Contrary to myth, you need neither a bluetick hound nor a pickup truck to enjoy eating Southern barbecue. Nor need you drive down an unnamed road in rural Mississippi to find it.

Thanks to tireless proselytizing by the New England Barbecue Society and the presence of some talented pit masters in our midst, the land of the bean and the cod is now dotted with great joints serving meat cooked ever so slowly by the indirect heat of a smoky wood or charcoal fire. Greater Boston is blessed with a number of superb barbecue venues, but you won’t have to forsake a heap of pulled pork or a plate of burnt ends when you light out for the territory. Here’s a guide to some of New England’s smokiest grills. --Patricia Harris & David Lyon/Globe correspondents