The charcoal grill that appears regularly in A&J is, not surprisingly, similar to the kettle grill I prefer. Specifically, I have a Weber. I recently upgraded. I went from a less expensive model with an aggravating pan underneath to catch the ashes which then have to be dumped, making a mess. I decided to pay considerably more for model with an aggravating pan underneath to catch the ashes which then have to be dumped, making a mess. The old kettle was black. The new one is copper-colored. That and the price are the only significant differences I can discern.
‘Just Knock th’ Horns Off!’
By Jimmy Johnson
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57 responses to “‘Just Knock th’ Horns Off!’”
Symply stayed with the charcoal for 10 years then got a gas grill…got to admit I appreciate being able to cook 10 minutes after starting the Fargone thing. Yeah I buy Webers too.
Just waiting in the hospital lounge as my wife undergoes thryroid surgery. Doing a little work as I wait.
I cook with gas, both inside and out. I understand the use of charcoal for flavor, but I’m lazy. I do season the food that I grill and only lightly clean the grates
That last one is key. Hope all goes well for you.
Everything went well. Thank You.
Glad to hear it!
My current 17″ Weber has the useless little tray underneath, as did its predecessor & my previous 22″. My current 22″ Weber Performer has the pan, which is a huge improvement; it also is mounted to a cart with a tray on one side, and propane ignition. One of the 2 best Father’s Day gifts my boys (no doubt meaning “their mother”) have come up with to date (the other was a year’s subscription to “Beers Across America”; a 6 of dark & a 6 of light – not “lite” – at my doorstep every month.)
And lest you wonder, I keep the 17″ because I have a rotisserie set-up that fits it.
Did the old one have hinged edges on the grill so you could add charcoal without lifting the whole grill out?
If not, that’s another likely difference.
The price on Weber grills has gone up a lot the last ten years or so.
Well, yeah. I might have exaggerated. I usually do. The aggravating pan in the newer Weber is an improvement, as has been said already.
And I, for my part (while still appreciating the improvement over the tray), eager anticipate the day Weber installs a device that will just vaporize them, like Isaac Asimov’s atomic ashtrays.
Has anyone real experience/success with the mesquite chips (or other kinds) that you soak in water and put at the bottom of the grill under the jets to add flavor to the food? I see them on the shelves at the grocery store but have never bothered. Maybe they’d help soak up the inevitable grease?
Yes, I used those smoking chips when grilling. They did add flavor to the meat and also helped cut down on flare-ups from dripping grease since they were damp. That mesquite lump charcoal also works well. That’s the stuff made of whole wood that still looks like branches when you dump it out.
I prefer apple. Also, I have never used them in the grill. I also have a propane smoker; I soak them overnight, then I throw some right on the lava rocks at the bottom, and wrap some in aluminum foil, which I then punch a bunch of holes in. I replenish both from time to time during the day. They work wonderfully.
I cannot speak tot he grease issue, as the smoker has a large pan of water between the meat & the heat (though I like to use apple juice instead).
Trucker
On some models there is a box on the side to hold the wood chips so
nothing underneath.
There is also a cast iron aftermarket unit for any grill.
America’s test Kitchen puts the soaked chunks in an aluminum foil packet
with a couple of slits.
The trick is to put the top vent away from where the chips are heating.
.
The story is that the original Webers were made from surplus anti-torpedo net floats.
hence the shape.
If Arlo and/or Janis wants to limit their zucchini crop, they can always harvest some of the flowers, stuff them and cook them. Most people batter and fry them, but sauteing or steaming also works. That’s one vegetable you’ll never see in the market because they go bad so fast. If you want them you have to grow and pick them yourself.
When Jeff Bezos got off his rocket ship in the cowboy hat I instantly thought of Arlo in his oversized big 10 gallon hat.
Am I the only one?
Tonight I ran across a reference to a favorite James Thurber short story, “The Unicorn in the Garden.” I looked it up online and discovered that the first 3 links were to discussions of what Thurber meant by that fable, what he was trying to say, what did the characters represent… I’m just a former trucker who knows that most fables, especially modern ones, are really just jokes in short story form. That’s why I appreciated Mark Twain’s warning in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that “”Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.”
Cooking, outdoors or in: God made steakhouses for a reason.
