Feels good to have a smoker again.

[Operator]

I used to have two pellet smokers (Camp Chef and a Traeger) and an OK Joe Highland, but sold them all when I had to make a big move. Now that I'm settled again, I tried getting some new toys to start over. I figured I'd start over with the Highland.

But, in trying to do that, I managed to score a Traeger Pro 34 for about $330. I ordered the Highland at that price, special order to Sicily, but the store did not know it was a special order, so they put it out on the floor and sold it to somebody else. They notified me about this two months after it happened (they initially told me they were still waiting to receive it, but then someone else realized their mistake). To make up for it, they gave me this one instead. I wasn't going to turn that deal down.

I've got two racks of ribs on it now, I think the first time I've ever done no-wrap. I've only ever done 3-2-1 or 3-1-1 ribs. Wish me luck...

^ One of my smoking buddies who's been with me since the beginning.

 

[smokerjim]

Welcome to smf, looks like your all set for smoking. Looks like your smoking buddy is waiting for those ribs.

 

[normanaj]

The pup seems content with it!

 

[millerbuilds]

Welcome to SMF from North Texas!

- Jason

 

[Operator]

Thanks, guys. My old pup has approximate 14.5yrs now. We used to live in Virginia. Here's a photo from then, around 2021 or so.

P.S. The no-wrap ribs turned out terribly. I'll have to practice more with that style. Then again, my wife and I both love FOTB, so we might stick to 3-1-1. Whatever.

 

[jcam222]

Welcome back to smoking and the board!

 

[DRKsmoking]

Welcome, and nice to get back to smoking again I bet.

Blame the smoker not the smokie, lol

Ribs are good even when not so good, but that is me .

David

 

[bigfurmn]

Ribs are like se...x. when it's good, it's really good. When it's bad, eh is still pretty good.

 

[ARsmoke]

Welcome back!

Now start postin' some pics!

 

[crazymoon]

O, Nice score on the Traeger!

 

[hoity toit]

Welcome to SMF from South Texas. Looks like you got it going on pretty well.

HT

 

[Fueling Around]

Welcome
Wow Virginia to Italy. I get nervous just going back and forth from Florida to Minnesota

 

[sandyut]

Welcome back to SMF from Colorado. Wow Italy! thats a long ways from here!

 

[Brokenhandle]

Welcome from Iowa! Glad you joined us! Nice smokers, and especially love your cooking buddy!
How did you end up in Italy from Virginia? Yes, I'm being nosey!

Ryan

 

[Operator]

Thanks guys. Yup, I love my cooking buddy :-)

I was in Virginia post-Navy and worked there for a job that eventually moved me to Seattle, then I married a Romanian lady and moved to Romania, then got a job here in Sicily and moved here, so it's been lots of flights and moving. Sure has been an interesting - albeit strange - adventure.

Anyway, the last few nights, we've been using the Traeger smoke up lots and lots of horse burgers. Very lean and the local shops sell them premade. We do that with a small terracotta dish with provalone (also smoked) and maybe some bacon-wrapped asparagus. Really hard to mess with such a good meal

 

[forktender]

Thanks, guys. My old pup has approximate 14.5yrs now. We used to live in Virginia. Here's a photo from then, around 2021 or so.

View attachment 715564

P.S. The no-wrap ribs turned out terribly. I'll have to practice more with that style. Then again, my wife and I both love FOTB, so we might stick to 3-1-1. Whatever.

Wrapping after 2 or 3 hours is the best way to get FOB ribs. I like to pull the foil back at the end to create a little crust, almost barkish, I pull the foil back for 30 minutes or until I get the desired finish on them.

What brought you to Sicily, if I may ask?

I still have family there, but I don't like flying over oceans very much, so I don't know that I will ever make it over there. I'd love to, but I'd have to drink copious amounts of bloody Mary's to get me there. LOL!!! So for now, they come out here for family reunions every 3 to 5 yrs.

Dan.

 

[JLinza]

I still have family there, but I don't like flying over oceans very much, so I don't know that I will ever make it over there. I'd love to, but I'd have to drink copious amounts of bloody Mary's to get me there. LOL!!! So for now, they come out here for family reunions every 3 to 5 yrs.

