Dinners ready in two hours. Who wants some?

2 years ago by AA5B to c/bbq

Throwing this out there in case someone has advice …..

I got a smoker this summer and have been having a great time cooking new (large) meals. But my kids are back at college and I can’t depend on my ex. How do you find people to eat your meals?

It’s a weird situation where it’s a huge pellet grill and smoking tends to focus on large pieces of meat, but not everything freezes well. I want to go gangbusters with feasts, just when I no longer have anyone to appreciate it. Anyone know if there is such a thing as cooking clubs, or something? How do you find one or how do you break into one as a single guy?

Fwiw

kids are back from college today, ex is coming over and ex-FiL
smoked duck with orange maple glaze
chicken for those not willing to try duck
rice pilaf
arugula salad with toasted pine nuts
I plan to throw chocolate chip cookie dough in a cast iron skillet for brownies and top with ice cream

originalfrozenbanana 7 points 2 years ago

Yeah I ran into the same issue with my family. I love smoking but not everyone does.

Try cooking smaller cuts or amounts, or something like pork butt that you can eat fresh and then reuse the rest in a chili or something that does freeze well. I know you wanna feast - I love a good all-out too - but that’s not a sustainable way to live, honestly. We shouldn’t eat so much rich food so often, so I ended up making the big grill a once in a while thing and cooking small amounts more often.

save

path: 0 12489979, hotness: undefined, score: 7, children: 1

AA5B 1 point 2 years ago

I spent several a month on salmon alone - same basic food but a different salsa each time. There’s nothing like the aroma of roasted poblanos blanketing the neighborhood, or the salsa it turns into

The pork butt is fantastic: good in everything for the week and freezes well. But I really haven’t found anything else so versatile

save

path: 0 12489979 12490047, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

Drusas 2 points 2 years ago

I've heard of cooking clubs being a thing, but I would imagine they're a lot easier to find in urban areas and I'm not sure where you are. I hate to suggest Facebook, but I know a lot of people do use it for meetup groups like that. Then there is meetup.com--odds of finding a cooking club are low but not nonexistent.

save

path: 0 12511373, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 1

AA5B 2 points 2 years ago

Yeah, effing Facebook. I do have an account somewhere because at one point that was the only way to get family pictures and even news from my now-ex - that should have been a red flag

save

path: 0 12511373 12515000, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

chemicalprophet 2 points 2 years ago

I’ve cultivated many companions at pubs. Pub people also enjoy cooking and eating.

save

path: 0 12575399, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

brbdc 1 point a year ago

What did u put inside the chickens?

save

path: 0 17608845, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 3

AA5B 1 point a year ago

Beer. I did beer can chicken