Folks, I've tried 'em all in 50 years of grilling and smoking. An 800 lb. steel plate behemoth offset with huge vertical cylinder....propane fired Big Block....electric Masterbuilt, and on and on. If I had the money back I spent on all this, I'd buy a new truck.
I've had a lot of delicious results over the years, BUT.....there's just something not the same as my early days. I just can't quite get the same results, and I may know why.
The best meat I ever cooked was on an aluminum grill that my Grandmother gave me as a wedding present in 1971. It was made by Birmingham Stove and Range, long defunct. It was almost identical to http://www.pkgrills.com/the-pk-grill-smoker-classic-silver/ I cooked several thousand pounds of meat on that thing....steaks directly over a hot fire...boston butts, chicken, etc. with fire on one end, meat on the other (with vents under fire and over meat open, others closed), etc. etc.
I have a theory: Those results came from the fact that the meat was always in some proximity to the fire itself. They were always in direct line-of-sight with one another. This is not the case with an off-set....nor with propane or electric (no fire at all)....its also not true with most other smokers, and here nomenclature kicks in. It may be by definition a smoker does not expose the meat directly to any fire. So, if that's true, I might be looking for a grill that can also be used as a type of smoker.
With all of the smokers mentioned above, one of my problems is the inability to produce outside meat....a lot of you call it bark...to any great extent, and that is essential to having good pork or beef in my opinion. Also, just try chewing the skin of a turkey or chicken done in a propane or electric. And yes, I tried turning the temp up at the end to crisp it , and that just doesn't do well. In the case of an electric with a 275 degree max, its a joke.
The aluminum one I mentioned above is too small for my needs today, so I'm askin'.....
Anyone know of a similar set-up in a larger size? It must have 4 adjustable air controls, and have a wide grill height adjustment range, something the old one did not have. Because of that, I don't think a barrel shape will work. I need a box or square shape with a very deep bottom to get enough separation between fire and meat when needed.
So, after the expected laughter subsides, feel free to lambast and holler at will. Thanks.
I've had a lot of delicious results over the years, BUT.....there's just something not the same as my early days. I just can't quite get the same results, and I may know why.
The best meat I ever cooked was on an aluminum grill that my Grandmother gave me as a wedding present in 1971. It was made by Birmingham Stove and Range, long defunct. It was almost identical to http://www.pkgrills.com/the-pk-grill-smoker-classic-silver/ I cooked several thousand pounds of meat on that thing....steaks directly over a hot fire...boston butts, chicken, etc. with fire on one end, meat on the other (with vents under fire and over meat open, others closed), etc. etc.
I have a theory: Those results came from the fact that the meat was always in some proximity to the fire itself. They were always in direct line-of-sight with one another. This is not the case with an off-set....nor with propane or electric (no fire at all)....its also not true with most other smokers, and here nomenclature kicks in. It may be by definition a smoker does not expose the meat directly to any fire. So, if that's true, I might be looking for a grill that can also be used as a type of smoker.
With all of the smokers mentioned above, one of my problems is the inability to produce outside meat....a lot of you call it bark...to any great extent, and that is essential to having good pork or beef in my opinion. Also, just try chewing the skin of a turkey or chicken done in a propane or electric. And yes, I tried turning the temp up at the end to crisp it , and that just doesn't do well. In the case of an electric with a 275 degree max, its a joke.
The aluminum one I mentioned above is too small for my needs today, so I'm askin'.....
Anyone know of a similar set-up in a larger size? It must have 4 adjustable air controls, and have a wide grill height adjustment range, something the old one did not have. Because of that, I don't think a barrel shape will work. I need a box or square shape with a very deep bottom to get enough separation between fire and meat when needed.
So, after the expected laughter subsides, feel free to lambast and holler at will. Thanks.
