How country style ribs became McDonalds, or The Lost, then FOUND, WSM

[addicted-to-smoke]

Bought some country style pork ribs, less than 3lbs I suppose, and smeared them up with yellow mustard and a friend's pork rub.

Lit a few coals and dumped them on one end of a short snake (used briqs with some partially used lumps) about 1/4 around the kettle. No pretty rows, but the thing was still gonna burn from one end to the other.

I put on my 11x15" Lodge cast grate and a little while later put the meat on. The lid thermo registered zero. (!) I added some lump, up to the top of the cooking grate (didn't take much) but kept the snake short. It was 3:15 this afternoon. All I was basically looking for was an indirect, "paced" cook, nothing hot-and-fast but obviously didn't have time for anything super slow, either.

Somewhere not long after, the lid thermo was 180 and stayed for quite a while. The bottom vents were open but partially clogged because I'm a lazy SOB, so the effect was still as desired, about 1/2 open down there. I let it be for an hour.

Next check, and the lid thermo's at 250 and *all* coals appear going. This would be OK for a bigger piece of meat desired for a longer cook ... but these were already-separated "country" (thick) ribs and likely finished. I closed the bottom vent nearly all the way now.

**************
I checked Craigslist. Never check Craigslist while cooking, because you might stop cooking.

I answered an ad for a $100 14" WSM not too far away. Offered to pick it up *anytime*. Didn't haggle. They asked if that meant today. Yes, sez I, right now.

[Philosophy: Yes I can make a mini WSM for less than $100, but not for a lot less than $100 after you figger my time, possible aggravation and learning curve, all of which still doesn't necessarily match what a "real" one is. Please, this isn't the time to tell me how great your mini WSM is. I know it is, and a few days ago I was also headed down that path.]

**************
Didn't hear back a second time on the WSM. That's odd. I'd said I could come right over and didn't haggle. Stick the Weber thermo pen into a few pieces; one says 170 and two more say 205. OK, we gotta go to the bank now, and who knows how long we'll be gone? I don't know if I can buy it yet, but need to be ready if ... Shut 'er down, wrap the meat in foil and a towel. Buckie gets cranky if I don't post a meat pic but Buckie you'll hafta wait ...

Drove south to bank, kids in back seat, then head north towards general expected vicinity of WSM. Had received no response from the seller on Ye Olde Smartphone. Head over to Tractor Supply to pick up 2-qt. feed scoop fer das charcoal bin, ya. Kids getting weirded out: "We drove almost an hour through rush hour traffic on side streets for a little scooper??" "Yes, dear chilrens, yes we did."

Cue The Smiths:

I left the North
I travelled South
I found a tiny house
And I can't help the way I feel
Oh yes, you can kick me
And you can punch me
And you can break my face
But you won't change the way I feel
'Cause I love you
Oh...

And is it really so strange?
Oh, is it really so strange?
Oh, is it really so, really so strange?
I say NO, you say YES
(and you will change your mind)

I left the South
I travelled North
I got confused - I killed a horse
I can't help the way I feel
Oh yes, you can punch me
And you can butt me
And you can break my spine
But you won't change the way I feel
'Cause I love you
Oh...

And is it really so strange?
Oh, is it really so strange?
Oh, is it really so, really so strange?
I say NO, you say YES
(But you will change your mind)

I left the North again
I travelled South again
And I got confused - I killed a nun
I CAN'T HELP THE WAY I FEEL
I CAN'T HELP THE WAY I FEEL
I CAN'T HELP THE WAY I FEEL
(I lost my bag in Newport Pagnell)

Why is the last mile the hardest mile?
My throat was dry, with the sun in my eyes
And I realised, I realised
I could never
I could never, never, never, go back home again

*****************
We'd been talking about food and the Girl wanted McD's. The Boy, an honors kid having graduated from 5th Grade today, was treated by Dear Old Dad earlier today for lunch to a fine outing of pizza, his fave. So I felt good about indulging the Girl on her preference today since she was feeling blue about probably not seeing many of her school chums for 2 months ... and so, we did that.

