What’s on the grill/smoker today? 2021

[jfields]

But you burn that split wood down to charcoal before you use it so how does it make it different then using charcoal and relighting it? Once they are both ready the result is charcoal burning. Now if you mean you put the meat on while the wood is burning down I can see that making a difference. When I learned whole hog in North Carolina it was burn down the wood to coal. spread the coals in the pit, add more coals as needed not more wood on the coals. No side box. I've always thought of side box as space saving and not an improvement over full bed of coals. Mr. Fields is the expert here, I'm just a pretty good amateur.

One of those things where everyone has a different method I guess Ray. I've mostly always used lump charcoal and would always just add as needed. Before, that was widely available, I used briquettes, always being sure to get them all white in a separate container outside the cooker before adding to my cook so they wouldn't impart any off flavors. But, I have
always just added seasoned un-burned hickory, and apple wood chunks directly over the coals as needed to impart that smoke flavor. I like to remove the bark though. That seems to make it too strong sometimes in my opinion. I still do that with my BGE.

One of the last pigs I cooked was years ago and didn't turn out so well. Jeff @CigarStone and I got drunk as skunks the night before, and I/we got a way late start with a large crowd arriving that day. I tried to rush it, and was seriously hung over. My heart just wasn't in it. It was edible, but it wasn't anything to be proud of.

 

[CigarStone]

One of those things where everyone has a different method I guess Ray. I've mostly always used lump charcoal and would always just add as needed. Before, that was widely available, I used briquettes, always being sure to get them all white in a separate container outside the cooker before adding to my cook so they wouldn't impart any off flavors. But, I have
always just added seasoned un-burned hickory, and apple wood chunks directly over the coals as needed to impart that smoke flavor. I like to remove the bark though. That seems to make it too strong sometimes in my opinion. I still do that with my BGE.

One of the last pigs I cooked was years ago and didn't turn out so well. Jeff @CigarStone and I got drunk as skunks the night before, and I/we got a way late start with a large crowd arriving that day. I tried to rush it, and was seriously hung over. My heart just wasn't in it. It was edible, but it wasn't anything to be proud of.

All I can say is ... Y M C A