| Long before the advent of charcoal briquettes and | | | | food from direct heat and allows for a nice slow |
| propane people were cooking their meals over wood | | | | cooking temperature. |
| fueled fires. From the days of cave-men to less than | | | | The bullet style smoker is not actually a smoker but |
| one hundred years ago wood was the fuel of choice | | | | more of what is called a cold smoker or water |
| when it came to cooking. In this modern age we are | | | | smoker. They use a pan of water between the heat |
| constantly looking for a faster, cleaner and easier way | | | | source and the meat, thereby blocking any direct heat |
| to do everything, including preparing our meals. This has | | | | that would cause any overcooking. In a sense they are |
| led to the development of bigger accessory laden gas | | | | not really considered a barbecue because of the way |
| fueled grills lining the isles of home improvement stores | | | | they work. |
| and showing up in our backyards. | | | | The main chamber cooker is the third type of wood |
| But for the barbeque purists out there nothing tastes | | | | fired barbeque. These are barrel shaped and allow the |
| quite the same as preparing their favorite barbeque | | | | fire to be built off to one side with the meat offset |
| dish over a wood fired grill. | | | | from the wood allowing for an indirect cooking method. |
| Why is this? What could possibly work better then the | | | | You do need to be careful with how large of a fire |
| latest and greatest in barbecue technology? | | | | gets built because there is no physical separation |
| Depending on the type of wood used the "Grill-Master" | | | | between the heat source and the meat. The fire need |
| (that guy who hovers over the grill creating barbecue | | | | to be kept small and tended in a timely manner |
| master pieces) can create flavors in the meat, poultry | | | | throughout the cooking process. |
| or fish that just cannot be had over a more modern | | | | Of course all this is a moot point if you do not select |
| gas fueled grill. This flavor can further be adjusted just | | | | the right type of wood. For a wood fired barbecue |
| by the amount of wood used, how hot the fire is, and | | | | nothing works better than a fruit bearing hardwood |
| how much smoke the meat is allowed to marinate in. | | | | such as oak, hickory, pecan, maple apple and of |
| There are several types of wood fired barbeques on | | | | course from Texas mesquite. Do not use softwoods |
| the market today. They are sometimes referred to as | | | | or the wood from evergreens or conifers. Aside from |
| smoker grills. | | | | burning at a lower temperature they are loaded with |
| The offset firebox is the one most of us are used to | | | | sap which will leave a bad taste on anything you cook. |
| seeing. These come in all sizes, from small family sized | | | | Cooking meat over a wood fire has been something |
| units to large trailer born monsters capable of feeding | | | | humans have been doing for thousands of years. With |
| several hundred people. The distinguishing | | | | the newer and more modern wood barbecue |
| characteristic of the offset firebox is, well the offset | | | | smokers on the market today it is possible for just |
| firebox. Set off to the side and slightly below the main | | | | about anyone to enjoy real wood fired barbecue. |
| cooking chamber is the firebox. This separates the | | | | |