Can you have real barbecue without a smoker?

Those who know and understand how to create great barbecue also know that you just can’t get it without the aid of a great smoker. A smoker, basically, will cook at a slower pace, using lower cooking temperatures, and will surround the meat with smoke. The smoke will be infused back into the meat which will produce a tenderness and a flavor that is prized by barbecue aficionados everywhere. Your flavor can be enhanced by using woodchips that are flavored with such favorites as apple, mesquite, hickory, pear, oak and countless others.

• Cooking tougher cuts of beef or pork slowly within a smoker allows the tougher tissue, as well as the fat, to breakdown and return that sugar and moisture to the meat so that it becomes so juicy and tender that it will, quite literally, fall off the bone.
• Wood chips are a great additive to both charcoal and gas grills and many models have a special attachment or tray to hold the wood chips. Soaking the wood chips in water will prevent them from burning too quickly and will generate plenty of the smoke you are looking for. When using a charcoal grill, it is best to use natural lump coal as opposed to commercial briquettes. You will get a much slower burn without the chemical residue and taste.
• Perhaps the most popular and efficient smoker is the Kamado style grill and smoker. They were developed in Japan shortly after the end of World War Two by American soldiers. They refitted and redesigned the ceramic rice cookers they found into charcoal fueled grills and smokers. They brought them back home with them and they have become huge favorites when it comes to low temperature barbecue or high temperature grilling.
• The major advantage to the Kamado style grill is that its ceramic construction needs almost no maintenance and is durable enough to last for many years. Because of the air flow design, these units are capable of grilling at temperatures that can reach 750 degrees or they can slow smoke even the toughest side of beef and turn it into moist and delicious barbecue. In addition, using such high temperatures will also allow you to turn this grill into a pizza oven. All you need do is swap out the cooking grate for a pizza stone.
• While metal versions of the Kamado are available, they have a much higher maintenance factor and are quite prone to rusting. If you want the full versatility and range of the backyard cooking experience, the ceramic Kamado grill/smoker is impossible to beat regardless of what you are planning on cooking and serving.