About Indirect Heat

When I moved to Texas in 1997, I had a Canadian's view of barbecue. That is, barbecue is cooking outside over a propane grill. Burgers. Hot dogs. Steak.

"That's not barbecue." my Texan friends would say. "That's grilling."

"Whatever."

My first real encounters with barbecue were at friends' homes and at the Goode Company Bbq in Houston. It turns out that smoked brisket is a beautiful thing. In Houston, I taught myself to cook, and won the heart of my wife as a result. But I didn't learn how to barbecue. I mean, barbecue is on every corner there, there's no point in learning how, you can get it anywhere for cheap.

But as best as I can tell, it's really not available outside of Texas (at least, not prepared anywhere near as well as they can in Texas). So when I moved to Baltimore in 2003, I had no choice but to learn how to smoke meat. These days, we're 3, living in southern California we've moved to Boston, and enjoying the easy availability of any kind of food you could possibly want to cook with lobsters, oysters and Italian cured meats.

One day, I found myself taking pictures of my home-cured, home-smoked bacon, and sharing them with friends and family (I mean, doesn't everybody do that?). It wasn't long after that Indirect Heat was born, focusing on barbecue and grilling, but about everything that I cook.



Finally, a note on pseudonyms:  I blog under a pseudonym, largely because when people Google my name, I'd rather they find my professional credentials, rather than learn of my adventures with ostrich eggs.  So let me introduce - I am Bbq Dude.  My wife, Mrs. Dude. And my son, Bbq Jr.

Welcome to Indirect Heat.