Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Best Way To Cook With Charcoal

By Michael G. Burbaker


If you want to cook some food on a charcoal grill, it can you'll have to spend some time preparing it. Most beginning grillers use propane, but charcoal has been making a comeback lately. If you have a well-developed palate, you can definitely tell the difference between the methods of cooking. Most barbecue fans like charcoal because of the extra flavors absorbed by the meat.

The hardest aspect of cooking with charcoal is starting the coals. Most folks are aware of the old method of adding starter fluid. However, this method has been superceded by a new one that is much better: the Weber charcoal chimney. This is a straightforward and reliable means of starting your coals. The charcoal chimney is a metal can with a diameter of about eight inches. To use it place a few pieces of newspaper in the bottom, add your coals to the brim, then light the starter paper. In about ten minutes minutes your coals will be all hot and ready to use.

How do you know when the coals are ready? The ideal method is to wait until all of your coals have turned white on the surface. This means the coal briquettes are radiating heat at their maximum capacity. If you add the coals to your grill too soon, the coals will still be increasing in temperature while you're cooking. This is to be avoided, since you want total control of the grill's heat.

Control of the temp on a grill that uses charcoal comes down to a fe things. First of all, you should know how to work the vents properly. Vents that are closed will keep the heat in, while open vents will let let the heat out. Secondly, you can move the coals around to concentrate the heat on one part of the grill surface. This can be ideal if you have food of varying thickness. Certain grills, like the one that comes on the the Weber Q320, have hinges on the side. This features gives the cook access to the coals at the same time you are grilling. If you don't have the hinged grate, then you must lift up the entire grilling surface for access the coals. That's not a good idea with food on the grill, so you should get your coals arranged properly prior to beginning cooking.

Thus, the most important part of charcoal barbecue is preparing your coals properly. If you let them get to their maximum temperature prior to adding your food, you'll have the ability to control the temperature. When done correctly, cooking with charcoal can result in some great meals that have a better taste than meals produced by a gas grill.




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