I started moving things from our house in LR to our new house in Goshen. There’s still a lot of work to be done but our first night will be May 3rd. It feels so good to be back in NWA!
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Good for you! Congrats. BTW I did a brisket last weekend on my Yoder…the best I’ve had, perfect. Was so tender with flavor. The only thing I’ve not done on this smoker yet is ribs, which I may try this week.
That’s great on the brisket. Yoder is a great smoker!! I look foward to getting my cooking area set up. They installed the vent system (w/ a blower) to pull the smoke out of my area when I am cooking under roof. Give those ribs a shot!
Anybody got one of the new super duper Traeger grills with searing deck?
I had a Traeger Timberline XL. I did not care for it that much. Not enough smoke flavor even after a couple of hours on the “super smoke” setting. I’m a stick burner guy through and through but I understand those that like the convenience of an automated smoker. If I ever get another automated smoker it will be a gravity fed charcoal like a Stumps or an Assassin.
For steaks, I’m a PK Grill guy - I just don’t think you can beat the searing or longevity of the grill. I have one of the newer 360 model but I also have an Executive model made in the late 70’s. It was purchased for $5 at a garage sale and I replaced the grates. It still cooks great!
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I’ve got the PK, too. Love it. I think the pellet cooking is convenient and good. But it does not beat what you can do with your chunks of apple or cherry wood. I’ve got five outdoor cookers and always looking for another one. I would really like one of the old Oklahoma Joes. The walls on the new ones are thin. I like the old ones. They cheapened them to sell at places like Academy Sports and disappointed me.
Funny, I found a PK about 14 years ago at second hand store , bot it and it will out last my grandkids with grate replacements. Found out that company was back in business and have bot new grates several times since then. I like the newer models but I am fixed on outdoor cooking things as I have the Big Green Egg for smoking, e tc. The PK is used by many of the professional steak cooking teams in competition. Never even thought about it in that light. My sons have Traeger pellets cookers but they do not have the searing deck ones so I have not insights there.
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Yes I have an outdoor cooker addiction as well. I really enjoy cooking on a santa maria style. Check out the Lang patio models. They are built solid and will last forever. There used to be a guy in Farmington making smokers off the Lang model. He builds them well.
GrillGrates really amp up the ability to sear. I flip them upside down and cook on the flat side.
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I have a PK and a Webber. I seem to do all of my cooking on my Webber. I do have a big custom smoker that my Dad used at his restaurant but I don’t have a place for it in my tiny yard!
Grill Grates work well on my recteq 590. Highly recommend them.
I had not thought of that before but that makes alot of sense. Will try it next time.
I have two Weber smokers. Swine Flew touted me on them. Great smokers. One is at my house. The other is at a pavilion on the River. That way I can step out of river and check things. I don’t use that one much but it’s a nice option.
I had one at my Fayetteville house and one at my Cotter house for a number of years. And used them both.
Aloha,
Interested in your decision process in selecting Goshen of all the places at NWA. What were the factors to select Goshen over any other site at NWA?
UA…Campus of Champions
There were a few things in play.
I grew up in Harrison and when I was in HS and went to Fayetteville I always thought that area was really pretty. I like rural areas over cities.
Also, we have a cabin in Erbie (south of Harrison) and wanted proximity to it. Currently, it is a 3 hour drive door to door from our home in LR to the cabin. From our new home in Goshen, it’s an hour and 15 minutes door to door. We talked about areas further north or west and then that drive becomes more like 2 hours. We have a 7 year old grandson in Harrison also and wanted to be close to see games and things like that as he gets older. My in laws live there as well and they are aging. We wanted to be close to that area for all of these reasons.
Finally, cost. I wanted to build and I was able to buy a lot just over 2 acres (in a neighborhood) for 85k. Two acres in the Johnson area is like 150k. Two acres near Bentonville/Rogers is more like 300k. There are many good things about the Bentonville/Rogers area but it feels a lot like Texas to me with all of the sprawl. I’m more of a Fayetteville kind of guy. We can’t wait to immerse ourselves in Fayetteville. However, we have gone concert ticket crazy at the AMP. REO Speedwagon in June, Chris Stapleton in July, and Dierks Bentley in August. We had to tap the brakes on buying more concert tickets.
I’m looking forward to getting to know people in Goshen as well. Between the Farmer’s market there and in Fayetteville, who needs a garden. There’s a nice little Mexican restaurant there. It’s important to have margaritas close to home. The Anderson’s gas station there makes a mean breakfast and a great hamburger as well. We can throw our kayaks into the river within a mile from our house and paddle around. We may even check out some SUPs.
. It feels so good to be back in NWA!
Good for you man,
I’ve been hoping, DESIRING to move to Fayetteville for a looooonnng time but have to wait until my wife retires too so still waiting.
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I still have my old Kamado Joe ceramic…the big one. It’s just easier to smoke on this pellet grill Yoder. Both are heavy built, which I agree about the new ones at big box stores. I’ve got hickory everywhere that I’ve cut to smoke off land I bought.
Q comments about Grill Grates is spot on, so I use them for steaks. Perfect sear.
Another tidbit, I found duck fat spray(like Pam) to keep meat from sticking to the grates…what a game changer. I also have a container of rendered duck fat that I cook with. I thought it strange when it was suggested to me, but I was wrong.
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Goshen - the best! We used to live nearby on what is now Pug Gayer Rd. Not so many people way back then and I used to hunt and fish with Pug Gayer! Great place back in the late 60s, early 70s.
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I met a guy down at Anderson’s by the name of Joe Sweeney. He said he’s grown up in Goshen. Really nice guy!
Lands