What’s better on a lazy Sunday than roasting a chicken over hot coals or searing prime steaks and smashburgers on a wood-fired plancha? Sure, gas grills offer convenience, but they can’t match the flavor and sizzle of cooking over a live fire. Building and tending a fire requires diligence and patience, but the rewards are immense. On weekends — or any time you can focus on your cooking — a charcoal grill reigns supreme.

For barbecue enthusiasts eager to elevate their grilling game, the Hooray Grill Company’s Hurtado Smokebox is the way to go. It’s possibly the most versatile and well-crafted smoker-grill combo on the market. Well-regarded local pitmaster Brandon Hurtado, owner of Hurtado Barbecue in Arlington and Fort Worth, and Brett Swartzendruber, owner of Kansas-based Hooray Grill Company, collaborated on the design and construction. “I’ve cooked everything from briskets to ribs on this, and it’s one of my favorite ways to cook,” says Hurtado, whose Tex-Mex BBQ cookbook, “Barbacoa,” is set to publish next spring.

The Hurtado Smokebox feels like it was handcrafted in a garage shop by a team who took a break from building a rocket ship to create their dream smoker. With top-quality welds and heavy-gauge steel, it delivers super-efficient charcoal and heat management. The rigid, insulated box allows smoke to roll evenly for optimal flavor.

Even more impressive is its versatility. Whether you’re slow-smoking a brisket or charring thick steaks over an open-fire grill, this grill excels. We loved how easy it was to cook chicken and ribs for lunch then slow-roast porchetta for dinner using the add-on rotisserie attachment. Slowly spun over hot coals for a few hours, the pork belly rubbed with herbs and garlic could rival one at any trattoria in Tuscany.

Accessories like that rotisserie, adjustable heat deflectors, a removable water pan to fine-tune long cooks, a steel plancha, a second cooking shelf and drop-down side tables expand your culinary options. Detachable S-hooks for utensils, sturdy caster wheels and tie-down points add functionality and easy transport.

Thanks to Hurtado’s connections with the Texas Rangers (he sells Hurtado barbecue inside the stadium), these 250-pound smokers have found homes among several MLB players. Even baseball great Pudge Rodriguez is a fan.

When Hurtado and Swartzendruber set out to create a best-in-class smoker-grill combo, they aimed to build one of the most functional and versatile backyard BBQ pits in the game. We think they’ve succeeded.