If you know anyone in the restaurant business they could probably order you a case of frozen Patties. If you have a Food City close to you they have pork loin for $1.79 a pound this week. You could cut them up, pound them out, freeze them individually on a sheet pan then thaw and bread as needed.
I get it from the Tomato House in Murryville on Highway 115, when we go over to the NE mountains. Going to have to make run soon, down to my last half bag.
Charcoal isn’t exactly still wood. It is carbon derived from burning wood without oxygen present. It will make little smoke and the aromatics present in wood have been burned off. You need to add wood chunks or chips to give it a smoky flavor. Different woods are preferable for different proteins.