Gene Wenger's Ham Loaf and Stuffed Chicken Thighs

For this recipe, I’m using my Meadow Creek PR60T Pig Roaster fired with 30 pounds of 100% hardwood charcoal briquettes and 6–8 chunks of pecan wood. My target temperature was 225 degrees F.

Step 1: Remove the cooking grate and drip pan.

Step 2: Spread 100% hardwood charcoal briquettes in the bottom of the roaster and toss some smoking wood chunks or log splits on top. The amount of charcoal you use will depend on the weather and how long the cook will take. If the day is overcast or windy, you'll need to use more fuel. 80 pounds of 100% hardwood briquettes should be enough to last 14–16 hours. 30 pounds was enough for this 6-hour cook.

Charcoal Vent Tips: On a shorter burn where the charcoal is not deep enough to cover the charcoal vent, remove it from the cooker or set it in the middle of the bottom of the cooker, parallel with the cooker, creating two even "paths" of charcoal. If you're using enough charcoal to cover the vent, set the vent at an angle, aligning the ends of the channel with the outside vents to let more air travel through the bottom of the cooker.

Step 3: Light the charcoal in each end of the roaster with a propane torch. Leave the lid open for a few minutes to let the charcoal get well lit.

Step 4: Replace the drip pan and cooking grate and close the lid with the top and bottom vents open all the way.

Step 5: Once the roaster gets within 15 degrees of your target temperature, close both bottom sliding vents to 1" open. If you have a pullout with the round vents on one end, close those vents to the halfway open position. If the roaster temperature rises above your target temperature, adjust the top vents a little bit at a time to stabilize and maintain the target temperature. Start by adjusting one top vent on each end to the 3/4 open position. A little adjustment on the top vents makes a big difference.

What if the roaster won't get up to temperature? There are a few variables involved in running a charcoal cooker, so it's hard to give a cut-and-dried setting for operating a charcoal roaster like this at a certain temperature. If it's an overcast day, be prepared to use more charcoal or open the vents more than you're used to. It also helps to open the lid for 5–10 minutes to let the fire get more established and stir the burning coals around to give them more oxygen.

If the roaster is running too hot, try to keep the lid closed as much as possible.

As a rule, running this cooker is a piece of cake, and if you add enough fuel for the length of your cook, you won't usually need to mess with the fire once it's up and running. However, I highly recommend the optional charcoal pull-out in case you need to stoke the fire or add/remove charcoal or wood.

With a Flame Boss or Other Temperature Controller: After lighting the charcoal, clip the temperature probe onto the cooking grate and close the lid with the vents open all the way, just as you would when firing it without the Flame Boss. When the roaster gets within 15 degrees of your target temperature, hook up the Flame Boss, and close all the vents. Set the Flame Boss to your target temperature and let the Flame Boss handle it from there. (A Meadow Creek pig roaster requires two Flame Boss fans.)