I still have family about 150 miles north of there in Lago, Italy. Would love to go but doubt it will ever happen.

 

[Operator]

Wrapping after 2 or 3 hours is the best way to get FOB ribs. I like to pull the foil back at the end to create a little crust, almost barkish, I pull the foil back for 30 minutes or until I get the desired finish on them.

What brought you to Sicily, if I may ask?

I still have family there, but I don't like flying over oceans very much, so I don't know that I will ever make it over there. I'd love to, but I'd have to drink copious amounts of bloody Mary's to get me there. LOL!!! So for now, they come out here for family reunions every 3 to 5 yrs.

Dan.

I don’t think I’ve ever gotten off a transatlantic flight sober it’s so long and gets boring. I was stationed in England from 2009-2012 and have made that flight so many times. Anytime you think of coming to Sicily, it’d be a pleasure to host you for a night.

How’d I get here? Kind of accidentally! I fell in love with a Romanian lady I met by chance on a workout app in 2018. We finally met in 2022 in Ireland to see if how we felt online was real. And boy was it. We married a couple years after and I moved to Romania.

I stayed there for some six or seven months, and then I applied for a job with an American company operating about three hours from where we lived, still in Romania. They called me up saying, sure, you’re qualified for this job in Romania, but you’re MORE qualified for this job we have in Sicily, so how about that? I took that one and they paid to move us here, and so now we’re here my wife has lived in Romania for 30+ years, so she was ready to see something different.

Now we have a baby due in a few weeks and I sit here with her now, rolling smoke in a OK Joe Highland in the driveway.

I still have family about 150 miles north of there in Lago, Italy. Would love to go but doubt it will ever happen.

No time like the present. Time waits for no man.

 

[forktender]

I don’t think I’ve ever gotten off a transatlantic flight sober it’s so long and gets boring. I was stationed in England from 2009-2012 and have made that flight so many times. Anytime you think of coming to Sicily, it’d be a pleasure to host you for a night.

How’d I get here? Kind of accidentally! I fell in love with a Romanian lady I met by chance on a workout app in 2018. We finally met in 2022 in Ireland to see if how we felt online was real. And boy was it. We married a couple years after and I moved to Romania.

I stayed there for some six or seven months, and then I applied for a job with an American company operating about three hours from where we lived, still in Romania. They called me up saying, sure, you’re qualified for this job in Romania, but you’re MORE qualified for this job we have in Sicily, so how about that? I took that one and they paid to move us here, and so now we’re here my wife has lived in Romania for 30+ years, so she was ready to see something different.

Now we have a baby due in a few weeks and I sit here with her now, rolling smoke in a OK Joe Highland in the driveway.

No time like the present. Time waits for no man.

Awesome story, talk about following your dreams.
As I get older, I have a few regrets that haunt me for not pursuing them when I was still able bodied.

Good on you for jumping in with both feet, I'm jealous.

Dan.

 

[JLinza]

I don’t think I’ve ever gotten off a transatlantic flight sober it’s so long and gets boring. I was stationed in England from 2009-2012 and have made that flight so many times. Anytime you think of coming to Sicily, it’d be a pleasure to host you for a night.

How’d I get here? Kind of accidentally! I fell in love with a Romanian lady I met by chance on a workout app in 2018. We finally met in 2022 in Ireland to see if how we felt online was real. And boy was it. We married a couple years after and I moved to Romania.

I stayed there for some six or seven months, and then I applied for a job with an American company operating about three hours from where we lived, still in Romania. They called me up saying, sure, you’re qualified for this job in Romania, but you’re MORE qualified for this job we have in Sicily, so how about that? I took that one and they paid to move us here, and so now we’re here my wife has lived in Romania for 30+ years, so she was ready to see something different.

Now we have a baby due in a few weeks and I sit here with her now, rolling smoke in a OK Joe Highland in the driveway.

No time like the present. Time waits for no man.

First off, thank you for your service. My Brother in law was stationed in Naples and their first and only child was born there. And you're right " time waits for no man". Maybe someday, I won't give up hope just yet.