Sometimes the hard way isn't the best way. Sometimes it's just hard. The goal is to have a delicious end result.
+1
My point is that the majority of us can't justify a $1000 BBQ rig. My $90 Webber would be a stretch for me right now. Though the price of living has continued to climb, I haven't had a pay raise, not even a c.o.l. raise in about 6 years, and don't see one coming any time soon. I can build a wood fire in the Webber, if I so choose. Charcoal is just easier to come by. The smoke still comes from local hardwood that has been laid over the charcoal. The charcoal is merely the heat source. And lets face it, whether it comes from the embers of a fire pit, charcoal, gas, or electricity, heat is heat. Flavor, texture, and moisture content, in other words, end-result, comes from the correct application of the correct amount of heat, and proper preparation of the food. I truly believe that if newspaper were my only fuel source, I could make some pretty decent food from it. It is after all, made from the same material as wood. I would simply need to control the burn rate, and ash movement.
Any kind of fire cooks by two methods, radiation, and convection. Cooking directly over hot coals, be they from charcoal, or wood, creates intense thermal radiation, and is the primary mechanism for transferring heat energy into the food. Typically, any fat drips onto the heat source, burns rapidly while creating smoke, and that smoke adds flavor to the food.
If I cover the coals with wood, I block the radiant heat and create an enclosed space of hot, moving air. The heat is transferred into the food by absorbing heat from the hot air, convection cooking. And as the wood smolders, it creates wood smoke, which has a completely different flavor than does fat-smoke. With either method, the smoke particulate deposits on the food, and flavors it.
I agree that mastering a fire pit is an art. You have to know what kind of wood to use for the flavor you want, and maintain temperature control as well. You also need to know how to prep the food, and what to do with it as it's cooking.
But if you think about it, using a Webber kettle involves those same challenges, but on a smaller scale. The trick is in knowing your tools. The Traeger grills, and electric smokers take some of the art out of the cooking process, but not all. They simply maintain a precise temperature for you. You still have to understand the cooking concepts to make them work, and give you the results you want.
I like my Webber because it is so versatile. I can use it in many different ways, to cook many different foods. I can't do that with a smoker, an expensive fire-pit rig, or a gas grill. And I know how to use it to get the results I want. I can make everthing from pizza, to kababs, to baked pies or smoked fish. And It's a durable tool that needs very little upkeep, and even works in sub-zero temperatures. For me, it just works. And if you get reviews from your friends and family like I do, why would I spend thousands of dollars on a offset pit smoker rig, when I can use that money to help my kids, or grandkids, or pay for a trip to visit them. The food that I prepare is very good, but is just another thing I can do to make life more enjoyable for those that I love.
Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
The first picture is of the pork roast. The others are just examples of good things cooked over charcoal. Enjoy.
