Archive for June, 2009

Gas or Charcoal Grill

Grilled food tastes delicious.  And for some, grilling is a form of art. For others, it’s the perfect answer to an easy and quick meal.
 
A grill is a device used to cook food by applying heat directly from below.  Two varieties of grills are available to choose from: gas-fueled and charcoal-fueled. When buying a grill, some are faced with the big question of what to purchase, a gas or charcoal grill. Each has its own advantages.

A gas grill is by far the most popular. It has a portable firebox, fuelled by a refillable liquid profane tank. The gas burner is located at the bottom of the firebox. It is covered by ceramic briquettes or lava rocks.  These rocks absorb the heat of the flame and radiate heat up to the food.

A gas grill is used much more often because of its convenience. It offers a push-button ignition, quick preheating and a steady heat supply that is controlled with the simple turn of a knob.  It is the most convenient type of grill.  You just turn on the gas, select your temperature and start cooking. 

A gas grill can be simple with a single heating element, or some are more elaborate with multiple burners that allow you to regulate heat zones or temperatures while cooking. Higher-end gas grills have helpful features like side burners and rotisseries. The side burners allow you to cook pasta or rice or to prepare a sauce while you are grilling.  This feature allows you to stay by the grill, rather than go between the grill and your cooking stove.

Furthermore, a gas grill is clean, ready to use and adds less carbon product to the food than charcoal. There are no fires to stoke or ashes to empty.

On the other hand, a charcoal grill uses coals with a cooking grate (grill) above it.  The principal fuel is either natural lump charcoal or charcoal briquettes (compacted ground charcoal, coal dust, and starch).
 
Natural lump charcoal burns hotter, which means you use less. Briquettes produce more consistent heat, but many people feel charcoal gives a better flavor to grilled meal. 

A charcoal grill uses natural food fuels, since it is the wood smoke that infuses the meat with flavor.  Barbecue lovers will want to grill in a long, slow heating process. The coals—and the smoke they create—provide flavor that many barbecue enthusiasts swear by. That is the reason many people choose to buy and own charcoal grills.

A charcoal grill is also less expensive compared to a gas grill. A built-in charcoal grill is not as readily available as its gas counterpart, but the number keeps rising.  For the average family, many have opted to personally make their own charcoal grill at home.

However, there are also multi-fuel grills designed to use both gas and charcoal. So you can have two in one.  You can get the ease of gas while still being able to enjoy that charcoal flavor. 

As a whole, the more you plan to use your grill, the more you’ll enjoy the benefits of your gas grill. In a year of regular use, a gas grill pays for itself in dozens of saved hours even if you spend more than what you would for a charcoal grill.

Those who use it only during the summer or on outings may prefer charcoal.  The choice is yours to make depending what fits your personality. Investigate both options, read brochures and talk with friends or better yet, try out the grills and then decide which type of grill is right for you.

Charcoal Grill Smokers

Smoking means to slowly cook food indirectly in the presence of a fire. Smoking is the process of cooking or preserving food by exposing it to the smoke from burning lumps of wood or charcoal.
 
Smoking is sometimes referred to as “barbecuing” or “roasting”.  Meats and fish are the most common foods that are smoked.  Smoking is commonly done on a grill with hardwood or charcoal chips that produce smoke. Charcoal grill smokers give meat or fish a great flavor.

Charcoal grill smokers are designed to allow food to smoke under a control temperature. These grills have a steel box with vent holes at the top.  The box contains charcoal that is used to provide smoke. The lack of air inside the steel box produces smoke from the charcoal instead of fire that can often burn food.

Charcoal grill smokers have a two-box system: the fire box and the food box. The fire box is usually located under or at the side of the food box. As mentioned, heat can be controlled.  Heat and smoke that come from the fire box helps cook the meat or fish inside the food box.

Charcoal grill smokers are basically constructed of steel for years of use. The fire box which indirectly cooks the food through the heat it emits is a feature that makes these grills versatile. The fire box allows the charcoal to be placed in a side box or under box for easy refueling of charcoal and easy clean-up. The food box likewise is made of durable iron to retain the heat inside the box.

Some units come with an adjustable grate. By simply moving the ash catcher it allows more direct heat. Moving it downward restricts the heat from the grilling surface. The latter helps the process of slow cooking. They also have a built-in thermometer to measure the level of heat while cooking.

There are also a heavy-duty portable charcoal grill smokers. This is ideal if you are short of space, however it can be used for both small and large gatherings. This comes with a hinged side door to easily add fuel (charcoal and wood), and an ash pan to catch the debris and allow for easy clean up.

Furthermore, it usually also features wheels for easy mobility. Other charcoal grill smokers include two shelves, a warming rack and a built-in smoke stack.  There is also a removable ash pan for quick cleaning when you’re finished cooking.

It is said that flavor is not the only thing you get when you use the charcoal grill smoker; the process of slow cooking is also a feature that makes the meat tenderer than when grilling.

Experts say that slow cooking allows the natural fibers in meat to break down slowly, making it tender.  This is due to using the charcoal grill smoker, which is controlled by the cooking temperature.

Another benefit is that charcoal grill smokers use less charcoal. It is more convenient for some people because the less fuel that is used, the less the expense. 

