It's important to know how to build a bed of slow burning coals and you don't always have to use any type of starter fluid to get the fire going.
A chimney starter is the ideal tool for lighting charcoal.
It consists of a metal cylinder with a grate placed a few inches up from the bottom and a handle mounted on the side and is designed to effectively light the charcoal without using any lighter fluids.
To light charcoal using a chimney starter, turn the container upside down and stuff the bottom section (under the grate) with crumpled newspaper (one or two full sheets).
Be careful not to pack the paper in too tightly; over packed paper won't catch fire easily.
Turn the chimney starter right side up and load the cylinder with the required amount of charcoal.
Place the chimney on a *safe surface, lift slightly and light several corners of the newspaper.
The flame from the burning paper will go up through the stack lighting the charcoal sitting above.
Use this same procedure regardless of the amount of charcoal being used.
Allow the paper to completely burn out (a few minutes) and then check to be sure that the charcoal has caught fire.
If not, add one more sheet of crumpled newspaper to the bottom and relight.
The charcoal is ready when you see flames hitting the coals out of the top of the chimney and white corners and spots on the charcoal.
Depending on the amount of charcoal and wind conditions, the charcoal should have burned down to being grill ready after 15-20 minutes. Dump the coals in the grill and you're ready to go.
If you're interested in buying a chimney starter, look for a good solid stainless steel container that won't rust out on you.
*Not all surfaces are safe for lighting a chimney starter. Charcoal grates and fire-safe bricks are safe, but concrete surfaces are NOT safe. The heat from the fire can cause the aggregate in the concrete to explode, damaging the concrete and possibly causing personal injury.
Also see my post on the "Minion Method" to keep the charcoal going.
Showing posts with label charcoal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label charcoal. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
BBQ - INDIRECT GRILLING
Indirect grilling is designed to cook larger or tougher foods that would burn if direct grilled but I do the majority of my grilling indirect. I just like putting it on the grill and not having to watch it.
Indirect grilling is used to cook large pieces of meat, like pork shoulders and whole chickens. It's also used to cook tough cuts of meat, like brisket and ribs, that require long, slow cooking at a low or moderate temp.
To indirect grill on a charcoal grill, the charcoal is on 1 side of the grill and the meat is on the other. I always include a foil drip pan in my grill with water (and apple juice) to help put some moisture out there
I like my smoker to be like an outdoor oven so I keep the lid closed to hold in the heat as much as possible accept for mopping the meat, adding charcoal or whatever is necessary and then when I open the grill I will try to do everything at that time (mopping, adding charcoal etc.) so I don't have to keep opening the lid because that brings your temperature down.
You decide if you want to do direct or indirect grilling
There's a picture below of me firing up my little smokey joe to do a few pieces :)
Indirect grilling is used to cook large pieces of meat, like pork shoulders and whole chickens. It's also used to cook tough cuts of meat, like brisket and ribs, that require long, slow cooking at a low or moderate temp.
To indirect grill on a charcoal grill, the charcoal is on 1 side of the grill and the meat is on the other. I always include a foil drip pan in my grill with water (and apple juice) to help put some moisture out there
I like my smoker to be like an outdoor oven so I keep the lid closed to hold in the heat as much as possible accept for mopping the meat, adding charcoal or whatever is necessary and then when I open the grill I will try to do everything at that time (mopping, adding charcoal etc.) so I don't have to keep opening the lid because that brings your temperature down.
You decide if you want to do direct or indirect grilling
There's a picture below of me firing up my little smokey joe to do a few pieces :)
Saturday, June 18, 2011
BBQ - Charcoal Briquettes vs. Lump Hardwood
Lump Hardwood are pieces of wood pre-burned to create charcoal. They're all natural, no additives, burn hotter and faster than briquettes, add flavor to meats and are more expensive than briquettes
Briquettes are a convenient, inexpensive source of fuel. The general consensus is that briquettes tend to burn longer and more consistently than lump charcoal, but not quite as hot. The consistency of briquettes is due to the fact that they are an engineered product.
Briquettes often contain borax as a binder and nitrate to make them light. The key is to purchase only natural briquettes without additives. Read the label and know the ingredients that you prefer to either deal with or not.
I prefer lump charcoal over briquettes, food cooked with lump charcoal simply tastes better. Lump charcoal has a distinct, natural flavor whereas charcoal briquettes contain various types of "fillers" that are not naturally found in wood.
You make the choice
Briquettes are a convenient, inexpensive source of fuel. The general consensus is that briquettes tend to burn longer and more consistently than lump charcoal, but not quite as hot. The consistency of briquettes is due to the fact that they are an engineered product.
