I wanted snow. I wanted a white Christmas. Looks like I'm going to get them both. But what if I had known that to get snow meant I would not see family today. That December 23rd would be one more day of China Flu isolation. Flights cancelled. Loved ones who were 500 miles away are still 500 miles away when they should now be in my living room.
They'll get here eventually, but not today. Right now I should be watching Georgia Southern and Louisiana Tech in the New Orleans Bowl with my son, or walking out on a frozen lake with my granddaughters.
Yesterday it was 45 F and I was smoking ribs in my backyard. Today it is around 20, the wind is howling, and the snow is traveling horizontally.
Had I known the tradeoff, and been given a choice, I would have passed.
But, a word on the ribs. When smoking in winter managing the heat in the smoker can be a challenge. We have a tendency to get the box too hot or too cold, especially when a good stiff wind accompanies the cold temps. yesterday I had temps as low as 150 and as high as 325, but close to that magical 200 most of the time.
The seasoning. Allegro Marinade. The greatest marinade in the world. Generally I don't use them. I like to smoke meat with only salt and pepper and put my full skills on display, not mask them with sauces and rubs. "Let the meat speak for itself" I like to say. But every once in a while you need to do something different, so this time the ribs were marinated for 24 hrs in Allegro.
Had the weather cooperated, my son and I would be watching that game while snacking on some leftover ribs. Instead, I've got em all to myself. Here's to silver linings behind the clouds of this blizzard!
No comments:
Post a Comment