BBQ, Barbecue, Barbeque???  What exactly IS BBQ?

Barbeque is as much and art form as it is a cooking method, but it is not about the sauce at all.  My simple definition of BBQ is this:  A method of low and slow cooking that transforms a traditionally tough piece of meat into a smoky, tender, juicy delight using wood or charcoal as the heat source.

I do like sauce with my BBQ at times, but over the years, I've gotten into the habit of serving it on the side. 

Buy a Weber Kettle & a Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM)

• The Weber Kettle is the most versatile grilling / BBQ'n tool you can buy.  Direct heat, indirect heat, as a smoker...the Kettle may not hold enough Q to feed a baseball team, but you can use any cooking method your meat demands.
• I prefer the 22 in. One-Touch Kettle, but all the other Weber charcoal grills get my thumbs up too.
• Never clean your Weber grill. :-) You call it gunk, we call it seasoning.  If you find the urge to clean your Weber, it just means you are some psycho nutcase who should be trying to blow yourself up with a gas grill instead.  The only care your Weber should need for years is to just use a brass grill brush to clean the cooking grate and the occasional cleaning of the lid.
• For those who love to BBQ but don't want to spend a ton of money on a nice smoker that will let you get some sleep -- buy a Weber Smokey Mountain.  This amazing little smoker will run nearly untouched for well over 12 hours!

Practice, Practice, Practice!

• This has to be the most important tip, but simple.  If you don't BBQ often, you won't get any better at it.  This should not be considered a chore...grilling can be done in almost any weather, tastes better, and in most cases is healthier than pan frying or other "indoor" methods.  For those who think there's such a thing as "too cold to BBQ" -- WRONG!

Buy some books or read on-line

• The absolute BEST source of FREE information about BBQ and cooking can be found at The BBQ Forum .  I'm a top-10 poster since 2001
• Smoke 'N' Spice is a good book, but the times are off.  If you're Qing properly, you're going by meat temp anyway, not time. Buy it here - amazon.com
• I also love Dr. BBQ's new book, and have purchased Mike Mill's book as well.

Use Hardwood Charcoal and Wood Mix

• I prefer to use a 50/50 mix of wood and charcoal when I'm smoking a big cut of meat, occasionally using nearly 100% wood.  Steaks, brats, and other foods requiring direct heat are best laid over a bed of charcoal with a couple wood chips tossed in to make things exciting.
• I like using Steakhouse brand charcoal...you can find it for as little as $2.99/20 lb. on sale at Shop & Save...though it has been a long time since I've seen it on sale.  3/17/01
• Especially for smoking...make a secondary fire.  All charcoal and wood should be brought to light ash before being added to the smoker.
• Always use at least a little wood when grilling or smoking meat.

Heat Your Meat!

• Before cooking any large cut of meat (especially steaks), set the meat out long enough for it to come to room temperature.  This is especially important for beef, but applies to large cuts of pork as well.  Wrap the meat in saran wrap to retard airborne critters.  Never leave poultry out...before OR after the meal.