I grew up in a house where overcooked meats were the norm. We'd eat hamburgers and hotdogs that were charred beyond recognition and call it barbecuing. When I'd go to a restaurant I'd order my steak well done (I'm so ashamed to admit that now).

As a missionary I ate steak one night at a Argentinian's house...that guy could flat cook. I remember eating that first bite of perfectly cooked steak with my eyes half shut, waiting for the grossness of pinkish undercooked meat to set in. It never came. What I tasted instead was the most deliciously tender and flavorful bite of steak I'd ever tasted. Since that time I've been on a quest to perfect my grilling technique.

The love for delicious meats led me last year to purchase a smoker. One of the best decisions I've ever made. In the last year I've probably smoked 6 briskets, a dozen pork butts, and countless racks of ribs. Every time it turns out better than I can buy at our local bbq spot. What's not to love about that.