do know how to party. Texas flags
abound, music everywhere, and anything goes.

Pierre

Fun part, was the crownation of "Chili Queen". Here they "promenade"
around the stage, all in a costume of sorts, (points for shomanship
are the norm) from a caldron of chili called fuzzy tongue, to an 80
year old great-grandmother. Granny won, b t w. Her sole
qualification being that she'd born 13 children. I still have the tee
shirt.

Czilispiel - a long report on a fun weekend in Texas

> And I am VERY aware how much a lot of folks hate and resent Texans. I
> don't recall having done anything to offend other states, and I don't
> feel like listening to some overfilled beer sack spout off about some
> other Texan he knows that was a loudmouth, so I don't usually say much
> anymore about being a native Texan around other folks. Not that there
> are too many native Texans anymore.
>
> It was a lot of fun to see the bluebonnet paintings, the western
> shirts made from the state flag, and the BBQ pits with the flag
> stenciled on it. It was fun to see the kids with the state flag or
> the lone star painted on their faces. I think that state pride, no
> matter what state you hail from is a good thing, as no one seems to be
> too proud of the nation these days. It was good to see someone proud
> of something.
>
>

I love texas! been there several times and had a great time every time. I
think that the feelings you express are prevalent against most of the
South. Being from Mississippi, we see it here also. I love my state and am
proud to be from here. Southern Pride is not racist, It is just being proud
of where you came from. Most states have checkered pasts, ours has just
been more publicised.

All that being said, bring on the ribs and beer.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Czilispiel - a long report on a fun weekend in Texas

On Oct 29, 7:12 am, Pierre > wrote:

> Nail: Great post. It brought back memories of the event; >I went to Chilizpiel in 1979; there was no bbq, just chili; >too many cooking teams to count.

I wished I had started going earlier. There are/were so many of these
things within a couple of hours from here (2 hours drive translated in
Texan to "just up the road") that I just missed this one. In San
Antonio, I am an hour and 20 minutes from this event, and have driven
by it for all 30 years and never stopped in.

>The crazed Texans do know how to party. Texas flags
> abound, music everywhere, and anything goes.

It isn't any different there now. We stayed for the family portion of
the events, the sack race, the three legged race, the egg toss, the
backseat driver race, etc. The band fired up around 12, and they were
still going strong when we left around 5:30. More entertainment was
on the way.

And I am VERY aware how much a lot of folks hate and resent Texans. I
don't recall having done anything to offend other states, and I don't
feel like listening to some overfilled beer sack spout off about some
other Texan he knows that was a loudmouth, so I don't usually say much
anymore about being a native Texan around other folks. Not that there
are too many native Texans anymore.

It was a lot of fun to see the bluebonnet paintings, the western
shirts made from the state flag, and the BBQ pits with the flag
stenciled on it. It was fun to see the kids with the state flag or
the lone star painted on their faces. I think that state pride, no
matter what state you hail from is a good thing, as no one seems to be
too proud of the nation these days. It was good to see someone proud
of something.

> Fun part, was the crownation of "Chili Queen". Here >they "promenade" around the stage, all in a costume of >sorts, (points for shomanship are the norm)

The Cziliqueen this year was about 12, skinny as a stick and a mouth
full of braces. Her runner up was another giggly girl about the same
vintage. But the king was about 9 or 10, and he was about a foot and
an half shorter than these two girls. It looked funny to see them
posing for the photo ops, but it sure didn't bother them any. That
boy had enough ham in him to feed a family of 50.

>from a caldron of chili called fuzzy tongue

MIA this year was the perennial favorite, "Cigar Butt Chilli". The
guy that made it competed all over the state, and he actually put the
cigar butt in the chili after he smoked it down the the nub. There
were plenty of others though to fill the gap, and with all the inbred
competitors there, "braggin' rahts" was a lot more important thant any
points towards a competition circuit.

Can't wait until next year.

Robert

Czilispiel - a long report on a fun weekend in Texas

" We used
> to stop at a little barbeque place in east Tennessee that had the
> pulled pork with a sauce that had no tomato. I think it was a vinegar
> type that you put on and then
> added a pile of slaw on top. So far I've not been able to find a
> recipe for this. If anyone knows what I'm trying to describe, I'd sure
> appreciate your ideas.

