Kingdaddy
Assistant Cook
After much research and wiki articles I was able to find some evidence as to the possible reason why many seem to prefer a charcoal grill over a Gas grill. LP Gas creates a large amount of water vapor when it ignites and creates what is known as “Wet heat” which is said to be a poor choice for cooking lean tender cuts of steak and should only be used for roasts and tougher cuts of meat that are often Braised or Stewed because of the amounts of collagen that needs to be broken down. Because of this I am guessing that the Maillard reaction is difficult at best to obtain with wet heat from a Gas Grill using direct open flame where the water vapor is directly exposed to the cooking surface (Wiki quote) “propane burns to form water and carbon dioxide”
The fact that many can’t tell the difference between Gas and Charcoal and why some serious outdoor cooks claim a better flavor with charcoal may be because of the following:
My guess as to why many can’t tell the difference has nothing to do with the charcoal flavor but has to do with the Maillard reaction and subsequent caramelization that is far easier to achieve with dry heat cooking. Most haven’t learned to properly sear a steak to begin with nor do they even know how and why to do it, so many of these tests are probably invalid if the test cooks don’t know any better. Personally I can tell a pronounced difference and more complex flavor and texture when the Maillard reaction has been properly achieved. The contrast between the crispy flavorful exterior and the tender juicy soft interior is what makes a great steak truly special and different. People don’t put enough stock into texture or maybe many are not that sensitive to texture but it has as much to do with taste as flavor, temperature, smell and looks do. As for the smoke flavor I don’t think it is all that pertinent since it is well known that smoking wood chips can be done on both types of grills and smoke flavor should overpower and obscure any hardwood lump charcoal flavoring which is also a smoke flavor.
This is probably why no top chef at any respectable restaurant will use a gas grill, most will pan sear and finish off in an oven, both of which are “Dry” heat. A charcoal grill will give you dry heat as well but the difficulties of heat control and the extra time of waiting on the coals to reach optimum temperature is more of a pain then most busy kitchens can afford. The only 4 star restaurant near me (The Mansion at Turtle Creek Dallas) uses of all things, a Hasty bake charcoal oven for their award winning steaks and their one of only a few top high rated restaurant that bother with charcoal at all.
So technically if you want the best prime cooked steak it will either be done on a stovetop and finished in the oven or on a charcoal grill with someone who really knows what their doing and how to sear properly. BTW, wide grate spacing makes it very difficult.
In addition, searing does not seal in the juices, that is a myth, in fact it does the opposite. Searing only tastes better because of the Maillard reaction. Achieving a juicer cut of steak is done by letting the meat set for a short period which will allow the juices that have moved to the middle of the meat redistribute throughout the meat evenly which keeps much of the juices from running out when it is cut.
Sorry I couldnt site the links that support my research, but the forum rules wont let me so I had to edit all of them out, and there were several good ones.
Also, thanks to the grill guru at the Grill Shoppe in Fort Worth for educating me on this, and getting me interested enough to study about this subject enough to find some supporting evidence on the Internet.
The fact that many can’t tell the difference between Gas and Charcoal and why some serious outdoor cooks claim a better flavor with charcoal may be because of the following:
My guess as to why many can’t tell the difference has nothing to do with the charcoal flavor but has to do with the Maillard reaction and subsequent caramelization that is far easier to achieve with dry heat cooking. Most haven’t learned to properly sear a steak to begin with nor do they even know how and why to do it, so many of these tests are probably invalid if the test cooks don’t know any better. Personally I can tell a pronounced difference and more complex flavor and texture when the Maillard reaction has been properly achieved. The contrast between the crispy flavorful exterior and the tender juicy soft interior is what makes a great steak truly special and different. People don’t put enough stock into texture or maybe many are not that sensitive to texture but it has as much to do with taste as flavor, temperature, smell and looks do. As for the smoke flavor I don’t think it is all that pertinent since it is well known that smoking wood chips can be done on both types of grills and smoke flavor should overpower and obscure any hardwood lump charcoal flavoring which is also a smoke flavor.
This is probably why no top chef at any respectable restaurant will use a gas grill, most will pan sear and finish off in an oven, both of which are “Dry” heat. A charcoal grill will give you dry heat as well but the difficulties of heat control and the extra time of waiting on the coals to reach optimum temperature is more of a pain then most busy kitchens can afford. The only 4 star restaurant near me (The Mansion at Turtle Creek Dallas) uses of all things, a Hasty bake charcoal oven for their award winning steaks and their one of only a few top high rated restaurant that bother with charcoal at all.
So technically if you want the best prime cooked steak it will either be done on a stovetop and finished in the oven or on a charcoal grill with someone who really knows what their doing and how to sear properly. BTW, wide grate spacing makes it very difficult.
In addition, searing does not seal in the juices, that is a myth, in fact it does the opposite. Searing only tastes better because of the Maillard reaction. Achieving a juicer cut of steak is done by letting the meat set for a short period which will allow the juices that have moved to the middle of the meat redistribute throughout the meat evenly which keeps much of the juices from running out when it is cut.
Sorry I couldnt site the links that support my research, but the forum rules wont let me so I had to edit all of them out, and there were several good ones.
Also, thanks to the grill guru at the Grill Shoppe in Fort Worth for educating me on this, and getting me interested enough to study about this subject enough to find some supporting evidence on the Internet.