GB
Chief Eating Officer
If it works for you then that is what counts!
Is Charcoal Really That Great?
- Thread starter thecactuswill
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Sephora
Washing Up
The beauty of a charcoal grill is it doesn't have to be expensive, just get the size you want. I bought mine for $20 on sale at WalMart and it cooks just as good as my dad's Webber. Would I prefer a Webber? Heck yeah! But I was not on that kind of budget and until this falls apart, I'm happy. I love my chimney for starting the charcoal too. No fuel taste.
karadekoolaid
Head Chef
thecactuswill said:
Ahhhh, cactus, my dear friend - that is where one begins to sink into culinary obscurity!! Just like a dear family member who puts the "roast" on when she goes to church ( 10am) and takes it out at 3...
Only pulling your leg!
I've a feeling that the "grill" has a lot to do with the local culture.
Anyone over here in Venezuela who cannot do a "parrilla" (Grill) is simply NOT considered a human being...
Having said that, I cringe at some of the things I've seen passing as a BBQ - DOUSE the flames with 4 cans of beer; whip the meat off the grill, toss water on the flames; wrap the meat in aluminium paper; gasp!!!
Charcoal rocks.It's a lot more fussy that a Weber grill; it's harder work; if you're the kind of person who just wants to chuck stuff on the grill and wait for an alarm bell - FORGET charcoal. You have to watch the grill and the food most of the time; you have to be ready to move stuff around on the grill, etc. if you're using charcoal. Emeril's tips have helped me a bunch - " the coals are ready when you can hold your open palm over the coals for 3 seconds and not get burnt". It works. Cooking on charcoal imparts an unforgettable flavour to what ever you are cooking.
Having used charcoal, dried fruit tree branches ( avocado, Guava, mango, apple, etc) I'd NEVER go back to anything else. Like going from a Jaguar to a Honda 50cc!!
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
hey gb, sorry, i've been meaning to respond to this. we're getting ready for football, so work keeps getting in the way of my time here. the noive o' dem.
the combination of wood ash and water creates lye, which will accelerate the rusting process. ayrton, you must use very little water and remove any remaining ash or ashey paste to be successful with it. just one chink in the paint, and you've got bare metal, and then rust. add lye, and it'll rust thru in no time.
if you want to save your charcoal, you just have to remove the oxygen. close up all vents on the grill and cover it tightly. it'll smoke itself out. you can toss in a piece of newspaper to help it out. it'll burn down a little more, but there should be coals left.
i've been in bad conditions in the mountains where we've really needed to preserve firewood and charcoal for cooking, so we put out the fire when it wasn't needed by smothering it with sandy soil. the coals will continue to smolder for some time, so you can restart a fire easily if you do it right. also, it's a good place to sleep on top of when it realy cold. i guess if you're really into it, you could smother the coals in your grill with play sand, then pick out the useable pieces, and reserve the sand to use again.
imo, as i've mentioned before, real hardwood lump charcoal is the way to go for cooking, if you can afford and/or obtain it. there is no comparison for flavor, and different woods will impart different flavors. aslo, it should be started with a chimney, not lighter fluid. the latter is always fun, but i can always taste it in the food, no matter how little was used.
i will resort to using briquette charcoal if that's all that's available, but i prefer lump hardwood.
and you don't need a fancy or expensive charcoal grill. i have some cheapo $40 walmart special, and it's worked fine now for about 5 years or so, in all conditions. i'm just careful to be vigilant removing old ashes, and not letting any water get inside.
here's a picture of my no-name cheapo grill, cooking a coupla pork tenderloins on a cold night.