I don't know the recipe, but the neighbor of one of my friends makes BBQ
for a living and uses a vinegar based sauce. It is great. the more you
shake the bottle, the hotter it gets. I like tomato based sauces also, but
there is something about the tangyness of a good vinegar sauce sometimes,
though i mostly like it on pulled pork.

If you are interested here is a link to his site.
http://www.bishopsbbq.com/index.asp?PG=PRODUCTS

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Czilispiel - a long report on a fun weekend in Texas

I love Texas too! I was born and raised in Harlan County Kentucky but my
husband's work took us to Houston where we spent over 30 years. My son and
some of
the best friends I've ever had live in Houston. I'm almost as much Texan as
Kentuckian. I like the barbequed briskets, but my favorite is pulled pork.
We used
to stop at a little barbeque place in east Tennessee that had the pulled
pork with a sauce that had no tomato. I think it was a vinegar type that you
put on and then
added a pile of slaw on top. So far I've not been able to find a recipe for
this. If anyone knows what I'm trying to describe, I'd sure appreciate your
ideas. My
husband of 54 years, was the master of the grill (charcoal) but he has been
in a nursing home for the past couple of years, and if get any barbeque I'll
have to do
it myself.

moonbeam

"motley me" > wrote in message
. ..
>> And I am VERY aware how much a lot of folks hate and resent Texans. I
>> don't recall having done anything to offend other states, and I don't
>> feel like listening to some overfilled beer sack spout off about some
>> other Texan he knows that was a loudmouth, so I don't usually say much
>> anymore about being a native Texan around other folks. Not that there
>> are too many native Texans anymore.
>>
>> It was a lot of fun to see the bluebonnet paintings, the western
>> shirts made from the state flag, and the BBQ pits with the flag
>> stenciled on it. It was fun to see the kids with the state flag or
>> the lone star painted on their faces. I think that state pride, no
>> matter what state you hail from is a good thing, as no one seems to be
>> too proud of the nation these days. It was good to see someone proud
>> of something.
>>
>>
>
> I love texas! been there several times and had a great time every time. I
> think that the feelings you express are prevalent against most of the
> South. Being from Mississippi, we see it here also. I love my state and am
> proud to be from here. Southern Pride is not racist, It is just being
> proud
> of where you came from. Most states have checkered pasts, ours has just
> been more publicised.
>
> All that being said, bring on the ribs and beer.
>
> --
> Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
>

Czilispiel - a long report on a fun weekend in Texas

"Moonbeam" > wrote in
:

> Thank you Darlin!! I just got through talking to the owner's wife
> ....she said her husband went to Colorado this morning and would be
> very sorry to have missed me
> when I told her I was calling from Harlan County Kentucky, he has kin
> around here. After she described their sauce I knew it was what I have
> been searching for,
> so I ordered a case and hope it comes soon. Thank you again.
>
> moonbeam
>
>
> "motley me" > wrote in message
> . ..
>>" We used
>>> to stop at a little barbeque place in east Tennessee that had the
>>> pulled pork with a sauce that had no tomato. I think it was a
>>> vinegar type that you put on and then
>>> added a pile of slaw on top. So far I've not been able to find a
>>> recipe for this. If anyone knows what I'm trying to describe, I'd
>>> sure appreciate your ideas.
>>
>>
>> I don't know the recipe, but the neighbor of one of my friends makes
>> BBQ for a living and uses a vinegar based sauce. It is great. the
>> more you shake the bottle, the hotter it gets. I like tomato based
>> sauces also, but there is something about the tangyness of a good
>> vinegar sauce sometimes, though i mostly like it on pulled pork.
>>
>> If you are interested here is a link to his site.
>> http://www.bishopsbbq.com/index.asp?PG=PRODUCTS
>>
>>
>> --
>> Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
>>
>
>
>

Glad to be of help!

