Old debate...Charcoal or gas for grilling?
 

I realize there is no definitive answer to this question that has been argued forever, it's completely subjective. I just thought it would be fun to ask you TFP food brethren what you prefer.

This thread was thought of because tonight was "my" first night of our beloved grilling season. My hubby and I love to cook together but for whatever reason, he cower's before the grill. We both love grilled meat, so I am left to be the "grill keeper" (really weak Ghostbuster's reference :rolleyes: ).

I personally prefer the taste of meat cooked over real fire (that is: charcoal). I have experienced charcoal most of my life but I had a built-in gas grill at a rental house a few years ago. I absolutely loved the convienience of it but it just didn't infuse the food with the smoky goodness I love.

I have to admit, much like some people love the smell of gas or skunk, I really like the smell and taste that's imparted to food from lighter fluid. Weird or not so much?

So let's hear it fellow griller's, what do you use and what do you prefer?

here in NYC... electric since that's all that is allowed on the balconies of all apartments.

of course I prefer charcoal, has a more nuanced flavor if you can get wood chips to burn with it. Otherwise, I don't care.

I stand chastened Cyn, I hadn't considered that aspect (should have, I rented for 17 1/2 yrs.). I'm curious, by electric do you mean something like a large Foreman grill? I can't seem to think of anything else beyond a hot plate..

Charcoal for the quick meats, i.e burgers and dogs, gas grill for the longer, slow cooks as it's easier to control the temperature.

I prefer mesquite charcoal, although it's a bit harder to maintain a proper temperature. Kingsford is shit; I don't use it. I've found that putting a few pieces of mesquite charcoal over the burners of a gas grill imparts a lot of flavor without hampering the convenience of gas.

"Real" fire is best, but for me the convenience of gas far outweighs the difference.

Propane all the way for me, strictly for convenience and temperature control. I use a smoker box to char mesquite chips, it helps impart some of the smoky flavor.

I'm probably moving to an apartment in a month or two, I'm also interested in hearing about these electric grills. If it heats lava rocks and I can put a smoker box on it I'm pretty much sold. Can't be more expensive to run than using propane cylinders from the gas station... $22 each, youch.

Well,

Known as the "goto man" around our little town when it comes to outdoor cooking, I use a number of fuels and techniques.

With the propane grill, I make a foil tray to lay water soaked wood chips in. Chips can either be hickory, pecan, or mesquite, depending on the meat I am cooking. Get the chips on the foil just as you light the burners to allow the grates to heat.

When I do fajita's (and the only way to do fajita's) is over a Kingsford based fire where I add heavily barked mesquite logs (easy to find here in Texas) to the coals once the Kingsford's have gray edges. I know some may not think well of Kingsford, but when used right, is the best charcoal (that is not "real" charcoal) in my opinion ("Kingsford" type of briquets are infused with coal.).

When we smoke pigs, briskets, sausage and jalapeno's, as we did a couple of weeks ago, I use Kingsford as a base fuel, and pecan as the smoking flavor. Pecan gives a sweeter flavor to the meat than hickory.

i use charcoal exclusively but with a charcoal chimney so as to avoid the lighter fluid flavor in my meat.

I have a Weber charcoal grill that is the bomb. In addition to the charcoal flavor, most gas grills just don't put out enough heat to get a decent char on the food, which to me is the whole point of grilling. There may be gas grills that put out the heat I want, I've only tried a few. I second noodle's suggestion of a chimney for starting the charcoal. Much, much easier than other methods, and no lighter fluid. I generally use the 'cowboy' natural lump charcoal they sell at lowes.

Now I want a steak. :-)

Absolutely.

In Canada I use natural gas exclusively. That said, you can get slow cooking and flavour by using smoke pouches (water soaked wood chips wrapped in tinfoil - the foil pouch sits on the heat and the meat doesn't - ie indirect heat).

I've always preferred gas with soaked chips for the control, convenience and no lighter fluid taste.

A good cookout (hot fire grilling or low fire & slow smoking) ain't about convenience, it's about hanging out with friends & family, having a few drinks, and eating good food. As you can tell, my vote is for charcoal. I also only use the chimney style starters.

