Two Barrels Double the Fun

Tastebuds
BBQ
uses
a
gigantic
smoker
to
tantalize
tastebuds
at
big
events...
but
that
doesn't
mean
you
can't
join
in
on
the
fun!
Fairly easy to make, and excessively inexpensive, this double barrel rolling smoker was created in just a few hours of time. The barrels were on hand, as was the cast off rolling cart, and everything else was found at a wood stove shop. Quite a bit of welding is necessary, as is a little creative imagination, but what a conversation piece this little smoker is. The first barrel is welded to the cart, and each barrel is connected via the two short stovepipes that deliver smoke into the upper chamber. A single stovepipe with a cap releases the smoke at the top. We cut a simple door in the side of the bottom barrel through which sweet smelling hardwood can be loaded. The barrel plug is left in place in order to control the amount of air entering the fire chamber below- simply pull it off to increase airflow and therefore create a more intense fire. Watch your temperature gauge that has been neatly welded in place on the top barrel, and replace the plug when your heat is correct. We were amazed at how much control we had over the heat in this smoker, and how consistent the temperature remained. A large door was cut into the top barrel and a handle welded in place. We used heavy duty industrial grate flooring as our grill tray and welded pins in place to hold it steady. A nice hardwood shelf sits below the door to hold all the necessary supplies and provide a work surface for important tasks- like cutting cheese to sit atop newly smoked sausages coming off the grill. It is extremely important to use wood stove paint to finish off your smoker because the heat generated inside is substantial. Two dampers sit inside the connecting stovepipes to give us that precise heat control we mentioned earlier. If you click on the top photo and enlarge the image you can see their black decorative handles.

Our first run on this little smoker
cooked up sausages, barbecue chicken, and barbecue ribs. It was a veritable feast. We also roasted ears of sweet corn that had been soaked in water still in their husks. Brown sugar maple syrup baked beans with thick slices of bacon finished it all off, followed by new cantaloupes and watermelon from the garden.
Cleaning time is a snap. All the fats from cooking drip to the bottom of the barrel, as do the bits from scrubbing the grate with a wire brush, and can be neatly swept out. While all this was going on, one of our guests hopped atop our old Ford tractor attached to a mower and groomed nearly all the grass surrounding the house. That, my friends, you can't beat with a stick.

Guest Blogger Kristin Smith lives on an eleven acre farm in the Ohio River Valley and looks forward to Chef Greg Shapiro coming into town every year for the Country Living Fair.

An American Tradition

Like most American traditions,the one of Barbecue may have
originated somewhere else!
Barbecue has its earliest roots in "barbacoa", a Caribbean Taino word meaning sacred fire pit. Anyone who has had good barbecue would agree with this sentiment exactly. As with most great ideas, probably more than one clever human with a slab of tasty meat and a fire figured out the gist of BBQ. Australia and New Zealand have their "Barbie", South Africans their "Braai", Brazilians their "Churrasco", and Argentinians their "Asado". Most true connoisseurs of Barbecue will agree that the best tasting meat comes when cooking is accomplished indirectly over a sweet smelling hardwood at temperatures between 250 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Raising the topic of the correct method of Barbecue in the Southern United States may just get you a more heated conversation than one of both politics and religion put together. Things may go swimmingly in the conversation until the subject of sauce rises to the lips. Even the state of North Carolina cannot agree within its boundaries. The eastern portion of North Carolina prefers a vinegar based sauce, the center a mix of ketchup and vinegar, and the western portion a heavier ketchup base. South Carolina loves its barbecue any way they can get it, and they'll accept a mustard base sauce as well! Tennesseans agree with central North Carolinians in that they like a vinegar and ketchup base. Tennessee and Kentucky Barbecue may have a lot in common with those who ask for their sauce on the side, preferring to serve a dry rubbed and smoked meat separate from the sauce. The lucky person with that plate can dip their morsels daintily or throw their meat a life jacket! Alabama serves up a white sauce made from mayonnaise and vinegar that had its origins in the northern part of the state. We have that wondrous pulled pork sandwich because of Tennessee and North Carolina. We would be remiss if we didn't mention Maryland, who hot grills their meat and serves it rare with horseradish sauce, and Texas, who has four styles of their own Barbecue. Missouri gets in on American Barbecue in a big way with the hosting of "The World Series of Barbecue" each October. Interestingly enough, Florida is not one of the States often brought up in conversation when talking about Barbecue. We are, however, the closest state to the true origins of the custom in the Caribbean, which may explain why Florida is one of Barbecue's best kept secrets. Any Florida traveler worth their salt will tell you of secret Barbecue pits in every small town- only secret because most people do not know about them. One pretty popular place with the locals we know of serves their delicacy straight from a fire pit in the floor into a brown bag and straight out the door! Barbecue is something Tastebuds just loves doing. Never mind the heat of the smoker and the long watch that must be kept to be sure everything is progressing toward perfection- the smell of hickory and the promise of a perfect meal awaits us all.