Soooo, how did you get your start?

rwalters

rwalters

Quintessential Chatty Farker
Joined
Jun 8, 2012
Messages
6,227
Reaction score
12,380
Points
0
Location
Columbia, TN
Would love to hear how everyone got their start into the wonderful world of outdoor cooking.

Was it a friend or family member that took you under their wing and got you up and running? Or is outdoor cooking something that you took an interest in, and kind of figured it out on your own? Oh yeah, and do you recall the first grill/smoker that you owned... what was it?

For me, I grew up in a wonderful family, but my dad fired up his gas grill maybe 7-8 times/year. Needless to say, it wasn't him that taught me to cook outdoors...lol! I've always loved food from the grill and/or smoker, but it wasn't very often that I got it growing up.

Met my wife in 93, got married in 94. I grew up in a family where 9/10 meals were homemade, my wifes family was closer to 1/10 meals being homemade.

Needless to say, my wife didn't really know how to cook when we first got married. I didn't know much either because I had never taken an interest in it.

After getting married, the first couple of years we didn't have 2 nickels to rub together, and ate pretty poorly... mostly canned/boxed quick meals. That got really old... but it continued until one day I ended up finding a Char-Griller charcoal grill on sale at Wal-Mart for next to nothing. Bought it and a bag of self lighting charcoal (didn't know any better). Didn't know a thing and messed up a good amount of food... BUT, that's what sparked my love and passion for outdoor cooking, and I slowly started to figure things out on my own (well before forums). That was over 25 years ago, and since then, my love for outdoor cooking has only grown. To me, it's a craft, an art, a hobby, a passion and highly therapeutic. I am no professional chef, but I sure do enjoy trying :)

So, what's your story?
 
I would say the seed was planted in 2006 but didn't blossom till 2008. My wife and I bought our first house in 2006 and I quickly realized I needed a grill so off to Home Depot for a 22in Weber Premium kettle.

Fast forward to 2008 and the recession and it saw me laid off for 1.5yrs. We made ends meet but with time on my hands this is where I really started dialing in my interest for Que. I had used plenty of gassers and electric grills in the past but this was the first real experience with live charcoal and wood that required a degree of skill.

I took to it like a duck in water. Lots of mistakes but it never discouraged me, only made me more interested. That old 22in Weber met an untimely demise from my son and a mini bike but I still have the lid. I don't know why I keep it, all bent, chipped,and rusted. I guess it's a token. Mile marker #1 of my journey.
 
I was always somewhat interested in outdoor cooking. I bought a gasser a few years back, but didn't use it that much or get really into it. I was actually just bored on a weekend about three years ago when I decided to drop $88 on a portable Masterbuilt propane smoker.

I used that little rascal for a few months then bought a Smoke Vault propane. I was reading forums and trying new things the whole time. Really got hooked and bought a Vision Kamado on clearance from Sam's. Since then I've picked up a Hunsaker, Pit Boss Copperhead, Lang 36, and a PK Grill. Cooking is now my primary hobby and one of the best sources for entertainment.
 
We didn't have a grill growing up so I wasn't brought up around grilled food much.

I got married in 1990 and it wasn't until we bought a house in 92 that I bought my first outdoor grill which was a hibachi. Someone later gave me a cheap Brinkman smoker that I used like a grill because I didn't know any better.

We eventually bought a cheap gas grill and used that for years.

We got divorced in 2004 and I later moved in with my fiancée in 2007 and that is where it really started with the purchase of a 22" Weber Kettle. From there it exploded with me buying an older Red Weber Performer and then an 18" WSM.

In 2016 I really went nuts after finding myself on various BBQ forums learning about cooking different things and the different smokers and grills out there and I went on a spending spree trying out different cookers.

These days I focus more on cooking different things than on getting new equipment.
 
My progression:
Middle school - my mother had an electric hibachi with a little toaster element thingy – burgers and dogs, mostly dogs, about all we could afford

High school – my dad taught me how to burn the crap out of chicken on his weber – this is where I discovered beer also

Moved out on my own and got a gasser – burgers, dogs, chicken and stepped up to an occasional steak

Many years of nothing but gassers until around 8- 10 years ago
finally my first pellet grill after another cheap gasser died, pellets couldn’t do grilling for crap

So I decided to build a santa maria pit cause I decided I wanted to cook with a real wood fire. While researching builds I found you farkers

It has been spiraling out of control ever since
 
I was the youngest of five kids. Grew up on a ranch. Mom cooked for 22 men. Most produce came from a huge garden. Most of the meat was wild game. Mom did all the baking including all the bread. We did not have a lot of money, but didn’t know it.
I helped cook, can, garden, dehydrate, bake, wash dishes what ever I could to help. Dad had built an out door grill out of cement block. We used that in the summertime. In the winter Dad had built an indoor fireplace we used for cooking.
My wife’s parents owned groceries stores. When we got married she had no idea how to cook. She fell in love with home made bread, biscuits and gravy, and believe it or not the wonderful taste of wild game.
Now I’m 65 headed for retirement, cooking takes my back home to the ranch. Sure beats the hell out of obsessing over the news.
 