Like others have mentioned, even the "biggest and best" gas grills I have cooked on (been forced to cook on) never got nearly as hot as a good bed of coals. Also, by using a relatively cheap thermometer on the dome of your charcoal cooker, and adjusting the vents, you can easily control the temperature of charcoal grills for long cooks. Yeah, it takes practice, but the results are worth it, IMHO.

Thats a good way when using gas to get a nice smoked flavor!!!

I dont actually have a preference but using charcoal gives me more of an outdoor feeling. I find it relaxing to close my eyes and take in the aroma!!

I am all about the convenience. The bbq I had in Toronto was just out my back door. Because it was natural gas, I could use it all year round. I just don't see myself coming home from work and lighting some charcoal in the dark when it's -10c. Natural gas gives me (close to) instant heat.

And when you are grilling on high heat, it really doesn't matter if you are using gas or wood or charcoal. The meat isn't on the grill long enough to get that much flavour from your heat source. It's only when you are slow grilling on low heat that it matters.

Neither.

Hickory, Maple, Oak, Peach, Maple, or Oak are the way to go. Charcoal is an okay second. Gas makes the meat taste wrong.

I have a charcoal grill (actually, two--a portable Weber Smokey Joe and a Weber Silver that stays on the patio). It's easy enough for me. I got quite good at getting it started last summer. I love to grill. Cooking outdoors is a favorite pleasure. One of my favorite things to make last summer was to take whatever we could find at the farmer's market, grill it with a little seasoning, and then wrap it up in a pita with tzatziki sauce and fresh cukes/heirloom tomatoes. Yum.

We're beginning to see asparagus here, and I'm looking forward to getting some from the farmer's market for grilling.

Utter nonsense.

I stand by what I say and I'll take a delicious tri-tip taste test to prove it!

I have a "Kingsford" Weber knock off I bought at Costco nearly 20 years ago. I rebuilt the stand before I sold my welder and put it in storage prior to moving down here because I just couldn't part with it. It's in a storage unit with some furniture from my grandmother and some paintings my dad did. In a fire I'm not sure which of the three I'd save first.

So for me the answer is Charcoal, usually with some wet wood chips added near the end of the grilling process.

Worked in a butcher shop when I was a kid. 100% of the smoked meat was done in a gas smoker. There was a small box that had a blower that blew the smoke thoough while the heat was on. The gas imparts no taste to the meat.

Next time you're in the bay area, I'll show you. I can pick out gas meat by it's flavor (at least on the outside).

I use a Holland grill for the consistancy. However I also use a heavy duty steel Brinkman smoker when I am in the mood for hours of smoking. The Holland grills at about 400 degrees with no flare ups. The Brinkman works quite well after drilling 5 or 6 exra holes in it. But I am still planning to purchase a Weber kettle. I have read so many good reviews about the Weber that I feel I must add it to my arsenal of grillery.

I agree with you. That crap they put in NG and propane to make it smell like rotten eggs. They add it to the odor free gas for safety reasons, so people can smell when they have a gas leak. I think it leaves a nasty, even if small, taste to the finished product.

Never, ever use lighter fluid. Buy a cylinder starter or just punch a bunch of holes at the bottom of a coffee can and put some paper, when wood chips and pile the charcoal on top of that and light the bottom.

Charcoal, I hate gas grill which my brother swears by. He simply doesn't want the cleanup. If I want convenient food I'll order delivery or get fast food. When I invite friends for a bbq, I want to hang and drink with them while we wait the two proper hours halfway decent bbq takes. I do not want to skimp because of a 2min. cleanup afterwards, nor do I EVER have a problem controlling temperature.

Then again, bbq is done different down south. If you invite someone for a BBQ and have burgers/hot dogs... you'll have a lot of people who won't come to your next BBQ. Those classify as Cookouts, there's nothing wrong with them... they're just not BBQ's.

Awww, comon. We yankees love to char our soy-dogs and organic corn with charcoal while drinking a light, organic beer at our cookouts! We've known about cookouts ever since that horrible movie a few years back.

Yeah what he said.

