Hey all. I've been studying the art of grilling/bbq-ing since I got my very first 18inch square shaped grill many years ago. It had a red lid and handles on the front so you could lower the food grate closer to the coals. You know the kind? And the first time I had a group of friends over to my tiny balcony, outside my first apartment, drooling over the beauty and aroma of a pile of grilled steaks, I was hooked. Cooking with fire was what I was all about.
I put everything on that sucker---even Twizzlers. (SO GROSS)
So I've grilled my share of steaks and chops, but over the years I've developed a real passion for the low and slow all day cooking that comes with the larger cuts of meat. And since I love to cook for a crowd, a barrel smoker was the way to go. I did some research and settled on a Masterbuilt barrel smoker/grill I found at Sears. It's just as good as any other for less that $200, and for that price I'm not expecting the results of a "professional" model, but it will do until I'm ready to upgrade. I picked that one because the chimney vent is built into the side of the lid instead of the top, so it draws the heat and smoke across the cooking grate very well, instead of going "up and over" like other kinds do. I wish it had a bigger firebox though, but that's on my list for my next smoker. I knew this one would only be a stepping stone, but I can see us having a pretty good realtionship.
I love studying the different regions of bbq (Carolina's, Kansas City, Texas...etc) and I spend hours at a time on various websites reading about people's mods to their smokers or how they search for the perfect cut of meat or the right mix of wood to cook with.
I've already learned a lot, now I just need the free time to put it to good use.
I put everything on that sucker---even Twizzlers. (SO GROSS)
So I've grilled my share of steaks and chops, but over the years I've developed a real passion for the low and slow all day cooking that comes with the larger cuts of meat. And since I love to cook for a crowd, a barrel smoker was the way to go. I did some research and settled on a Masterbuilt barrel smoker/grill I found at Sears. It's just as good as any other for less that $200, and for that price I'm not expecting the results of a "professional" model, but it will do until I'm ready to upgrade. I picked that one because the chimney vent is built into the side of the lid instead of the top, so it draws the heat and smoke across the cooking grate very well, instead of going "up and over" like other kinds do. I wish it had a bigger firebox though, but that's on my list for my next smoker. I knew this one would only be a stepping stone, but I can see us having a pretty good realtionship.
I love studying the different regions of bbq (Carolina's, Kansas City, Texas...etc) and I spend hours at a time on various websites reading about people's mods to their smokers or how they search for the perfect cut of meat or the right mix of wood to cook with.
I've already learned a lot, now I just need the free time to put it to good use.