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/7568/grillinginwinter4uy.jpg
the combination of wood ash and water creates lye, which will accelerate the rusting process. ayrton, you must use very little water and remove any remaining ash or ashey paste to be successful with it. just one chink in the paint, and you've got bare metal, and then rust. add lye, and it'll rust thru in no time.
if you want to save your charcoal, you just have to remove the oxygen. close up all vents on the grill and cover it tightly. it'll smoke itself out. you can toss in a piece of newspaper to help it out. it'll burn down a little more, but there should be coals left.
i've been in bad conditions in the mountains where we've really needed to preserve firewood and charcoal for cooking, so we put out the fire when it wasn't needed by smothering it with sandy soil. the coals will continue to smolder for some time, so you can restart a fire easily if you do it right. also, it's a good place to sleep on top of when it realy cold. i guess if you're really into it, you could smother the coals in your grill with play sand, then pick out the useable pieces, and reserve the sand to use again.
imo, as i've mentioned before, real hardwood lump charcoal is the way to go for cooking, if you can afford and/or obtain it. there is no comparison for flavor, and different woods will impart different flavors. aslo, it should be started with a chimney, not lighter fluid. the latter is always fun, but i can always taste it in the food, no matter how little was used.
i will resort to using briquette charcoal if that's all that's available, but i prefer lump hardwood.
and you don't need a fancy or expensive charcoal grill. i have some cheapo $40 walmart special, and it's worked fine now for about 5 years or so, in all conditions. i'm just careful to be vigilant removing old ashes, and not letting any water get inside.
here's a picture of my no-name cheapo grill, cooking a coupla pork tenderloins on a cold night.
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/7568/grillinginwinter4uy.jpg
Last edited:
ronjohn55
Head Chef
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2004
- Messages
- 2,080
MarionW
Senior Cook
I will chime in on this one.... Charcoal, by means of convenience, rules over a wood fire. A wood fire, burned to a bed of coals, rules. But given our fast paced society, we have little time for this unless planned. Here, we grill & we grill often. 98% of the time, it's over charcoal. Not meaning anything negative toward someone else's option, but gas is not a consideration at my home. It does not compare. This, of course has nothing to do with my choice of indoor appliances, which in the case with gas, is number 1.
Now, having said this, I will expound a bit more:
Cooking with coals, whether it be charcoal or wood, can and does involve many avenues. Grilling is one of them. But, let's not forget the world of breads, soups, cakes, etc, etc... I have done all with charcoal, but prefer to burn down a hickory fire.
Aside from my charcoal grill, I have a fire-pit in the yard, tri-pod, dutch ovens and the like. It's a big world. devour all you can.
Best regards,
Marion
Now, having said this, I will expound a bit more:
Cooking with coals, whether it be charcoal or wood, can and does involve many avenues. Grilling is one of them. But, let's not forget the world of breads, soups, cakes, etc, etc... I have done all with charcoal, but prefer to burn down a hickory fire.
Aside from my charcoal grill, I have a fire-pit in the yard, tri-pod, dutch ovens and the like. It's a big world. devour all you can.
Best regards,
Marion
ronjohn55
Head Chef
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2004
- Messages
- 2,080
MarionW said:
LOL!! I have to agree! We "kinda" grilled, "kinda" smoked some thick cut pork ribs (country style) this summer up at the cottage. We put the tripod over the campfire, added some northern Michigan wild cherry wood, and cooked them for about 4 hours. They disappeared in about 5 minutes!
Good Stuff!John
Last edited:
MarionW
Senior Cook
ronjohn55
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
good points marion.
as far as convenience goes, lump hardwood charcoal is available by the bag, just like briquette charcoal. it is more expensive, and is a little more difficult to control as is even burning briquettes. but as we've mentioned, the way to go if you can.
most surveys or tests say that lump burns longer, hotter, and more evenly. but in my experience, it burns out quicker because it burns hotter.
briquettes are manufactured, therefore would have less variation in the product, and would burn more evenly i would think.
the extra heat from lump is not a problem, tho. you just have to adjust for it. in fact, sometimes you really want a hot grill, and you just can't get that with briquettes.
here's a good link for lump charcoal info and comparisons: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm
and ronjohn, go back to your gaseous dark side. i've resisted the wife's attempts all summer to buy a propane grill.