I had always done grilling on a Weber Kettle or Gasser My father was a big Kettle fan My oldest son told my wife he thought I would be interested in smoking food so she got me a Chargriller offset First few cooks had a bitter taste but over time improved Then my son mentioned competitions When I did not say yes right away he told me to adjust my hem and pull up my panty hose We did a back yard in Yardley PA Did not do well so I went back the next day to see what we did wrong I connected with Tom Christine of Smokin' Dudes He had his son Bill talk to me and show me how to improve Did a few more cooks with the Chargriller and bought a Meadow Creek 120 Took some classes and did really well at New Holland Summerfest My team Back Porch BBQ is defunct and does not compete Sold my stick burner and my wife bought me a Large BGE for my 60th B Day Love the Egg for grilling and smoking Still use my gasser Bill lets me hook up with him when he does a Comp Thats my story And Oh I have a like new Extended Back Woods Party I want to sell
 
Started cooking (in doors) around the age of 12.
Starting cooking out doors around 16.
By the time I was early 20's. I had already gone thru 2-22" weber grills and a couple weber gassers. Never cared much for weber products after going thru 4.
On to bigger and better. Lots of modifications to make every cooker I purchased work better for me.
I have friends that are still using my modified cookers that they have had now since early 2000's.
Besides all the cookers I've modified/built since joining this group. :doh:

I was lucky enough to hook up with a few Brethren and do alot of cooks for our Veterans. No charge ever. All out of our pockets and donations.
Like quite a few other Brethren here do.
https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279233 :thumb:
 
My dad usually grilled a lot (mostly in the summer) on a gasser while I was growing up, and also would use a tripod to cook on when we went camping which was a lot. So I learned quite a bit that way as far as outdoor grilling is concerned.

I had a small little portable gas grill in college when my roommates and I lived in apartments/duplexes, so I would cook mostly burgers and brats and stuff like that a bunch (until one fateful day it caught on fire and damn near burned our whole apartment down...oops) even had a hand-me-down gas deep fryer that I would fire up from time to time.

Bought my house in 2008 and went from cheap gassers to an Akorn and better gassers via Craigslist. Then I got into smoking after having gone to a good BBQ restaurant and was hooked ever since. I didn't know any better, but started off with a cheap masterbuilt propane smoker, and it was great to start on and learn...made some good Q on that thing. Just wish I had more time to do it, but alas that's where I am now.
 
Growing up my family grilled several times a week, most of the time with charcoal. Once I got old enough I started helping out with cooking. I always liked smoked meats but no one in my family had a smoker. A coworker bought a weber smokey mountain cooker and brought some pulled pork he made into work. Not long after that I bought my own and used that for about 10 years.

I always was intrigued by offsets but thought it was too involved. Then about 4 years ago I found out about Aaron Franklin and started following his videos and book and started messing with a cheap offset smoker. Now I've got a 250 gallon offset smoker and I absolutely love cooking on it. It's a lot more work than the old WSM I had but I really enjoy the process. I still do a lot of grilling with charcoal as well.
 
Outdoors was burgers & dogs on a cheap ass charcoal grill at age 16. Indoors, cooked daily supper for the family after school, specialized in deserts at an early age. I actually had an Easy-Bake Oven as a kid. Almost attended culinary school instead of engineering, but no regrets on that.
 
Growing up none of my family hardly ever cooked on a grill. Maybe once a month at the most. So around 12 I started out cooking inside by doing "homemade" beanie weenies and mixing the cheese into my mom's boxed mac and cheese. I messed around with fry daddy's (deep fryers) until I was 27 years old.
Once I moved out 100% on my own one of my first purchases was a 4 burner propane Grill Master from Lowes in 2010. I still have this gasser. From there a few months later I bought a cheap Wal-Mart brand charcoal grill and maybe used it once. By the next grilling season the bottom of the grill had rusted out. So I decided to get me a little nicer grill and got my 22" Weber Kettle from Academy in 2012. I am a tight wad so I got caught several times trying to use as little charcoal as possible and it gave me headaches for several years. Tried to learn the 2 zone grilling technique and well it was at the least a work in progress.
Got married in 2014 and my FIL became my right hand grilling/cooking buddy. We are cooking partners on Sweet Heat BBQ. We started participating in a Dutch Oven cook-offs using only wooden coals in 2016. Then in 2018 we participated in a chicken cook-off, but all of our cooking was still either gas or charcoal. Then late 2018 I discovered the TV show BBQ Pitmasters. I was instantly hooked and couldn't watch enough of it. I was intrigued but really knew nothing about the smoking process. One day I decided to start googling smoking meat and I stumbled upon this website. Through y'alls advice and my research decided a WSM 22.5" was the cooker for me. My love and obsession with the smoking has only grown stronger and stronger over the last year. My skill has gotten some better too!
 
Growing up, everything grilled well done, fried, boiled -
Marriage Start was a Hibachi, Kingsford, Gulf Light, burgers dogs , brats, about once a month a good porterhouse seasoned with lemon pepper. Eventually bought a used HD Aluminum Cooker that resembles today’s PK Grill
Fast Forwar- Found a closeout Vermont Castings gasser at Home Depot
Then Bought a new never used Tiernan SOB 48 from a family that won in a raffle
(This began my love affair with Tiernan Cookers.
12 years ago got into smoking seriously.
Pit Barrel Cooker was what taught me to leave things alone and just let the cooker cook
Without counting guess Ive had 18-20 different cookers
I’m in the twilight of a mediocre cooking career and have downsized considerably.

“I love to smoke but prefer the taste of grilled “ describes my journey.
That and I should’ve..........never mind :grin:
Cheers
 
Cooked on a gas grill my whole life. That’s how my dad did it. Then I vacationed with my wife about 10 years ago in Gatlinburg, TN. They had a “park style” charcoal grill with the open front and adjustable grate. Fell in love! Bought a kettle on the way home and never looked back!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
outdoor kitchens
Replies
15
Views
681
Headgear
Headgear
T
New Backwoods Cabinet - How do I get more smoke flavor?
Replies
13
Views
790
snadamo
snadamo
W
New to The PK
Replies
16
Views
532
WeberWho
W
N
Cedar-smoked salmon last night. Not bad. Questions
Replies
9
Views
544
Big George's BBQ
Big George's BBQ
P
Browning ceramic grill newly acquired
Replies
6
Views
127
thirdeye
thirdeye
Back
Top