SMOKER WITH TOP HEAT SOURCE

1 . A smoker for cooking and browning food comprising:

a. a cabinet comprising:

i. a top;

ii. a bottom;

iii. sides;

iv. a back; and

v. a front access door

b. at least one grill rack mounted in the cabinet and spaced between the top and the bottom of the cabinet;

c. a low temperature heat source mounted in the bottom of the cabinet;

d. a source of smoke generating material; and

e. a high temperature heat source mounted in the top of the cabinet.

2 . The smoker of claim 1 , wherein the at least one grill rack includes a top grill rack, and the high temperature heat source maintains a temperature of between 300° F. and 350° F. in a browning volume above the top grill rack.

3 . The smoker of claim 2 , wherein the high temperature heat source maintains a temperature between 300° F. and 500° F. in the browning volume.

4 . The smoker of claim 2 , wherein the smoker includes a rotisserie mounted in the browning volume.

5 . The smoker of claim 1 , wherein the smoker includes a controller that controls the low temperature heat source and the high-temperature heat source and implements a smoking mode and a browning mode,

wherein for the smoking mode, the controller:

a. controls the low temperature heat source to heat the smoker to a temperature between 60° F. and 350° F. and to maintain that temperature in the cabinet until the food has reached a predetermined internal temperature; and

b. controls the high-temperature heat source to heat the browning volume near the top of the cabinet to a temperature between 300° F. and 350° F. to brown the food on the top grill rack positioned within the browning volume thereby creating a bark outer surface on the food.

6 . The smoker of claim 5 , wherein the high temperature heat source maintains a temperature between 300° F. and 500° F. in the browning volume.

7 . A method of smoking a food product in a smoker, the smoker having an enclosed cabinet a bottom, the top, sides, a back, and an access door, having grill racks, including a top grill rack, spaced vertically within the cabinet, having a low temperature heat source at the bottom of the cabinet, and having a high temperature heat source at the top of the cabinet, the method comprising the steps of:

a. placing the food product on one of the grill racks of the smoker cabinet;

b. placing smoke generating material adjacent the low temperature heat source at the bottom of the cabinet;

c. controlling the low temperature heat source to maintain a temperature in the enclosed cabinet within a range of 60° F.-350° F. for a first time sufficient to raise an internal temperature of the food product to a first predetermined internal temperature;

d. when the internal temperature of the food product has reached the first predetermined internal temperature of the meat, controlling the high temperature heat source to maintain a temperature adjacent the top grill rack within a range 300° F.-350° F. within a browning volume defined by the top rack within the cabinet for a second time sufficient to brown outer surfaces of the food product.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the food product in the browning volume is rotated adjacent the high temperature heat source.