Barbecue grill

Claim 1

A grate for a barbecue grill, this grate to be positioned above a radiant heat source and to support food to be cooked by the heat therefrom, the food having a frying substance associated therewith, comprising: metal support assembly means for supporting the food and for supporting a substantial portion of the frying substance in a position contiguous to the food, said support assembly means including a plurality of parallel, spaced apart slats defining a plurality of minute slots between adjacent edges thereof, a continuous ring rigidly coupled to the bottom surface of each of said slats adjacent the ends of each of said slats, and a plurality of spaced apart parallel support rods rigidly coupled to the bottom surface of each of said slats extending perpendicular to said slats and rigidly coupled at their ends to the inside periphery of said ring; said slats each having a substantially flat top surface; and said minute slots each having a width much less than one-half the width of each of said slats, thereby allowing smoke from the radiant heat source to pass upwards into contact with the food on said support assembly means and allowing only a small portion of the frying substance to pass downwards through said support assembly means where it contacts the radiant heat source and forms the smoke, said width of said minute slots being fixed in dimension by the rigid coupling of said slats to said ring and said rods.