Barbecue, fire and smoke

To me barbecue is a bit of magic. Take a cheaper cut of meat, often fibrous and marbled with fat, place it on the grill grates for 8-10 hours, and out comes a succulent tasty piece of heaven. How is it done? That is one question I couldn’t leave unanswered. I started experimenting many years ago to fully understand. My first attempt was a beef tenderloin, smoked with juniper branches that I picked in the woods. I put the briquettes on one side of the grill and winged it pretty much. The result was quite good, and I kept on going.My first grill was a simple and cheap gas grill. It did have two burners though, so I could have two distinct heat zones. I used it for a few years before I switched to a Big Green Egg. I have since continued grilling on various models, and this year I built my own offset smoker. Regardless of equipment, just like in the indoor kitchen there are a few tips and techniques you should understand and master. If you know them, it doesn’t matter as much which grill