So dogs are supposedly man's best friend...

But I've never taken a dump on my best friend's floor...  well there was that one time back in college but I believe my point still stands.

--finn

Help me with something...

So I went to see a movie today.  What is it with the people and their need to react audibly to movies?  I don't get it.  With the exception of laughter at appropriate times, there really are few other noises a human needs to make during a movie.  Some guys I think just can't help themselves.  I saw this movie in Nashville and I can debunk the stereotype that certain ethnic groups talk to the screen during movies because it was a mostly caucasian affair today.  But that's besides the point.  I'm just trying to understand the mentality of these dudes who think they need to vocalize their reactions in such a loud manner.  I'm not talking about the involuntary shrieks or gasps that a surprising moment might bring.  I'm talking about the guy who cheers when the hero triumphs over something.  Or when anything a person allows out of his mouth actually forms a sentence much less a short phrase.  SHUT UP!  Is what I say.  Well, I don't "say" it per se, I actually think it.  I'd hate to be hypocritical... or perhaps... the target of a violent attack should I offend some monolith with my superior thinking.  The big one though, what's with the clapping at the end of the movie.  Who are you clapping for?  Do you think that the producers are in the building?  Is the director getting updates from the theater?  "Did they clap?  No?  Crap!  We must have done something wrong..  I knew that cameraman was an idiot!  Thanks for your help Bob."  And while we're on the subject of movies, I'm tired of the little make-you-sit-though-the-credits-to-see-the-last-scene scheme.  Dude, just make the end of the movie the end of the actual movie.  I don't need to know who the Best Boy or Key Grip guy was.  Give me a break, that is really only for the dudes that are there to see the movie with his friends.  "I told you I worked on that movie cracker!  Give me my five bucks!"  Why do I have to sit through that crap to see the final scene?  Problem is, I'm starting to do it at all movies now so I don't have somebody say, DID YOU SEE THE LAST SCENE???  And I didn't and now I feel like an idiot.  But then when there isn't anything at the end of the movie, I just wasted 20 more minutes that I could've used elsewhere.  But hey I found out what washed up one hit wonder rock star wrote that song from the scene when that band was playing in the bar.  Useless, much like the crap that some dude is spouting off with during a movie making me miss out on dialog I wanted to hear... 

--finn

More of me at Mule...

This is a youtube clip of the last song of the 2nd set taken by somebody in the audience.  First off you see my big melon all through the vid right down in front, but at the 3:39 mark Warren tosses his pick at me, and I snag it.  Then at the 4:05 mark you see the guy who offered me the $100 for a pick come up and formally tell me he needs to hit an ATM and that he'll be right back.  He wanted that pick BAD and was afraid I'd leave.  He should've been more afraid of finding out he could've gone on ebay and snagged one for $20.  But I'm a businessman, its not my job to inform people of such things.  At least not while my shop is open!

$100 is a $100, and concert tix aren't cheap!

--finn

Video I took of Warren...

So good...  even cooler he threw out the pick he's playing this solo with and I was able to snag it. A guy behind me literally offered me $100 for it.  I couldn't believe that someone would offer that much, but he did.  I wanted the pick of course but $100 is a $100!  Keep in mind this is one of my favorite songs and the pick from it was quite a souvenir.  But if he was serious I was taking it.  Cool thing is I ended up catching another one and the guy came up to me and asked if I was gonna take his offer.  So I sold him the other pick and kept this one.  Again, I couldn't have scripted a better night.  I just don't think I could've thought something like this up...  

--finn

GOVT MULE!

So the Mule played in Bowling Green tonight.  I could not have been more excited.  Imagine your favorite band coming to your town, a town where NO BANDS come to, especially a band as big as this.  It just doesn't happen.  Even cooler was the fact that I scammed my way to the front row right in front of Warren.  You could NOT have given me a better seat in that entire place (and the place was tiny, 800 seats) than where I sat for this show.  Even cooler than that was that we got backstage and hung in the dressing rooms long enough to chat up Warren and get some pics.  I just tried to look like I knew where I was going and no one decided to question me (I have a friend who is a backstage ninja, we followed his plan and it worked to a T).  It was an awesome show.  If you told me I could have any seat in the place before the show I would have picked the very seat I was in, no question.  Some VIP dude missed out, apparently I didn't look like someone they wanted to ask to move.  Fine with me and the couple of friends that made their way up to sit next to me.  If I scripted the night to go the way I wanted, I probably would've thought some of the things that happened to be just too much and not written it that way, but all of them did.  Very cool, here's some photographic proof of one incredible night for me:

The view from my seat...  Mr. Warren Haynes

Warren and I backstage after the show...

