Some great tips -- thanks, everyone! I do use the lump charcoal instead of the briquettes -- I think they burn much cleaner as well. And, I actually have two of those cable probe devices. I could easily use one for the meat and one as a general temperature gauge. Which could be especially helpful since I don't think that I'll get my husband to drill a hole in the lid in time. ;) I'm still concerned about how cold it's going to be -- we won't break out of the teens this weekend, so I may do this tomorrow during our heatwave of 30 degrees with a 50% chance of snow. I'll just have to really keep an eye on the fire and probably build it up more -- and if all else fails, I'll finish it in the pressure cooker. Good idea! I've thought about an electric smoker, but I really like smoking this way. Call me a purist or someone who just likes a challenge. LOL Saw this on the Epicurious site and may use it: For dry rub 3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper 3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar 3 tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons coarse salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 untrimmed boneless pork shoulder halves (also known as Boston butt; about 6 pounds total) For mop 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper 1 tablespoon coarse salt 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 8 pounds (about) 100% natural lump charcoal or charcoal briquettes 6 cups (about) hickory wood smoke chips, soaked in cold water at least 30 minutes Thanks again for all the help and tips! I"m so hungry now!

Hollysprings - Ventilation price is not the issue. The issue is the cutting and moving of cabinets. My kitchen is a kosher kitchen which has a lot of complications when doing a layout. My kitchen is spacious to accommodate the need for doubles of everything, yet it is very utilitarian. Its design is superb and meets my needs. I have had professionals chef cook in my kitchen and praise the functionality as well as the beauty of my kitchen. In fact, one asked to come back and use my kitchen again. Ventilation only becomes an issue if I install a grill or a CC or BS. We have finally concluded we cannot install a CC or BS range because cutting and moving cabinets will cause other issues and will not look well. We are contemplating your suggestion of protecting a deck area. Also under consideration is a 30 inch BS char broiler which can be placed where a breakfast bar is currently located. The breakfast bar can be removed and a new counter top and 3 cabinets can be installed. If we do this, we will ventilate with a 900 CFM unit (although only 600 is necessary, I believe). I understand your feelings about the lack of ventilation with my electrolux - I was concerned. But the engineers at electrolux assured me it was not necessary - and it hasn't been!!! I cook constantly and many people use my kitchen. No one has felt the ventilation to be inadequate - perhaps cathedral ceilings and a ceiling fan help odors to disappear. I have wallpaper in my kitchen and there are no smoke marks or oil splotches on it, nor are there any on my ceilings. Sidpost - thanks for the interesting suggestion, Sandra, I called solaire and firemagic. Both did not recommend the usage of their portables indoors. I had thought of putting a grill on a moveable cart and placing the cart right outside my french doors so I could stay inside and grill outside. But they did not think that was a good idea. I try to think outside of the box - but safety is a paramount concern. If you find a way to achieve our aim - let me know.

I've been grilling BF the past couple of days on his views about getting a grill. He says, "We don't need one, we won't use it." But I know he has been eyeing that little Weber one whenever we go to K-mart or the hardware store. I like the little front tray part on the marine one Tricia posted. I think the cheif plus for us about having a gas grill would be ease of use and the chance to have some outdoor cooking space to supplement our tiny kitchen. My stove area is claustrophobic to say the least. It would give BF a chance to cook without having me in the way making the salad or whatnot. As it is, cooking together is a study in patience in my "one butt" kitchen. We dream of having our own place someday, with room for a big garden too. I've had some rounds of illness that have made it hard just to keep up with what I have here. BF is my rock, G-d bless him! BF has a covered back patio at his house just off the kitchen back door so he can grill year round and he definately has used it as a kitchen extension since his kitchen is almost as small as mine, albeit maybe a little bit better laid out. I don't see us grilling in the winter when the patio is full of snow. We'll not be covering our tiny patio for a good long while, if ever. I do have an extra patio umbrella though, so maybe I could leave it set up over the grill in the winter, lol! BTW, anyone who doubts the benefits of vegetation for combating the heat island effect should hang out in my yard. It is probably 10 degrees cooler out there than it used to be when I just had a big ol' wooden deck on the back of my house. I never went out there in the summer, it was hot and I felt like I was on display for the whole row/neighborhood.

Jeri, I haven't used it yet, but it looks like it's used for shrimp, or small vegetables that may fall through the grates. (I seem to have a lot of trouble with things falling through the grates, like onions, green beans, peas, asparagus, peppers, etc.) I used this garlic, chili paste marinade on skirt steak the second time I used my new grill. It was absolutely delicious, and I'll be making it the same way again. I'll post the recipe. For smoke, I prefer chunks, not chips. They seem to last longer. I read a hot tip about pressure cooking your wood in water, to really get them soaked in a hurry. I don't think the brand really matters as long as you use the type of wood you like best. Here's the recipe I used for skirt steak. It was for flank steak, but worked as well on the skirt steak, which is what I had. It's an ATK recipe: Gas Grilled Marinated Flank (or Skirt) Steak 1 (2-lb.) whole flank (or skirt) steak, trimmed 1 t. table salt 1 recipe wet paste marinade vegetable oil for the cooking grate 1/4 t. ground black pepper Garlic-Chile Wet Paste Marinade 6 T. vegetable oil (I use light olive oil) 6 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 T.) 2 scallions, minced 1 T. minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce 1 medium jalapeno chile, minced Puree all the marinade ingredients until smooth. Pat the steak dry with paper towels and plate it on a rimmed baking sheet. Using a dinner fork, prick the steak about 20 times on each side. Rub both sides of the steak evenly with the salt, and then with the paste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour, or up to 24 hours. (24 hours is my pick!) Turn all the burners to high and heat the grill, with the lid down, until very hot, about 15 minutes. Use a grill brush to scrape the cooking grate clean. Dip a wad of paper towels in the oil; holding the wad with tongs, oil the cooking grate. Leave all the burners on high. Using paper towels, wipe the paste off the steak; season both sides with the pepper. Grill the steak until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip the steak; grill until the second side is well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the steak reads 125 degrees for medium rare and 135 degrees for medium, 3 to 6 minutes. If the exterior of the meat is browned but the meat is not yet cooked through, move the steak to the cooler side of the grill and continue to grill to the desired doneness. Transfer the steak to a carving board. Tent the steak loosely with foil; let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Using a sharp chef's knife or carving knife, slice the steak about 1/4 inch thick against the grain and on the bias. Serve immediately.