Charcoal Grill Help Needed

S

Shann

Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
5,250
I figure some of you guys are experts at handling the charcoal grill:)

I'm becoming a Luddite but only because I have the knack that if something can be broken or not work, I will break it, not because I'm rejecting "modern" way. (Any power equipment, chainsaws, lawnmowers, trimmers, etc. They never work when I need them to, or require a half hour of tinkering to get going, and I'm not talking about junk here either.) The latest casualty is my gas grill. It didn't work, then I got it working, but now it doesn't heat up hot, I'm sure its just a clog somewhere, but I'm really tired of having to fiddle with it all the time.

I ordered a Weber kettle grill. I know that charcoal takes a while to heat up, but if you have charcoal and a lighter, you know it will work. I need tips on how to use the thing (not recipes although I'd take those too). How can you regulate temperature, how long stuff takes to cook, etc. I can cook a steak I know, but what do you do when cooking chicken, etc. Do you use a thermometer and what kind holds up good?

Thanks guys.
 
Wow! Where to start. First off, good call on the Weber. I love mine. I don't think I'll ever own anything else. Plus, it looks like a WWII mine minus the spikes.

I use Kingsford briquettes and have found they work better than any other brand for me. With charcoal, like anything else, you get what you pay for.

Get yourself one of those chimney lighters, or make one by cutting out the bottom of a large coffee can and using a church key to poke in a few air holes around the bottom. A few sheets of nespaper crumpled up in the bottom will start your charcoal without that awful lighter fluid taste.

Temperature regulation with the Weber can be achieved in a variety of ways. There's a vent on the bottom of the unit and one in the lid to control air flow. You can also place the briquettes in various configurations for different foods.
 
I am certainly no expert on grilling, but I manage to get most things off of mine (also charcoal) in an edible condition.

The Weber website has a "Recipes and Tips" section which may be helpful:

http://www.weber.com/bbq/pub/recipe/

Happy Grilling!

(Give me a shout when the food is on the table and the beer has been poured.) :)

Eric
 
You are in for it now! The food will be so good you will be stuck cooking all year long!
Anyway, I agree with the charcoal chimney idea. Good one.
The Weber grill site tips are good, but I have never been quite that sophisticated and my food comes out really good.
To regulate temperature, it is something that you learn by experience. I do it by the amount of briquettes I put in the grill. If I want it hot, lots of charcoal. If I want a slow fire, not so much charcoal. Any meat thermometer will work to test the meat, any OVEN thermometer will work to put in the grill and get an idea how hot it is.
You can experiment with natural charcoal. I really like it. Also, smoking chips are great, and with a Weber you can really get the smoke flavor in the meat. Try Hickory for burgers, and Sneaky Peat for chicken. You can get sneaky peat at www.sneakypeat.com and it is fantastic.
Good luck with the grill, you are going to love it!
 
Yep, good call on the Weber.

I have a Weber Go Anywhere grill, but the principle is the same with round grills.

For quick meals (direct method): 6-25 mins:
1. Wait until your briquettes are grey and you can't hold your hand 2-4 seconds over them without you hand burning.
2. Put on the meat and turn once only.

For slow meals (indirect method): 26-120 mins:
1. Wait until your briquettes are grey and place them on either side of the grill leaving an empty space in the middle.
2. Put on the meat and turn once only.
3. Put the lid on and let the circulated heat cook the food.

p.s Cooked a whole chicken this evening using the indirect method. 1h:45m from start to finish. :thumbup:
 
Just be sure to get the color you want, because it will be in your life until you die. If not longer. :)
I barbecue (low and slow) using the indirect method all year 'round even in the garage when it's cold out. Get a bag of hickory chips, a pair of charcoal rails, a long pair of charcoal tongs, and some disposable drip pans, When the coals are ready, move them to the sides using the rails to hold them in place, put a drip pan in the center, pile some wet woodchips on the coals and add some liquid to the pan. Put on the grill and place your meat over the pan to catch the drippings. The pans can be re-used until they get too full to handle easily. Ribs, skinless chicken leg quarters or whole, pork roasts, beef brisket and small turkeys are some of my favorites. I wish mine had a thermometer in the lid, but it was made about 1970, before such things were invented. Don't let it get too hot, and keep some liquid in the pan to prevent drying out the meat. Don't rush it. It takes about 2 hours or more to do decent barbecue. Remember the difference between grilling (hot and quick) and barbecue (low and slow) is vital.
Good topic, thanks....
 
You can burn wood in Webers. Newspaper, twigs, some thicker sticks, and some chunksawood, light, leave (a watched fire never starts, come back and add some more wood chunks, cover and make quicky hot-dogs, brats, burgers. Also gets rid of some of the khukuri evidence.

Do NOT leave or start watching the news on TV, cuz the sumagun burns hotter once the grease splatters on the wood. Charring is a taste enhancer. Apple wood is good:).

I have a truly tired Smokey Joe, the tripod legs long rusted off, perched precariously on what was once a wok ring. Some summer nights I'll set it up on the hill, away from the yard light, make a wood fire, brew some scary strong tea in a GI canteen cup, and try to fathom the magnitude of the Universe. Clear nights in the country, far from city lights, the fire flickering in the foreground of a panorama of lights which left their sources so long ago, they may not even exist anymore....

