“It’s going to be a crockpot winter.”
My two fondest wishes for winter are always ‘Crock Pot Suppers’ and lots of dry, powdery snow for easy shoveling and snow shoeing! (We usually get the wet, heavy stuff!)
I got my small crockpot out last night! Have not used it in a long time. I think it’s just two quarts. Had the last of old stuff in the freezer, two raw turkey wings that I had frozen. When turkeys were so cheap last fall I bought one and cut it up and froze it in parts. We just could not deal with a whole turkey anymore. Put the two wings in the crockpot last night with some frozen turkey juices in a ziploc frozen last fall. Took the bones out this morning and added some jasmine rice. That will be supper with some chinese long green beans. I may just leave that crockpot out on the counter. Gave away my big one years ago.
Running the smoker is not happening today. I was in line at the grocery store with spices and sauces when the electric flickered and brought their registers down. After 15 minutes, I and everyone else gave up and left. That and there's a bunch of stuff to do to be truly ready and not rushed. I got the smoker cleaned up and put the carriage bolts in to set round grates on. Salmon is thawed.
Salmon needs to brine. Ribs and Tri Tip need time to soak up the rub. Even though I got the grates installed. I don't have a dutch oven plan for what to make that I want to simmer in the smoker. Haven't fired the smoker up and run it hot to sterilize it either so I'll do that today.
I didn't buy enough nuts so I'll have to get more to prevent the grate from sliding around and falling when I'm putting something in or taking it out. Pic shows one per bolt but those were used for installing the second set of bolts. Really need two more for each bolt so I can lock them together. The creosote would lock them in place eventually but double nutting is immediate and permanent.
I did cut up the dead dry hickory out here into 6-8" lengths and have been grabbed pieces as I go by and splitting them. When I was getting the bolts from Ace, I also grabbed a new toy that I've been wanting for years, Fiskars hatchet, which is working great on the hickory.
Postponing the smoke session doesn't bother me at all and I think in the back of my mind, I knew would happen. Grocery store malfunction gave me the excuse. Now; chili, beans or soup in the dutch oven? Yeah, I'll shoot for Wednesday. Gonna be cloudy and slight chance of rain tomorrow. That'll give me tomorrow to get something figured out and going for the dutch oven.
For now, it's nice outside so I'm going to go finish up that part of prep work.