I am pedantic enough to insist on the use of “BBQ” or “barbecue” in one cooking situation, and grilling in another. Barbecue connotes low heat, judicious application of smoke, extended cooking times. Grilling, on the other hand, means higher heat and shorter cook times. Here, the smoke flavor comes from the charcoal only. But the lines do blur.

Sunday was baby back ribs, once again, on the Weber Bullet smoker. I used Kingsford briquettes, a bit of rub, and cherry and apple woods. They took about five hours and came out great. I always use the Minion Method for ribs; it’s yielded reliable and delicious results.

Monday found the smoker fired up again, this time sans the water pan. This method, which I’ve also used to great success in making beer can chicken, uses a lot of charcoal to fashion a kind of pit barrel grill. The drums I cooked today took about an hour, and that’s about the same for a whole bird. The smoker only gets up around 325 degrees on a good day, so it still takes some time. Again: very good.