I'm curious about how and when you all got started grilling and
barbecuing?

In my own case, my folks would get ribs from a black beer joint a few
blocks away (Bruner's). Ocey cooked the ribs slow over smoke and sauced
them with his own KC-type sauce. I'd almost eat the bones they were so
good. I was just a grade schooler when my dad let me purchase my first
shallow tray-type of charcoal burner. I'd not cooked before, but
quickly learned how to cook burgers and steaks over the charcoal.

Later, my dad and a friend laid up a block/firebrick wood cooker out
back. It was made for grilling, unfortunately, but back in the 50's,
that's about all most people did there in my area. Following marriage,
there was a succession of grills, hooded grills and gas grills until
after a move to NC. Back then, ribs were preboiled and finished over
charcoal or gas, slathered with KC Masterpiece sauce. It was good and I
still do that today on occasions when we want nostalgia food.

With our move to NC, smoked, low and slow, meats were the hit, and after
a number of attempts, i laid up a smoker that worked like a charm using
preburn hardwoods. I also kept my gas grill and used it several times a
week for grilling. Ribs, butts and briskets were done low and slow,
however, and I played around a lot with rubs, mops and sauces.

Following a move to NV, where I cook outdoors almost every evening, I
move between a large gas grill with side burner and IR rotisserie, IR
char/rare grill and a Bradley smoker. If I were to do preburn, the fire
department would cite me, and the slight benefit from charcoal is offset
by the hassle of disposing of the ash and lighting the chimney. I've
found my Bradley, now fitted with a Pitboss digital controller to be an
ideal smoker for my quantity of meat, and low hassle factor.
--
Nonny

Nonnymus
A penny saved is obviously a
government oversight.