Briquettes often contain borax as a binder and nitrate to make them light. The key is to purchase only natural briquettes without additives. Read the label and know the ingredients that you prefer to either deal with or not.
I prefer lump charcoal over briquettes, food cooked with lump charcoal simply tastes better. Lump charcoal has a distinct, natural flavor whereas charcoal briquettes contain various types of "fillers" that are not naturally found in wood.
You make the choice
Thursday, June 9, 2011
WHAT IS BARBECUE?
Barbecue is a long, slow, indirect, low-heat method of cooking that uses smoldering logs, wood chunks, or charcoal to smoke-cook food. Cooking meat until it's tender and juicy.
Temperature around 225
use wood to add another layer of flavor
Meats are often rubbed with seasonings and/or marinated before cooking
Temperature around 225
use wood to add another layer of flavor
Meats are often rubbed with seasonings and/or marinated before cooking
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
BBQ - Memorial Day
Just ate dinner
A perfectly smoked steak,mixed greens (I personally picked and cooked; collard, turnips & mustards) and canned baked beans (I could have made them from scratch but don't eat enough of them to bother)
Everything was good. Ladies hope you're learning to grill.
A perfectly smoked steak,mixed greens (I personally picked and cooked; collard, turnips & mustards) and canned baked beans (I could have made them from scratch but don't eat enough of them to bother)
Everything was good. Ladies hope you're learning to grill.
BBQ - Kansas City Style Sauce
Kansas City style sauce is known for sweet and lowdown jazz music and great barbecue. This region's tomato-based sauce's signature element is that it's extra thick and spicy. This is due to the addition of molasses and sugar, both of which thicken the sauce and give it a nice, sweet taste. Vinegar is another key ingredient, which lends a particular flavor element. Many of the big brand sauces you'll find in mainstream grocery stores are more like Kansas City style sauce than other regions.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
BBQ - Kettle Grill charcoal strategy
Encirclement strategy. When cooking for long periods of time on a kettle grill the encirclement strategy is a great option. This method works by placing a ring of charcoal around the meat and allowing the fire just enough oxygen that it barely burns around the ring. It provides stable cooking temperature for as long as six hours and it cooks all sides of the meat evenly.
Place a stainles-steel bowl, with a 12 inch diameter in the of the kettle. Fill the bowl 1/2 way with water, seasoning and fuit juice. Create a C shaped ring of charcoal around the bowl, light the charcoal and once started fill the gap. When the charcoal turns white close the lid and begin the cooking process. Keep the grill dampers wide open until the desired temp is reached, then close all dampers 1/4 in per opening
Place a stainles-steel bowl, with a 12 inch diameter in the of the kettle. Fill the bowl 1/2 way with water, seasoning and fuit juice. Create a C shaped ring of charcoal around the bowl, light the charcoal and once started fill the gap. When the charcoal turns white close the lid and begin the cooking process. Keep the grill dampers wide open until the desired temp is reached, then close all dampers 1/4 in per opening
BBQ - Minion Method
The concept behind the Minion method is simple. Place a small number of lit coals on top of a pile of unlit briquettes and control your temperature by adjusting your vent(s). The lit coals will ignite the unlit coals slowly, allowing you to cook for long periods of time without having to add new coals as well as controlling your temperature since it is easier to bring a fire up to a certain temperature rather than try to bring it down. You really only want to use this method for slow and low cooking (225-300 degrees), not for 325-350 degree cooks.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
BBQ - When purchasing a gas or charcoal grill .....
Gas Grills
Gas grills come in many flavors, big, small, stainless, ones with side burners for pots, and many more. They are very easy to light, usually by the push of a button, and controlling heat on them is not a problem at all. With the simple turn of a dial, and you can cook food anywhere from 200 to 500 degrees. They use propane to fuel them, and a typical, full propane tank will supply enough fuel to cook many meals. The prices of gas grills typically range from $150.00 to $500.00, and even well up into the $1,000.00 dollar range.
When purchasing a gas grill, make sure that it has at least two burners so you can cook with indirect heat on one side of the grill if you choose to do so. Many seafood items, such as fish, require a low and slow method of cooking for certain recipes, and being able to light one side of the grill and cook on the other side will make it much easier on you to achieve the desired cooking temperature you are looking for.
Tips for Purchasing a Gas Grill
1. Make sure it has 2 burners
2. Sturdy Construction- When you lift the lid, the pit seems sturdy and not shaky
3. Know your price range, and know what you want to accomplish with the grill. Will you be cooking for lots of people, or will you be cooking for a few?
