Gas or charcoal?
How do you weigh in on this question? Let’s face it, charcoal is great but gas is way more convenient. But, do you really want to sacrifice flavor, tradition, and authenticity for convenience? Don’t get me wrong, I love charcoal just as much as the next barbecuer… but, on a warm summer evening when you just get home from work and want to grill dinner what do you do? Read the article and make up your own mind.
Jul 29 2005 01:40 pm |
BBQ |
As an avid Barbecuer, I am of the firm belief that charcoal - lump charcoal to be precise - is the best method of outdoor cooking. As far as flavor goes, lump charcoal with a few extra pieces of cherry or other fruitwood, can’t be beat.
However, if you’ve just gotten home from work and want to whip up some burgers or dogs really quick, gas is your best bet. It’s a conveninence tool. It will not enhance the flavor of what you’re cooking.
So, in the end I think it comes down to time and desire. What is more important to you? Getting the grilling done fast or enjoying the pace of more traditional barbecue and grilling. Charcoal forces you to slow down and wait for the coals to be ready. It forces you to take some time out of your busy schedule and as a reward you get some fine tasting food!
Mule
Charcoal is the Best for BBQ
In the Philippines th best and natural way to cook BBQ is the use of “uling” charcoal unless of course you are in a hurry but the aroma of cook BBQ through charcoal is different from gas because sometimes the BBQ smell like gas too, although when you use charcoal some of the ashes of the charcoal goes to the food too. But
the taste of the BBQ using charcoal is more delicious than using the gas.
If you like the convince of gas and want the flavor of wood, get a bag of food grade wood pellets. Put them in a coffee can and put them on the side of the fire. Depending on the length of your cook you will impart some smoke flavor.
I think that everyone has to admit that charcoal is really the best. It is harder to work with for slow cooking, but if you can master temperature control - and have patience charcoal and wood will always give you the best flavor.
We live aboard a boat in our case charcoal AND gas are out of the question - at least at the dock, as they are simply not allowed. I have been an avid BBQr for years and when I moved aboard my boat I retired several beloved Webers and for the first year I lived without grilling - and cooking as my wife and I refitted our boats galley. At the begining of the summer this year - I decided for some reason that we should get an electric smoker. The marina allows electric grills - and though the smoker is technically probably not what they had in mind, they have let me use it for the entire summer.
I have used the smoker a couple of times a week all summer and I have to add to this conversation The electric water smoker. This thing is great - the temp is really easy to control the smoke flavor is great and it starts up as fast as a gas grill. It will do 4 chickens all at once(in about 6 hours), and filling the water pot with pineapple juice and ground chile powder only adds to the mix.
I am still a charcoal man - but I will always have one of these smokers around from now on - on or off the boat.
Bryce, you certainly added something interesting to this dialog… the electric smoker. My experience with electric smokers is basically none and in most BBQ circles they are hardly mentioned. You seem to enjoy your smoker, what brand did you get and why?
Thanks.
In spite of all the other comments saying charcoal is the best, I have to disagree. Gas is not only more convenient, but it’s also so much more controllable when you are cooking. I have a great Kenmore gas grill which has 3 separate burners, each with it’s own control and cooking grid. I use it to grill something about 3-4 times a week, summer or winter (and I live in Utah where winter grilling is a challenge). What I love most about my grill is the way you can lower the heat in one section while keeping it high in the other sections. I use that feature all the time.
Like your site, and I guess I am somewhat of a barbecue junkie myself.
How about the convenience of gas with the taste of wood. Check out a traeger grill and you will never go back. These grills are fast and food tastes better than anything else I have cooked on. My $600 weber now sits by the side of my house.
Andrew