Charcoal is often used to provide heat for the smoker.
There is a long-running battle between cookouts over the definition of barbecue. Each side claims that their method of preparation, whether smoking the food over firewood or grilling it over charcoal, is the proper method. In fact, grilling and smoking are just as different as roasting and grilling. The main difference between the two is that when grilling, the food is cooked over direct heat. With smoking, the heat source is indirect.
Charcoal grills can be used to cook ribs.
To clear up or confuse the issue, many people purchase a combination charcoal grill. This device comes in many shapes and styles and allows the chef to grill their steaks, ribs, chicken, fish and vegetables in any way they see fit. Think of the charcoal grill as a compromise between warring tribes and the barbecue version of the Treaty of Versailles. It is the perfect machine for grilling and smoking.
The cheapest type of charcoal grill, which starts at around $30 United States Dollars (USD), is often referred to as the “bullet” design. The body is a metal cylinder and the top is a rounded dome. Generally, inside the cylindrical body there are grill racks at the top, in the middle and near the bottom. Various metal pans are also included. These pans can serve a variety of uses.
If grilling is desired, a pan is filled with charcoal and placed on the middle rack. The food to be cooked is always on the top rack. The charcoal ignites, turns to glowing ash, and begins to roast. All you have to do is turn the food over from time to time and make sure the fat doesn’t drip onto the charcoal and catch fire.
To use the bullet style charcoal grill as a smoker, a pan filled with wood or wood chips is placed on the lower grill. The wood is burned white and a pan of water is placed on the middle grate. The pan prevents heat from reaching the food directly on the upper rack. As a bonus, the food takes on some of the flavor of the wood being burned. The cooking time when smoking on a charcoal grill is long, while the cooking time is relatively quick when grilling.
The other predominant type of charcoal grill has an offset combustion chamber and a horizontal cooking chamber. The firing process is the same as the bullet version, but the layout is slightly different. For smoking, the wood is loaded into the plywood oven, which is located at one end and slightly below the main cylinder. The wood burns and the heat and smoke enter the main cylinder through a cut or hole. Raw food, placed on a cooking grate that runs the length of the horizontal chamber, is slowly cooked to a temperature of about 225 degrees Fahrenheit (107 degrees Celsius).
This machine easily doubles as a grill. Charcoal is placed at the bottom of the cylinder itself, set on fire and allowed to burn. The food is then placed on the horizontal rack. This type of charcoal grill is a bit more expensive than the bullet model. Prices generally start at around $100, but large versions, costing up to $20,000 and up, are available for commercial use.