4. Top brands do produce very good pits, but shop around. Many cheaper brands produce very good quality grills too.
5. What kind of warranty does the pit have? Does the company pay for shipping if something breaks on the pit and you have to send it off to get it repaired, or even receive a new part?
Charcoal Grills
Charcoal grills are fueled by lump charcoal or charcoal briquettes. They grills are usually in the shape of a round kettle, but many other shapes of pits, such as squares and rectangles exist. Many people will only use charcoal grills because they believe a better taste is produced by using charcoal instead of gas. I will talk more about this later.
Charcoal grills can be priced anywhere from the small, $20 dollar Hibachi, to a typical $50.00 Weber, to an expensive, $450.00 kettle, which is usually pretty large. Normally, the $50.00 Weber grill is the best way to go because it has the surface area to cook lots of food, and Weber's usually last a very long time. I have used one for 4 years now, cooking 4-5 times a month on it, and it has not let me down yet.
When using a charcoal grill, the best and easiest way to light the grill is to use a charcoal starter. This will cut your pit heating time down by 15 minutes or so because the coals will be already be lit when you put them into the pit. I don't use lighter fluid anymore.
Adjusting the heat on a charcoal grill can be a bit of a challenge until you get used to your pit. After a while, you will understand the exact combination of closing dampers and adjusting the lid to produce the heat you want from your grill.
Tips for Purchasing a Charcoal Grill
1. What are your intentions for the grill? Are you cooking for many people, or a few?
2. Is the pit easy to move around?
3. How easy is it to clean?
4. What is your price range? Do some research on the internet to find out what grills are priced at now
What I've found is most store bought grills need adjustments or modifications.
Like I bought a water smoker and the charcoal pan didn't have holes in it so the charcoal would eventually smother. So I drilled some holes in the charcoal pan and it does a lot better
Gas grills come in many flavors, big, small, stainless, ones with side burners for pots, and many more. They are very easy to light, usually by the push of a button, and controlling heat on them is not a problem at all. With the simple turn of a dial, and you can cook food anywhere from 200 to 500 degrees. They use propane to fuel them, and a typical, full propane tank will supply enough fuel to cook many meals. The prices of gas grills typically range from $150.00 to $500.00, and even well up into the $1,000.00 dollar range.
When purchasing a gas grill, make sure that it has at least two burners so you can cook with indirect heat on one side of the grill if you choose to do so. Many seafood items, such as fish, require a low and slow method of cooking for certain recipes, and being able to light one side of the grill and cook on the other side will make it much easier on you to achieve the desired cooking temperature you are looking for.
Tips for Purchasing a Gas Grill
1. Make sure it has 2 burners
2. Sturdy Construction- When you lift the lid, the pit seems sturdy and not shaky
3. Know your price range, and know what you want to accomplish with the grill. Will you be cooking for lots of people, or will you be cooking for a few?
4. Top brands do produce very good pits, but shop around. Many cheaper brands produce very good quality grills too.
5. What kind of warranty does the pit have? Does the company pay for shipping if something breaks on the pit and you have to send it off to get it repaired, or even receive a new part?
Charcoal Grills
Charcoal grills are fueled by lump charcoal or charcoal briquettes. They grills are usually in the shape of a round kettle, but many other shapes of pits, such as squares and rectangles exist. Many people will only use charcoal grills because they believe a better taste is produced by using charcoal instead of gas. I will talk more about this later.
Charcoal grills can be priced anywhere from the small, $20 dollar Hibachi, to a typical $50.00 Weber, to an expensive, $450.00 kettle, which is usually pretty large. Normally, the $50.00 Weber grill is the best way to go because it has the surface area to cook lots of food, and Weber's usually last a very long time. I have used one for 4 years now, cooking 4-5 times a month on it, and it has not let me down yet.
When using a charcoal grill, the best and easiest way to light the grill is to use a charcoal starter. This will cut your pit heating time down by 15 minutes or so because the coals will be already be lit when you put them into the pit. I don't use lighter fluid anymore.
Adjusting the heat on a charcoal grill can be a bit of a challenge until you get used to your pit. After a while, you will understand the exact combination of closing dampers and adjusting the lid to produce the heat you want from your grill.
Tips for Purchasing a Charcoal Grill
1. What are your intentions for the grill? Are you cooking for many people, or a few?
2. Is the pit easy to move around?
3. How easy is it to clean?
4. What is your price range? Do some research on the internet to find out what grills are priced at now
What I've found is most store bought grills need adjustments or modifications.
Like I bought a water smoker and the charcoal pan didn't have holes in it so the charcoal would eventually smother. So I drilled some holes in the charcoal pan and it does a lot better
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Women and BBQ
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