No contact still from WSM person; each of my emails included my phone number, too. Well, it's gone, let's head home. And so we did. Now it's 7:15 and I'm settling in to write this post. But as I do, I check the Craigslist ad ... still up. Could it be? Or did she not take it down yet, when sold to someone else? I struggle with sarcasm and nastiness, but write a short email, "I was up in Canton; never heard back from you, but you might want to take down your ad if you sold it."

I get an email:

I do apologize as I had a lady ask me to give her first chance at it
before I received your second email, so I've been waiting to hear back
from her. I just called and did not get her. I don't know if you are
interested, but at this point, I'd be happy to let you come and get it.
Nothing is wrong with it that I know of . . .my husband just doesn't like
to grill anymore . . .so someone needs to get some use out of it. I'll
attach the owner's manual to this email.

Again, my apologizes. If you'd like to come, we [are on X street] ... Do let me know as
I've had so many emails about it, but I try to honor my word, which
sometimes gets me in trouble.  If you're just frustrated by this
situation, I understand.

Me:

Thanks [ ...] , I'll head that way now, but will need to plug your full address into my GPS please? I'll check my email on the road or you can call/text me the info as well.

KIDS WE'RE HEADING OUT AGAIN! (We had been home about 4 minutes.)

She sends me the address and phone this time. En route, I call to confirm. No answer, and no voicemail. It just rings *forever* Uh ... OK. I send another email letting her know I'm on the highway and that I tried to call etc. After a while she calls. Even though I have her full address she's "old school" and so, am now getting verbalized landmarks and other info ... something about a gate and I should press the button to get in. "Got it."

I pull up to the gate:



and I presses da call button:

]

and then nothing happens.

I call and get voicemail. She had just told be she'd now be listening for the phone. I press the button more. And wait. And call back and leave a voicemail ... husband drives up behind me in the little front-loader; he'd been out bush hogging. Nice guy. "Oh, it's this other button you need to hit. See you at the house in a few minutes!" We've arrived.

They have horses and a LOT of land. The Girl loves horses and at 8, is a very good rider, very secure and likes to race barrels and poles when visiting grandparents' in TN ....

So cut to the chase more or less. I meet the lady I've been emailing and calling, she's super nice and I see the WSM awaiting patiently on the porch. Gee, from over here the cover makes it look ... bigger?

"I tried to clean it a little, we've hardly used it, I like the charcoal but my husband doesn't want to mess with it anymore and uses a gas grill ..."

And just as I'm about to ask about the WSM she says, "so, it's an 18-inch ..."

"Oh. Okay."  Any thoughts I had about asking to pay only $80 for the hassle of making the deal happen pretty much flew completely out the window at this point.

It's a "DO" code (2005), clean as a whistle, essentially perfect with some surface rust on a few grates? Has some crazy-ass bigger non-Weber thermo bolted into the lid. I'll know tomorrow what that is when I can see it. I prefer the look of Weber's thermos but with this one could see the red "smoke zone" from inside the house ...

I feel a little like Robert Redford's character Bill McKay (in that great 1972 movie The Candidate): What do we do now?

Buckie here's your dang meat pic:



Tomorrow's lunch.

[Winz]

Looks like you patience was very well rewarded.  A lesser man would have given up.  $100 for an 18 WSM - awesome deal!

Screw the meat pic, lets see the Weber!

Winz

[1buckie]

  Not only do we get an epic story, not only do we get an epic story that twisted & turned & turned again & again & turned out way better than it started, but we even get song lyrics & a meat pic......

No need to have this guy sittin' around waiting for the meat pic.....there it is !!!



Grate story & grate pickup......you're stylin' now !!!!!

[Tim in PA]

Awesome story with a happy ending!

One thing though, please tell me that you were not emailing WHILE driving!!!

[MartyG]

Fun read. Was this Graceland? Hmmm...grilled PB&B turds might just work.

[blackdog1101]

Great story!  Glad you got the WSM!

[mike.stavlund]

boom

[eccj]

Ummm what happened to the WSM pic?