Any type of wood can be mixed with the charcoal to create smoke. Smoke that is infused by a flavorful wood like hickory, or mesquite, or pecan or cherry also adds to the flavor and smell of the food.

Charcoal grill smokers are great for barbeque lovers. With all the benefits listed above, you can enjoy charcoal grilling and still have time to entertain your guests.

Hibachi Charcoal Grill

Hibachi is a Japanese term referring to a fire bowl used as heating device.  The traditional Japanese hibachi looks like a round cylindrical container, open at the top. It was designed to hold burning charcoal and to resist heat. In America, the term is used to describe a small cooking stove or grill heated by charcoal. History says that there have been many uses for the hibachi like being a heater, cigarette lighter and portable stove.

Because the hibachi grill is small in size, it has made it one of the most popular portable grills on the market today. Hibachi charcoal grill is an answer to grillers who wanted to save space or have little space at home, to use for camping, yet at the same time enjoy the taste of food as a result of charcoal grilling.

Hibachi charcoal grills vary according to sizes, shapes and features. Some have racks in which the height is adjustable. It allows you to adjust the closeness of the food to the heat.  Because of the direct heat it creates, it is best to grill small items of meat such as hamburgers.

Most hibachi charcoal grills allow you to make two levels of fire, a hot side and a not so hot side. It usually has a large cooking surface and you can put more charcoals on one side and less on the other side.  It gives you an advantage for great searing on the hot side at the same time you can just use the not so hot side for slow cooking or warming.

Usually, a hibachi charcoal grill is structured for kindling charcoal. It consists of two separate parts.  The first part is a shallow upstanding container for the charcoal that is open at the top while the bottom opening is covered by a grate where the charcoals are piled. The second part is a tapered upstanding kindling enclosure that is located below the container, which can be integrated or separated from the grill.

The kindling enclosure is open at the top and tapers outwardly from the top to the bottom with holes to allow air passage. The top portion fits to the bottom of the container. It allows the fire from the burning charcoal to flow upward through the holes at the bottom of the container and consequently ignites the charcoal on the grate. When charcoals are ignited and burning, the container can be removed from the kindling enclosure and allowed to stand on its legs.

 Some hibachi charcoal grills feature a bottom vent which can help you adjust the fire. The vent component allows the air to increase the heat of the fire.  On the other hand, the open top container allows a large amount of air that controls the fire’s heat.

The Hibachi charcoal grill also comes in a foldable and portable model that can easily be started using charcoal, which can also create a smoky effect. It has self cleaning grids and extinguisher. It is great for outdoor activities like camping, hunting, fishing and picnics.

However, there are also poorly made and cheaper hibachi charcoal grills that are easily prone to rust and falling apart. That is why you have to look for the better ones that are made of solid cast iron.

Charcoal Grill Recipes

Grill lovers passionately prefer charcoal grilling over gas grilling because charcoal provides a distinctive flavor in the food.

Charcoal grilling is used for quick or slow-cooking.  For quick grilling, the meat is placed directly over the hot charcoal. For slow cooking, food is seared over direct heat and then moved off of the direct heat where the food can finish cooking.

Pork, beef, chicken, fish and vegetables are turned into mouthwatering and delicious dishes when grilled.  Pork barbecue, pork tenderloins and pork chops are only a sample of what charcoal grilling can do.  Proper grilling allows the fat of the meat to melt away and a smoky taste to penetrate the meat. Tenderloins are at its best when they’re not overcooked.

Hamburgers, steaks, roasts and meatloaves all result in a delicious meal when they’re cooked on a charcoal grill.  Before putting the beef on the grill, you’ll want to add seasonings.  Beside steaks and ribs, hamburger is also another popular grilled beef.

Chicken quarters, breasts, halves, thighs and skewered strips are perfect chicken recipes for charcoal grilling. It is important to trim away first the excess fat from the chicken to prevent fire flare-ups.

Similarly, try to avoid brushing barbecue sauce on the meat at the beginning because the high level of sugar in the sauce can ignite the coals and cause the chicken to burn quickly. You should apply the sauce to the meat only when the cooking is almost finished.

Salmon, tuna, shrimp and lobsters are also perfect for charcoal grilling. Fish steaks or filets taste better when enhanced with smoke from your charcoal grill. Salmon on the other hand stands out when combined with strong seasonings.

Grilled tuna should be opaque but also soft on the inside when done. Overcooked tuna or fish can become dry and tough. Often, fish grilling requires metal baskets or foil to avoid the fish from falling apart. 

For other grilled seafood like shrimp, wait for the shells to turn pink, and lobster to be opaque in the center.

Charcoal grilling also brings out the best flavor in vegetables. The direct heat from the charcoal soaks in the flavor by cooking out the water.  The vegetable’s natural glucose becomes caramelized which then brings out the best taste in vegetables like mushrooms, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, onions and garlic.

Some vegetables like sweet potatoes are best grilled when wrapped in aluminum foil.

Blackening is a technique also used in charcoal grill recipes. Blackening the food seals the juices and flavor inside the meat, fish, chicken or vegetables while making the outside a peppery black crust.  The secret is to place a relatively thin, uniform piece of food into a very hot fire.

A good understanding of the basic techniques in charcoal grilling makes a simple recipe into a juicy, mouthwatering meal you will not want to trade with any stove cooked meal.