even tho you promised the key to your cellar...
as far as convenience goes, lump hardwood charcoal is available by the bag, just like briquette charcoal. it is more expensive, and is a little more difficult to control as is even burning briquettes. but as we've mentioned, the way to go if you can.
most surveys or tests say that lump burns longer, hotter, and more evenly. but in my experience, it burns out quicker because it burns hotter.
briquettes are manufactured, therefore would have less variation in the product, and would burn more evenly i would think.
the extra heat from lump is not a problem, tho. you just have to adjust for it. in fact, sometimes you really want a hot grill, and you just can't get that with briquettes.
here's a good link for lump charcoal info and comparisons: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm
and ronjohn, go back to your gaseous dark side. i've resisted the wife's attempts all summer to buy a propane grill.
even tho you promised the key to your cellar...
MarionW
Senior Cook
ronjohn,
Might you be a fellow brewer, or even a fellow winemaker?
marion
Might you be a fellow brewer, or even a fellow winemaker?
marion
ronjohn55
Head Chef
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2004
- Messages
- 2,080
MarionW
Senior Cook
Ronjohn55
John, I started a thread in the beverage section. I'd appreciate your response.
Marion
John, I started a thread in the beverage section. I'd appreciate your response.
Marion
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
you've done your homework ronjohn. but alas, i've slipped thru the cracks so far. dw dragged me down to the store to buy that exact grill earlier in the summer, but my luck held out and they were temporarily out of stock.
i've been able to dodge the issue since then. mean old swamp witch.
i probably will submit and see what homey depot has after labor day. i know the grill i'd like, but i'll wait for a sale. sad times a comin'... (been watching a lot of blues on pbs )
i've been able to dodge the issue since then. mean old swamp witch.
i probably will submit and see what homey depot has after labor day. i know the grill i'd like, but i'll wait for a sale. sad times a comin'... (been watching a lot of blues on pbs
)
ronjohn55
Head Chef
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2004
- Messages
- 2,080
buckytom said:you've done your homework ronjohn. but alas, i've slipped thru the cracks so far. dw dragged me down to the store to buy that exact grill earlier in the summer, but my luck held out and they were temporarily out of stock.
i've been able to dodge the issue since then. mean old swamp witch.
i probably will submit and see what homey depot has after labor day. i know the grill i'd like, but i'll wait for a sale. sad times a comin'... (been watching a lot of blues on pbs
I know a place that has them on season's end close out right now, want me to let her know??
John
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
well, the saddest day of my grilling life is here.
when i'm off work tomorrow morning, i'm going to home depot and buying a charmglow grill.
gonna pick up some quickrete as well, to make a foundation for the new grill under the apple tree (and another by the fence for the garbage cans).
woe is me.
when i'm off work tomorrow morning, i'm going to home depot and buying a charmglow grill.
gonna pick up some quickrete as well, to make a foundation for the new grill under the apple tree (and another by the fence for the garbage cans).
woe is me.
<insert sarcasim>
I still love me some charcoal goodness.
ronjohn55
Head Chef
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2004
- Messages
- 2,080
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
lol, the breathing freaks out the neighbor's dog.
i'll take it.
i almost bought a grill this morning, but i talked my way out of it again.
i distracted her with bagels, and vacation plans to see "thomas the tank engine" in lancaster, pa. in a coupla weeks, and another trip to florida around thanksgiving. she forgot all about the grill.
i'll take it.
i almost bought a grill this morning, but i talked my way out of it again.
i distracted her with bagels, and vacation plans to see "thomas the tank engine" in lancaster, pa. in a coupla weeks, and another trip to florida around thanksgiving. she forgot all about the grill.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Tom:
You're gonna pay in the end. You know this, right?
You're gonna pay in the end. You know this, right?
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
yeah, but it's like cheating death. you know it's coming. you just have to have some fun before the bell tolls.
Similar threads