Matt Abts and me behind the venue...

Danny Louis and me...

(Danny) Andy Hess and me...

Me checking out Warren's rig after the show...

--finn

SUCCESS!!

Well friends, good times were had by all I hope.  I have to tell you I've had great days cooking before but this one was sweet.  The BBQ turned out awesome.  You know the game is a little scary sometimes because you can do all your best stuff and come to find out you bought a piece of meat that the great ones couldn't get tender.  But I am happy to announce that I got a couple of very nice hunks of meat and they came off excellent.  Which I couldn't be happier, because I would've been bummed to have to delete these posts and act like nothing every happened but, no need, everything went as well as I could've hoped (better in the case of the brisket).

First off the pork.  I do the butts a lot and this time I did the shoulder (same leg just the other half of it).  I will definitely do it again.  Good stuff...

Now on to the brisket.  I've only done brisket a few times, I'm not gonna lie, you gotta be up to the challenge.  It can throw you for a loop here and there.  Getting a good flavor isn't too hard, its the tenderness that I've had trouble with.  I just knew it could be more tender than what I've pulled off in the past.  Again I attribute it to the cut of meat itself.  Well, if my theory is correct I got a great brisket today.  Tender, juicy and would you check out that smoke ring!!   Mrs. McCool is not a huge fan of brisket and yet is still sneaking pieces of it...

--finn

Looking pretty sweet...

All is going well...  I'm a little concerned about dryness at this point, but let's face it, these are not lean cuts of meat.  There are some happy juices in there.  There has to be.  I started basting anyway, just to be sure and to bring some moisture to the party...

--finn

What a beautiful morning...

Despite the makings of a head cold and feeling kinda crappy, I am really excited about cooking up some seriously good stuff today.  Here's where we're at.  Brisket formed a nice little paste of rub and meat juices that was nice and sticky, and I took the shoulder out of the brine at about 11:00 last night and rubbed it up.  

I usually cook fat side up for self-basting action to go on.  The rub side looked so good and I know that some people cook fat side down I decided to give it a shot.  This means more basting and time but I have a good amount of time today so we're going with it.  I'll make up a beer/vinegar mop up a little later and we'll see how it goes...  Here's what it looked like to start off:

--finn

I'm a Bad Man...

What I am preparing to do seems almost sinful...  unethical to say the least, I must be breaking a law in some society somewhere because I don't know how often a backyard cook pulls this kind of ridiculousness off.  This weekend many people do some Q'n and that's just what I intended to do myself.  The question was however what is usually answered according to my very own whim.  Not today... today it was a conundrum.  Beef?  Or pork?  I know, I'm thinking the same as you.  Sometimes you just can't decide.  Today was that way for me.  So my good readers (have I mentioned how much I love anyone that reads this crap.  I love you all, both of you) with the help of some seriously good meat sales... I decided to cook both.  Oh and we are NOT screwing around.  We are throwing down on brisket and butt.  Would I dare?  Yeah, I know, I'm a bad man.  So I thought I would chronicle my adventures.  So check it out, here's how it all began...

Yeah, not that tasty looking now, but what you're looking at is huge hunk of pork in brine.  If you know your stuff, you know this is pretty cool.  If you don't, just know that it a really cool step that most people don't take because it takes some serious time.  At least that's the reason I hadn't done it before.  But like I said, we're not screwing around this weekend...

(Editor's Note 8:00 am Saturday morning - After literally dreaming about this cooking experience last night I awoke to the compelling need to build a better brine.  I did some research on brining and found a better way to do it involving pickling salt as opposed to normal table salt due to its cold temperature dissolving ability.  Bottom line: I'm just nuts enough that it was bugging me that there was a better way to do it and I wasn't doing that.  So a quick trip to Wal-mart and we're rocking again.  Excitement level is high, however there are some potential weather issues and I may get up insanely early Sunday am to start the process so I can enjoy the nice day its supposed to be then...  Just know I've got some happy meat in the fridge right now.  Did I mention I'm using molasses instead of sugar in the brine? Yeah, I know...)

Oh and what do we have here?  Yup the aforementioned brisket baby!  We are brining the pork and curing the beef.  The cure is essentially my rub slightly more salty, but she's gonna sit wrapped up in that love for about 12 (or more) hours before the heat comes along.  Yeah, I know...

--finn