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Czilispiel - a long report on a fun weekend in Texas

Thank you Darlin!! I just got through talking to the owner's wife ....she
said her husband went to Colorado this morning and would be very sorry to
have missed me
when I told her I was calling from Harlan County Kentucky, he has kin around
here. After she described their sauce I knew it was what I have been
searching for,
so I ordered a case and hope it comes soon. Thank you again.

moonbeam

"motley me" > wrote in message
. ..
>" We used
>> to stop at a little barbeque place in east Tennessee that had the
>> pulled pork with a sauce that had no tomato. I think it was a vinegar
>> type that you put on and then
>> added a pile of slaw on top. So far I've not been able to find a
>> recipe for this. If anyone knows what I'm trying to describe, I'd sure
>> appreciate your ideas.
>
>
> I don't know the recipe, but the neighbor of one of my friends makes BBQ
> for a living and uses a vinegar based sauce. It is great. the more you
> shake the bottle, the hotter it gets. I like tomato based sauces also, but
> there is something about the tangyness of a good vinegar sauce sometimes,
> though i mostly like it on pulled pork.
>
> If you are interested here is a link to his site.
> http://www.bishopsbbq.com/index.asp?PG=PRODUCTS
>
>
> --
> Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
>

Czilispiel - a long report on a fun weekend in Texas

Moonbeam wrote:

> added a pile of slaw on top. So far I've not been able to find a recipe for
> this. If anyone knows what I'm trying to describe, I'd sure appreciate your
> ideas. My
> husband of 54 years, was the master of the grill (charcoal) but he has been
> in a nursing home for the past couple of years, and if get any barbeque I'll
> have to do
> it myself.

East Carolina topping sauce is about as easy to make as it comes. Start
with 1/4 cup of Texas Pete, Crystal, Frank's or Louisiana hot sauce and
add about a cup of apple cider vinegar. That's it. If you want to be
fancy, you can experiment with storing it in a bottle of cayenne peppers
like you find in a Mexican grocery, can experiment with adding salt or
even garilc to the mix.

We don't measure it when making it here at the house. I have a catsup
bottle that I've poked holes in the lid and filled with dried whole red
cayenne peppers. When it gets down to about empty, I dump in a half
bottle of Texas Pete and fill with vinegar.

If you like it on pulled pork, try it on Collard or Turnip greens. We
also cook a lot of kale with white beans, and it's a staple on them when
served as well.

--
---Nonnymus---
No matter how large your boat,
the person you are talking with will
have a close friend with a larger one.
---Observation by my son

Czilispiel - a long report on a fun weekend in Texas

Moonbeam wrote:
> I love Texas too! I was born and raised in Harlan County Kentucky but
> my husband's work took us to Houston where we spent over 30 years. My
> son and some of
> the best friends I've ever had live in Houston. I'm almost as much
> Texan as Kentuckian. I like the barbequed briskets, but my favorite
> is pulled pork. We used
> to stop at a little barbeque place in east Tennessee that had the
> pulled pork with a sauce that had no tomato. I think it was a vinegar
> type that you put on and then
> added a pile of slaw on top. So far I've not been able to find a
> recipe for this. If anyone knows what I'm trying to describe, I'd
> sure appreciate your ideas. My
> husband of 54 years, was the master of the grill (charcoal) but he
> has been in a nursing home for the past couple of years, and if get
> any barbeque I'll have to do
> it myself.

There are a good number of recipes in the bbq faq, and I think you'll fine
one similar:

http://www.eaglequest.com/~bbq/faq2/toc.html

BTW, for this NG it is preferred that folks either bottom post, or
interleave their replies. It would be much appreciated.
--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

Czilispiel - a long report on a fun weekend in Texas

On 29-Oct-2007, " > wrote:

.. . .

Great post Robert. I particularly enjoyed the following paragraph;

> And after this last weekend, I will probably snicker when I read about
> how much some obsess with making sure that they conform to the group's
> expectations or guidelines ("I wanted to pull the meat at 187.65
> degrees, but it got away from me so I pulled it off at 188.326
> degrees, so I am wondering if I should eat it or pitch it" type
> thing. I have to smile now when I think of those guys out there
> cooking away to the sound of their own drummer, doing as they please
> without a second thought. And turning out some outstanding product
> along the way, too.

I'm particularly thinking about my last beef shoulder cook where I
meant to take it off at about 175 and it went over 200 before I woke
up and checked on it. It was funny then and even funnier in light of
your post.
--
Brick (Kinky is using a feather.
Perverted is using the whole chicken.)

Czilispiel - a long report on a fun weekend in Texas