My family owns an oil company in South Texas. 35 years ago my Dad's employees built him a barrel pit. Inch and a half thick. 12 feel long. Smoke stack, fire box, trailer mounted, the works for 1986. Built it like a fvcking tank. Double axel. I get that bad boy hot and it STAYS hot. Some of the best meals I've ever cooked in my life are on that pit. I've done a whole piglet, stitched up with an apple in his mouth. Briskets by the tonne. Pheasant like you wouldn't believe. Quail that literally makes folks faint. Dove poppers by the thousands. Steaks of every cut--- Every size. Cabrito, racks of lamb. Mountain oysters. And chingos of fajitas. But what I REALLY love smoking, is shell fish. Whole crabs and lobsters, especially king crabs. My dear God in heaven. Now my mom, she loves the 12 count Goliath prawn smoked over that sucker with lemon and garlic butter. My mother will knock you smooth the fvck out if you touch her shrimp or prawn without her say so. I was cooking them one weekend and I pulled one off the grill, popped its head off to test it, and she saw me do it through the kitchen window..... she shot me the death ray eye. Those were HER prawn. I'm lucky to be alive.