Janis: “I’ll have my zucchini cooked well-done.”
Arlo: “Here are your zucchini chips, sweetie.”
Change the date on the 2011 cartoon to 2021, and many people would just assume they are grilling veggies because meat prices have become so outrageous.
About the hot tub nudity plot :strip”, in 1960s I belonged to my first women’s exercise club on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. Wet areas were nude areas.
I moved to Hawaii and exercised at the Rainbow Hilton spa. Naked on wet areas. Texas and Oklahoma have always been fully clothed including bathing suits in spas.
When I discovered Oklahoma had one of America’s best clothing optional resorts I was delighted all their wet areas were nude only. I wanted to build an enclosed exercise pool in my yard for nude water exercise. I hate snakes but love exercising in water naked.
COVID-19 took away all gym and water exercising for me. I miss it so much.
Yeah, I know what you mean about gyms. The two here in Trinidad are open again, and I’m thinking of getting a new set of gym wear and starting to work out. I’m stuck at about 156 or so, and would like to get back up to 165, but just taking morning walks with Sadie isn’t going to do any more good than it has; I need more upper body work. Right now, it’s raining with no visible lightning but a little bit of thunder. Not that loud, but it’s enough to have the dog quivering and sticking as close to me as she can. I don’t know where Leo is, but if he’s indoors, he’s under something, sound asleep and if he’s out, the rain’s not heavy enough to bother him.
In the current hot tub story, what was the second part of the bet? I can imagine a few possibilities, but most deal with things a daughter-in-law ought not ask her mother-in-law.
Nudity according to Ghost, not sex.
I’d say they were nude when they got in, Jackie. If they had been wearing bathing suits they would have carried the towels instead of wrapping up in them before they got in.
Ghost says second part is nudity, not sex.
Although Gus’s comment did give me pause.
These URLs are not dated, but as of 0209 25 July, there was a leopard, perhaps well fed, resting here in Kenya’s Rift Valley. Burp, & Peace
https://explore.org/livecams/african-wildlife/olifants-river
Mr. Jimmy Johnson, Sir! Have you ever given any thought to marketing actual Arlo and Janis bookends? I’d buy a pair!
From the Department of “Sad But True”: My ability to recall song lyrics from the 80s far exceeds my ability to remember why I walked into the kitchen.
The only room in the house that I usually remember why I went into is the bathroom….Of course if it is for medication, all bets are off, but while I’m in there, I might as well.
Dog on my lap from thunder in storm that has ended. I have to go NPO at midnight for surgery at 1 p.m. tomorrow. Trying to hydrate tonight and stay calm. I am packed for several days if needed but they say two days probably.
Just in case I haven’t said it recently, I love you Villagers. I love Arlo, Janis and the kids.
Thank you Jimmy. Much love and appreciation from me for help getting through hard things. Love, Jackie
Much love and ALL best wishes for tomorrow, Jackie!!!
Prayers Jackie
.
Ghost:
Most doorways are memory erasing portals, going through
a doorway disassociates synapses – returning through said portal MAY
return memory or brain function. There may be a slight delay. Your results may vary.
Here’s a BBC article on the Doorway Effect:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160307-why-does-walking-through-doorways-make-us-forget
Prayers, Jackie. Best wishes to you all.
For those concerned, I will be giving updates on Jackie’s progress during the day here.
Sending good wishes for Jackie your way
Jackie is in her room now, awake and alert. (Time from beginning of surgery to arrival in room was less than two hours.) She says she has never felt better coming out of any other surgery. The surgeon said she did “phenomenally well”.
Praise the Lord!
Thanks, Ghost. Great news. I have posted your update on Jackie’s FB page (which is still active) and on the FB Arlo and Janis fans group. That way the people who know of her through her page and this site can keep up with how she’s doing.
Lying in bed reading the Washington Post and wiggling my toes. I can lift both legs and move both feet.
Getting ready to read another Dale Robichaux mystery about New Orleans, New Iberia and South Louisiana. Many of the characters will be unable to move their toes or body parts.
My blood sugars are low despite no insulin. Had two orange sherbet to raise them.
Many thanks and love.
🙂 {^¿^} {^¿^} {^¿^} ++++++++
Glad to hear it Jackie. Prayers for an easy recovery.