BBQ Brethren "Mini" Throwdown

Well, let's look at this a couple different ways.

You would not be able to cook any circular dish over 14 inches, so from that perspective it is good.

If you average 14" and 15" you get 14.5" which is the magical number so that is good, but since the 14.5" was a diameter that makes it iffy.

You could cook something 15" long which would not fit on the other cookers so that makes it bad.

So, it looks like an even split between the good and the bad in this case.

I'm going to have to go with the original idea about total square inches for non circular grates, which means it won't work.

R2Egg2Q can overrule my decision if he wishes however.

caseydog said:

WAIT!!! Don't get the bulls out, yet!!!

If it is the cooking grate that has to be 166 square inches or smaller, just take a hacksaw to the cooking grate!

Right?

CD

Click to expand...

He has an excellent point.

brewerjamie15 said:

Not looking to be a muckraker here but I have a question for this here challenge.

Is it considered a "team entry" if my 8 yr. old daughter helps me? She's been asking to help a little with the grill. My idea for this particular throwdown would allow her to help me out.

Also- this is a stretch, but if I wanted to use a dutch oven that fell in the guidelines of size but I used the coals or wood from a firepit that exceeds the size is that a DQ? (I'd use the firepit to burn the logs to make the coals to cook the food)

Looking to structure my entry. This TD is an excellent category idea!

Click to expand...

Actually, I've been meaning to reword the Team Entry rules, I just haven't done so.

You can have your daughter help you and still enter it as yourself. Lots of husbands/wife pairs that participate the the Throwdowns help each other at some point along the way, because they are making a meal for themselves and they both cook. A lot of times, they enter two different meals, one for each.

Dutch ovens are allowed. You might put up a pic of you cooking in the DO just to make folks happy.

Mini-SPAM Burger on the NUDS (Nano Ugly Drum Smoker)

I have a Smokey Joe, but I wanted to build something small. I have also always wanted to build a UDS. So it seemed logical to build a small UDS.

I made it from a couple 6oz Tomato Paste cans using nothing more than 3 different can openers and aluminum foil.


I used an Old Fashioned can opener...


I used a twist-style cutting-edge can opener that slices the lid open...


And I also used a twist-style smooth-edge can opener that pops the lid up leaving no sharp edges.


I shouldn't have to post a picture of Aluminum Foil, I assume you know what that looks like.

I made 4 air intakes by using a twist-style cutting-edge can-opener by just puncturing a hole (no twisting). Then I spread the hole a little larger using the point of the old fashioned can opener.


I made the intakes adjustable by putting on a band from aluminum foil with holes that matched the location of the intake holes, and made sure to include a handle for ease of operation.


I made the lid by simply removing the top of a can using the twist-style smooth-edge can opener. This gives me a lid that can snap back onto the can giving a tight seal. I punctured 4 small holes in the lid with the old fashioned can opener, using two of them to install the aluminum foil handle, and the other two for exhaust.


In this shot you can see the charcoal basket in the bottom, and some aluminum foil straps to hold the grate in place. The charcoal basket is simply another lid that was cut off using a twist-style cutting-edge can opener (so it fits inside the can) and was punctured in 4 places with the old fashioned can opener. The holes give it airflow, and the punctured metal points serve as legs to make this lid stand up about 1/4 inch from the bottom of the can. The aluminum foil straps are pretty straightforward, but were installed through 4 holes at the top of the can made from the twist-style cutting-edge can opener (similar to how I made the air intakes).


This is my grate made from aluminum foil.


This picture is just to give you an idea of the size of the NUDS.


I lit a piece of lump charcoal and stuck it in the NUDS.


I then put the lid on and let it come to temp (it rose very quickly). I was going by feel as I do not have a pit therm of the appropriate size.


I then put in the grate.


And then I added a slice of SPAM to make a mini-SPAM Burger.


I put the lid on to let it cook.


Go figure, it started to rain! So I moved it onto one of my kettles under the safety of the kettle lid. A short while later I figured it was ready.


I put it on a bun and added a slice of cheese.


I would show you a pic from after the first bite to give you a view of the "doneness" of the burger, but it was all gone in one bite.:shock: