Real Men Have Gas... But they use wood and charcoal for grilling...

I've always fancied myself to be a decent cook. Nothing fancy or fru-fru, just good food. Over the years, I've become quite comfortable with the simple charcoal grill. I started grilling with a gas grill, but quickly figured out that gas grills suck. Charcoal is where it's at.

Along the way, I've grilled everything from steaks to chicken to pork chops. I regularly grill vegetables to go with the meat I'm cooking. I've even cooked bacon and pizza over a bed of coals. I like to eat, so it's only logical that I also like to cook.

Tomorrow I'm trying something new. I bought a pork butt that's about 8 lbs, and I'm going to grill / smoke that baby. I figure I'll get the coals ready, put them all on one side of the grill, add some wood chips (apple wood soaked overnight in water), and put the roast on the "cold" side of the grill for 7-9 hours, adding a few new coals to the grill every 30 or 45 minutes to maintain the temperature. If all goes well, we're having pulled pork this weekend. Of course, I can't let the grill burn all day without cooking a few other items. I have a rack of beef ribs already seasoned up and getting happy in the fridge that will also be put on the grill at some point. If that's not enough, we also pulled out about a 10 inch section of venison backstrap (the filet mignon of deer). The plan is to season it with a little salt and pepper, wrap with peppered bacon, and grill it also.

Can you tell that our 4th of July weekend is going to be centered around food?

Of course, there are other things in the works. I'm going to clean out the garage while I'm sort of stuck around the house tending the grill. It's long overdue. Hopefully I'll be able to get both cars back in there when I'm finished. Maybe I'll even manage to talk Shelly into tending the grill a little while so I can squeeze in a nap...

I'll dig out the camera tomorrow and snap a few pictures - maybe a before and after shot of both the meat and the garage.

I hope all of you guys have a great weekend and get to spend it with the folks you love.