Indirect heat I might add.

Sorry, I'm with Charlatan on this one. the only thing that I liked about my charcoal hibachi (back in the day) was the smell of the freshly lit bbq lighter fluid.

these days I've been using my Weber propone BBQ, and it is so utterly convenient that I cook most of our meals that can be cooked on it all through the year. Lighting charcoal on those cold dark winter nights is almost impossible.

I do bacon on it as well, on Sunday mornings so as not to smell up the house. (I lay the strips out on a sheet of foil, and cook on low)

Actually, I am thinking of switching to natural gas as well, for ultra-high convenience.

And my tri-tip? After marinating in a dijon/teriyaki/olive oil sauce for 2 hours, then coated with peppercorns, salt & garlic prior to bbq-ing, there's little room for influence in flavour from the cooking medium.

I also use a smoker box, espeecially for such items as pulled pork picnic shoulder...


Ya I hear it is different down south. But around here, we bbq alot, and it is usually anything cooked on a bbq. Period.

***WARNING: BBQ SNOB COMMENT FORTHCOMING***

Truth be told, it doesn't matter what part of the country (USA) you are from, BARBECUE means, and always has meant, cooking larger or "lower quality" pieces of meat, using indirect heat, for long cooking times. By lower quality I mean historically less desirable cuts that would be tough when cooked quickly, like brisket, pork shoulder & ribs.

GRILLING is using direct heat to cook smaller, "higher quality" pieces of meat. Steaks, burgers, dogs, chicken breast are usually grilled.

People in the USA have been using the term 'barbecue' incorrectly to describe 'grilling' for so long that 'a barbecue' has come to mean anything cooked outdoors. But just because a majority of people do it, doesn't make it correct.

I don't mean to sound like a complete tool here, but sometimes it has to be done.

ya I hear you, and having been exposed to South Carolina barbecue a while back , have an appreciation for the distinction.

But, living in a country where a barbecue was an appliance sold for cooking outdoors, it's hard to dispense with over 40 years of use of the term.

For us, grilling is the use of a flat metal cook surface to cook large quantities of food. for example, the restaurant grills used at places like McDonalds (and every other restuaruant I'm sure). when I hear that you grill burgers & dogs, I shudder at the thought of fried, not BBQ burgers.

so... culturally, your "southern" interpretation is making some inroads here, but the pulled pork delicacy that I have been doing on my Weber (and in my oven, and in my slow cooker - with liquid smoke) is still a rarity and an oddity. Here, the word Barbecue for outdoor cooking reigns supreme.

What Leto said.

Charcoal.

If you go with gas, try a smoker box,
get chips of wood, soak it in water or for better results, wine or Jack Daniels, ( do not do the Jack, since I normally drink it instead)
then put the wet chips in smoker box in the grill, and cook your food.

if you go with Charcoal, anybody else use hardwood charcoals? they burn hotter, and give I think a better flavor.

I second(third....) we are talking grilling here mostly.

as an answer to some comments above, you can absolutly BBQ on a charcoal grill, as others have said INDIRECT HEAT.

just a few thoughts
I currently use a weber grill, but may add a gas to the arsenal for the convenience.

AMEN.

I didn't know that!:)


But for the OP - Charcoal for taste and feeling like a man in setting fire to stuff, Gas for speed and not being arsed to set fire to stuff.

To quote an LOLcat: Ur doin it wrong. Lighter fluid ruins the taste big time and it's also not fun the breathe in.

To properly light charcoal, you need to have it heat up in a charcoal chimney:

what a cool toy! One of the things we used, when I was younger, was a metal heating element on a wooden handle that you burried into the charcoal, and plugged in. It eventually (so I am told) lit the charcoal.


http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...-981429reg.jpg

But, the downside was that you didn't get that lovely lighter-fluid smell.. Ahhhh......

Real Hardwood Charcoal. It takes practice, you have to wait until after they get grey or it's too hot. It also helps to be able to adjust the grill rack as high or low as you can. You just can't beat the taste. (never use regular charcoal briquettes or starter fuel!!! POISON!!)

Reminds me of Home Alone.