Charcoal or Gas?

[oldtimer]

Keep your grates clean and put a very thin coating (you can rub it on with a rag) of peanut oil, just as you would cast iron cookware. No rust, and nicely seasoned.

[dkp]

Working 12 hour rotating shifts, I use my gas grill on work days or when I'm in a hurry. When I have the time it is definately charcoal time! Always remember to let your beef come to room temp. before grilling, never cut into beef,pork or chicken while cooking and lastly cover your meat after cooking and let rest for 5-10 minutes, so that the juices will re-distribute.

gonzp-Hmmm, never knew that about allowing the meat to come to room temperature prior to cooking. The 5-10 minute rule is probably one of those things that just comes naturally, as it generally takes a few minutes to get everyone around the table. Another good pointer that I picked up from my ex-brother-in-law is to cook the meat on one side for the vast majority of the cook time (I usually go with around 80% on one side) and then flipping for the last bit. This has increased the moisture content of the meat, especially with things like chicken breasts. (Yes, I used to be a "mad flipper!")

EDIT-anyone getting hungry???

-David

[damonrpayne]

Has anyone used the technique of putting layers of unlit charcoal down first and then dumping your lit charcoal on top of that, to keep the fire going long and slow? This is hard to do unless you have a chimney starter, no lighter fluid for this guy.

[iwillwalk]

this is my new toy

[iwillwalk]

just put xabout 3 sheets of newspaper in the bottom no more lighter  fluid or match lite, no more chemical taste 

if you you are serious about your griling then you need this

its like going from bose to klipsch....almost

[damonrpayne]

I've got that one, and the huge weber one home despot is selling right now.

I'ts amazing how few people know about these, not only does it eliminate the chemical taste but it starts the charcoal far faster and more evenly.

[iwillwalk]

wow that one is bigger.

another advantage is while your cooking you can make more coals at the same time

[mark1101]

I've got that one, and the huge weber one home despot is selling right now.

I'ts amazing how few people know about these, not only does it eliminate the chemical taste but it starts the charcoal far faster and more evenly.

This is the same one I have. Works great....no lighter fluid ever again. I also use a Weber.

[Saturn5]

I prefer the Big Green Egg. http://www.biggreenegg.com/ [H]

[iwillwalk]

the egg is cool but it looks it cost as much as a k-horn [:^)]

[Daddy Dee]

Damon,

I haven't compared the burn time of the lump to briquettes. That's interesting. I wouldn't think there'd be any significant differences between different brands of lump charcoal, assuming it's hardwood. Some briquettes do contain coal, yeh, bitumen coal. As long as your brickquettes say 100% hardwood I think your're good.

On getting charcoal to burn long, what you mention could work. I've seen some "S" shaped charcoal grates so that lit on one end it burns through the S shape and burns longer.

[J.4knee]

For gas I have one of these and love it:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100497391&N=10000003+503171+10401022&marketID=401&locStoreNum=8125

For now I use this for my smoker:

http://www.bbqgalore.com/smokers/misc/167133

But I want one of these smokers:

http://www.bbqgalore.com/smokers/misc/197822

And eventually want to get one of these for charcoal grilling:

http://www.bbqgalore.com/charcoal//168415

Ideally I want to set up an outdoor kitchen with the afore mentioned Gas/Charcoal units for grilling and smoking, and a wood fired brick oven.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

[theplummer]

the egg is cool but it looks it cost as much as a k-horn [:^)]

That's funny. But, have you seen the Weber "Ranch Grill". I'm thinking about one. Its a 1000 dollars, though. It's 54" diameter grilling surface. .... How does Tim Allen say it? "More Power!" argh, argh, argh.

[wstrickland1]

I have a TEC Patio II infrared gas grille and it is awesome. I do like charcoal but for steaks the TEC is amazing. It will sear unlike anything I have ever seen. Sear both sides crispy, crank it down after 3 minutes MAX on each side and finish cooking. The exterior is crunchy and you can eat the inside with a spoon. I did burn some food the first few times I used it but I got it now. It also does the really large chicken breast sort of the same way and the extreme searing locks in the juices. No more dried out chicken breast and no more 70 minute cooking times for them either.

Tangent => It just cracks me up that this forum software "bleeps out" words like bre*sts and pus*y (picky used the phrase pus*y footing in his tankless thread), yet it allows a word like damn.

Tom

tom, did you go on a cruise? How's the HT seats? I'm still contemplating man. I was really locked in to those AND the projector, now I'm wondering if it's a sign.

[iwillwalk]

i just got a grill, they were moving sunday

Bar B Chef SmokerPackage

sku 197822 used 3 times for $40 bucks

sure looks like that one .

i'll try to take a pic

[Daddy Dee]

Iwillwalk,

Nice cooker.

What's your new avatar pic. Looks cool. is that a Dodge?

[iwillwalk]

70 gtx

plymouth

own a 68 gtx just not in perfect shape

[Daddy Dee]

that is very cool.

[wstrickland1]

the egg is cool but it looks it cost as much as a k-horn [:^)]

That's funny. But, have you seen the Weber "Ranch Grill". I'm thinking about one. Its a 1000 dollars, though. It's 54" diameter grilling surface. .... How does Tim Allen say it? "More Power!" argh, argh, argh.

If you want "more power" check out the TEC. Like I said, those infrared burners put out the most intense heat I have ever seen in any grill bar none. Talk about stripes! You can make a steak look like one of those fake ones like you see on a display. Not that I'm saying infrared is the best, although I do like it alot, just that the raw cooking power is unbelievable.

[theplummer]

the egg is cool but it looks it cost as much as a k-horn [:^)]

That's funny. But, have you seen the Weber "Ranch Grill". I'm thinking about one. Its a 1000 dollars, though. It's 54" diameter grilling surface. .... How does Tim Allen say it? "More Power!" argh, argh, argh.

If you want "more power" check out the TEC. Like I said, those infrared burners put out the most intense heat I have ever seen in any grill bar none. Talk about stripes! You can make a steak look like one of those fake ones like you see on a display. Not that I'm saying infrared is the best, although I do like it alot, just that the raw cooking power is unbelievable.

I've been checking out those TEC burners and they are cool, But, I'm kind of a purist when it comes to BBQ. I got my dream grill was a wedding present 8 years ago. I got the Weber on a cart. it's a charcoal grill, but it has a small propane tank with burner built in for lighting the charcoal without starter. The only downside to a Weber is, Cooking surface area. I mostly use their "inderect heat" method of cooking (except steaks, which incidentally is why I'm looking at the TEC specifically for Beef cooking). That's why I'm eyeballing the Ranch grill. This thing is huge, I could finally cook the entire meal on the grill. I love to soak ear corn in the husk in water and place it on the grill, that's the cat's meow, but I don't have enough room to cook the meat when I do that.

I always said that the grill I have would be perfect if there were actually two webers mounted on the same cart, and forget about the charcoal bin.

I've been experimenting with adding a second cooking grate to my current grill. I took two bricks and broke them in half and placed them on the main cooking grate. (I would say placing 1/2 of a brick in each corner, but it's a round grill, it has no corners.) Then I placed another grill grate on top of the bricks. This way I can cook the meat on the lower grate (so the grease can drip into the bottom of the weber without dripping on the veggies. I then place the upper grate on top of the bricks and cook the corn, sliced potatoes with butter and cheese, carrots in butter, and grilled peppers and onions.

It don't get any better than that.

The ranch grill would eliminate the need for having to have two pairs of Channel lock pliers to remove the top grate to inspect the meat while cooking.