Use whatever you have!!

[ammaturesmoker]

Earlier tonight I was asked by someone on YouTube about using charcoal instead of firewood because of the cost of wood in LA. He was looking at buying a Gabby's grill. Made me think from my young and tender ages of my childhood. I remember as a kid my family was poor as hell while my father was going to school and I was like 5 or 6.....the house leaked rain water consistently in some areas during storms. My father had been given a box of beef ribs from a friend at his work who was clearing out his freezer and these were semi freezer burned in spots. We never had money for a nice grill and the one we had was rusted out. My dad took cinderblocks and put them on a metal table. He then took a oven shelf from the kitchen and used dead wood from an oak tree in the back yard as fuel. We didn't have money for charcoal, sauce, or afford to have spices in the kitchen but salt and pepper. However, I thought they were the best ribs ever. As I thought about my youth and that experience growing up, I told this guy to use whatever you have to cook with.

 

[motocrash]

Yeah,it's fun to get back to the basics sometimes.

 

[tardissmoker]

Exactly the same as my youth except the tree was apple. It dropped apples and branches every year. Apples for sauce , branches for bbq. Core rotted out from ants, still held the clothes line though. Mom sold after 55 years, tree was still standing (barely). I got a nice branch before the deal closed and made her a bowl on the lathe for her for her candy treats. Now for my candy treats.

Memories, somehow it sometimes feels the "make do'iveness" is being lost. A bit sad from my perspective. Just my humble opinion.

 

[SmokinAl]

Great story!
Al

 

[ksblazer]

Right now I'm reading Mike Mill's book peace, love & BBQ and he mentions that his father BBQ'D that way back in the 1940s.

Lots of parks and campgrounds up here have set up's like that around here. Remember like you just cooking meat on the grill un seasoned and sauced if we had some. If not it was just plain grilled charcoaled meat. We mostly had burgers, hotdog, chops or chicken thighs or legs.

Always enjoyed cooking outdoors and how the food turned out.

 

[GaryHibbert]

Memories, somehow it sometimes feels the "make do'iveness" is being lost. A bit sad from my perspective. Just my humble opinion.

I agree totally. My Step-Daughter and her boyfriend moved from Calgary up to Drayton Valley. Before the move she sold her perfectly good smart TV--said she could buy a newer, better one now for less than she paid for the old one. Then they spent the money. When they got here, they wanted to borrow my second TV since they couldn't afford a new one. I told them they were stupid!! They could quite easily have made do with the old one until they saved enough money to buy the new one. Now they don't have a TV to watch. :(
Gary

 

[ammaturesmoker]

I agree totally. My Step-Daughter and her boyfriend moved from Calgary up to Drayton Valley. Before the move she sold her perfectly good smart TV--said she could buy a newer, better one now for less than she paid for the old one. Then they spent the money. When they got here, they wanted to borrow my second TV since they couldn't afford a new one. I told them they were stupid!! They could quite easily have made do with the old one until they saved enough money to buy the new one. Now they don't have a TV to watch. :(
Gary

who needs a TV when you have a smoker to maintain a fire?