Patent ID: 7270122

Claim:
A portable multi-purpose cooking apparatus comprising: a housing including a direct heat cooking area disposed on one side thereof and an indirect heat cooking area disposed on the other side thereof adjacent to the direct heat cooking area; at least one burner disposed in the direct heat cooking area and the indirect heat cooking area being free of any burner; a removable cooking pan located, in use, above the at least one burner in the direct heat cooking area; a food rack, comprising a grate including a plurality of rows of openings therein, located in the indirect heat cooking area for receiving food to be cooked by indirect heat in the indirect heat cooking area; a vent, positioned below the food rack and disposed in a side wall that partially defines the indirect heat cooking area and that is remote from said at least one burner, so that heat from the at least one burner passes over and under food being cooked in the indirect cooking area to escape through the vent; and a removable liquid pan physically interchangeable with said cooking pan and selectively positionable within said housing in a first position in said indirect heat cooking area below the vent and beneath the food rack and a second position in said direct heat cooking area when said cooking pan is removed, said liquid pan including solid side and bottom walls for holding liquid therein so that, when said liquid pan is positioned in the first position thereof in the indirect heat cooking area, the liquid pan contains liquid and the liquid contained in the liquid pan is heated and evaporates to provide moisture to food on the food rack being cooked in the indirect heat cooking area, and drippings from the food are captured in the liquid in the liquid pan and entrained in the evaporating liquid to help flavor the food, and so that, when said liquid pan is positioned in the second position thereof in the direct heat cooking area so as to be heated, in use, by the at least one burner, the liquid pan can hold water for steaming food in the direct heat cooking area and can hold a cooking liquid for assisting in cooking food contained in the liquid pan.