Cinder Block Pit Cooking

I did some cinder block pit cooking this weekend..
I use the pit for whole hogs but every once in awhile I use it for a variety of slow smoked food.
The old pit comes in handy. :)



I wanted to save time so I smoked a brisket in my drum the day before...
Seasoned with kosher salt, cracked black pepper and a bit of garlic.







also smoked 4 pork butts in the Memphis pro...





I covered the bottom of the pit with foil...





added drip pans containing beer, seasonings and a few leeks.. ( I love the aroma :)).

Placed about 5lbs of coal at each end...





When the coals were lit I placed my expanded metal grate on top....



then added another layer of cinder blocks and added the spare ribs which were brushed with bacon drippings and seasoned with Oklahoma Head Country dry rub.

Also added a pot of pintos... seasoned with ham, onions, garlic, crushed cayenne peppers, a pinch of thyme, basil and bay leaves.



I placed the pintos over the hot coals and the ribs in the middle of the pit for indirect heat...



covered the pit with some old sheets of metal and took a break. :)



Checked the pit after one hour... you don't really need to do this, I wanted to make sure everything was doing ok.
I also placed a remote thermometer inside of the pit...that's something I don't normally do. It maintained a temp of 225 the whole time.



add two handfulls (10 to 15 coals) of charcoal to the pit every 30 to 45 minutes. I slide the middle block out on each end to get to the hot coal pile.



After 3 hours I foil the ribs, then place them meat side down to cook for another 2 hours.
I also rotate them.. placing the ribs closest to the heat source in the middle of the pit.



After foiling the ribs, I added two large pans of the pulled pork and also the wrapped smoked brisket (foiled with beef stock)..




After 2 hours of foil-on cooking, I unwrapped everything and added a pot of Q sauce...

I let everything smoke in the pit for another hour, stirring the pulled pork and the beans a few times.




I brushed the ribs with Q sauce during the last 30 minutes....



Time to eat...
The pulled pork sandwiches, brisket and ribs....



The hot Q sauce...



Ha... one friend was asked by his wife what she was supposed to bring to the cookout. He told her mashed potatoes and gravy. So she made them.. I kidded him about mashed potatoes and gravy not being "cook out" food... he said this was the only way he would get them. Apparently she won't make them at home. lol

My pot of pintos at the bottom of the pic..



salads....



I didn't get pics of the desserts but there was home made ice cream, cakes, pies, brownies, and so many other goodies too..



I didn't get a pic of my plate either..

after cooking, I headed to the ice chest for a cold beer and then headed to the shade tree to prop my feet up and relax. :)
It was a fun...