Why Do I Cook With Wood?

I spend a lot of time cooking outside.  I also spend a lot of time talking with people about cooking food outside.  In fact, the only thing I love more than eating food cooked on the grill is sharing ideas, techniques, and stories with others about cooking with wood.  And in those conversations, many people ask the same questions.  "Wouldn't it just be easier to cook it in the oven?"  "Wouldn't it be quicker to cook on a gas grill?"  "Is it really necessary to cook everything on the grill?"

No, it's not necessary to cook everything on the grill but there are a couple of good reasons why I choose to cook most things on the grill.  First and foremost, I believe the food just tastes better. I find that the natural flavor that comes from wood is very appealing.  Does that mean that all food from my grill is super smoky in flavor?  Absolutely not.  Knowing when, how much, and what kind of smoke wood to add to your pile of hardwood lump charcoal is just as important as knowing what kind of seasoning works best with the dish you are creating.  The wood is part of the recipe.

Second, I like the challenge.  It is not easy getting a fire going and then manipulating the airflow through the cooker in order to dial it in to the perfect temperature.  It is something that takes a bit of practice but the more you grill, the better you know your cooker and can better achieve the exact temperature needed for the particular dish you are cooking.  

But even more than both of the previous reasons, I cook with wood because it takes time.  Cooking on the grill provides me with an excellent excuse to take a break from the rat race of life, stand on my back porch, enjoy a good beer, and create amazing food.  I truly believe that the greatest things in life take time.  If you don't invest time in your marriage, it will suck.  If you don't spend time with your kids, they will find other ways to spend their time.  If you don't set aside time to volunteer somewhere serving others, your life will be without meaning.  Food deserves our time too!

But I have failed.  I could come up with a hundred reasons why I haven't posted anything on this blog in well over a month; it's been cold,  it's been rainy, this is a busy time of year, it was getting dark too early; the list goes on and on.  But if I'm honest with myself I know the reason I haven't is because I haven't been intentional about making the time to do it.  It's that simple.

In the coming weeks I will be doing a better job of making time for the things that are important and for my family and me, food is one of those things.  I will be sharing with you the story of my wife's meatloaf and its journey from the microwave to the grill, I'm going to spend some time talking about hamburgers done the right way, and I will be cooking for a friend's birthday party and hope to get some great pictures of nachos, fajitas, and quesadillas on the grill.  I also have this little dream to soon begin selling my fajita seasoning, pork butt rub, rib rub, and house seasoning.  There's plenty of hoops to jump through before that happens but I'm going to try to get the ball rolling.

I am looking forward to a spring filled with the smell of smoke and good food and friends to share it with.  The Lowcountry really is an amazing place to live and am going to do everything possible to make time to enjoy it!