In the spirit of our post about building a grill from a flowerpot, here's a couple links to resources for smoking food at home. Incidentally, on the Chowhound discussion of our terra cotta grill, they caution that this should be used more for low-heat grilling and smoking. FYI.
If you've got some time on your hands and want to really thoroughly smoke some meat, as opposed to grilling it, there's plenty of options available to you. We like this one - instructions on building a smoker out of a trashcan. You can also smoke smaller things like quail on the stovetop. Anyone like to smoke their food? What do you use to do it? And check out this pic of a serious backyard setup...
I've always loved the smell and flavor of smoked foods, especially when I prepare them in the city. I think it adds a warm, rustic dimension to a dish. Since I have a balcony now, I've switched to a propane grill for convenience. I keep a bag of wood chunks by the grill and always place a couple right on the grill when I use it to add a little smoke. You can soak the chunks in water, add more of them and keep the lid down and heat low to duplicate a wood grill.
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I love my Big Green Egg! It's a very versatile system for direct/indirect grilling and smoking as well. precise temp control between low 100's and 850! degrees, small footprint, incredibly efficient in its charcoal use, and somewhat of a conversation piece for entertaining. Just don't buy it at Williams-Sonoma as they over-charge about 150 bucks for it. I got mine locally at Floribunda in Oswego - long drive from downtown, but great prices if youre ever out that way.
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