Neat, Wally.
 
Ha! That's really funny, Kismet. I had an old Smokey Joe on a wok ring too! Somebody came by one night and stole the bbq. Left the wok ring though.
 
My Dad used a similar device for 20 years. Works good.
You can always take coals out of the fire if all else fails in lowering heat.

munk
 
Did a HUGE turkey in a weber once. The bird was so big the lid just barely fit over it.
One of the best turkey's ever!!
 
I heartily second the recommendation for Kingsford charcoal...works for me even when it's raining some. Most meat doesn't need "pre-cooking" but a precook for chicken (Simply boiling for a half hour in water) ensures that the chicken is cooked all the way thru with out blackening the outside, and the chicken is tender enough to fall off the bone. Thick slabs of pork are best boiled in beer to ensure complete cook thru....easy on the barbecue sauce though, if you want the flavor to come on thru. Good grilling!!!
 
OK listen up! As every southerner knows it's time to get ready for that all important cooking technique of the south---outdoor Grilling! I have found several stores (not just in the south) where you can get a FREE Bar-B-Q Grill! This is not a joke. You can get a free BBQ grill from any of the following stores:


A&P
Winco Foods
Albertsons
Costco
Food Lion
Fry's
Kroger
Big Lots
Brookshire's
Meijer
Publix
Safeway
Sam's Club
Target
Vons
Wal-Mart
Winn-Dixie

I especially like the higher shelf which can be used for keeping things warm!
 
Briquettes are to charcoal what ashphalt is to charcoal . I,d rather pave my driveway with them . I use Royal Oak hardwood charcoal . THe briquettes may be easier to use for some . I can add charcoal anytime I want which cannot be said of briquettes . Heck if I run low I,ll just throw a couple of chunks of hardwood on there .

I guess everybody has there druthers .
 
I'm continually disappointed by some of the techniques that I see in this region. Lighter fluid has a bad reputation here because it's often misused. I will now describe the correct method to use it. Pay attention -- you will be tested on this later.

1. Arrange charcoal in a pile in the middle.
2. Hit it with the fluid. Use a spiralling motion for somewhat even distribution and lay some on. Don't use up the whole bottle or anything, but don't be afraid.
3. LET IT SIT. Give it a good 10-20 minutes. The goal here is penetration of the charcoal and for the more volatile (and less pleasant tasting) substances to evaporate. Don't worry, there will be plenty of burnable fluid left.
4. Apply a bit more, but just a bit. Only a light spritzing is needed.
5. Ignite. If a towering pillar of flame reaches your roof, you didn't wait long enough. It should ignite slowly and steadily. Touch the flame in a couple of locations to speed things up.
6. Let the charcoal burn until it's gray. I can't stress the importance of this. If black charcoal is still visible you will taste lighter fluid and the cooking won't be as easy. Gray is the way.
7. Using a suitable instrument, arrange the charcoal for the optimal configuration for your cooking. I actually prefer a plateau shape in the middle of the grill with a bit of open space around the edges as I don't have a second rack. Thin pieces of meat can be seared in the middle, thicker pieces can be slow cooked around the periphery, and buns can be toasted at the absolute outer edges. The slow cooking method described above is also excellent and is probably the better choice for anything besides burgers. (Burgers on the grill require toasted buns. Untoasted buns ought to be against the law.)

On a related topic, remember what was already said about the grease -- it will burn hotter later. Leave the fat on while you're cooking. It improves the flavor of that piece of meat and all later pieces as well.

It's also important to mention ribs at this point. Some folks go straight to the grill. This can work with a lot of practice but an easier and equally effective technique is to boil the ribs ahead of time; the grill is only used for crisping and blackening.

A light scraping or wirebrushing of the grill is acceptable if it's really grungy but resist the temptation to strip it down to bare metal after use.
 
Dave I have always wanted to try " Blackened Duck " I saw it prepared once on television and it was brought to the table black and on fire . I hope they took the feathers off first . L:O:L
 
As a child, I remember once going to a fancy resteraunt with my parents. My father ordered the duck flambee, or whatever that dish is called.

As the waiter brought it out, in flames, my father quietly said, "Quaaaaaaack! Quaaaaaaaaaaack!" in a somewhat anguished voice.

Just saying, my sense of humor wasn't just learned, it was also inherited.
 
Dave Rishar said:
As the waiter brought it out, in flames, my father quietly said, "Quaaaaaaack! Quaaaaaaaaaaack!" in a somewhat anguished voice.
Click to expand...

My first good chuckle after a long hot day .
 
Kevin the grey said:
Briquettes are to charcoal what ashphalt is to charcoal . I,d rather pave my driveway with them . I use Royal Oak hardwood charcoal . THe briquettes may be easier to use for some . I can add charcoal anytime I want which cannot be said of briquettes . Heck if I run low I,ll just throw a couple of chunks of hardwood on there .

I guess everybody has there druthers .
Click to expand...


I got some lump charcoal. Is there any difference to using them over briquettes (other than the flavor) for lighting and how much to use? Thanks.
 
Lump charcoal is a so many steps above briquetes they are not even on the same ladder . I:M:H:O . It has its plusses and drawbacks .

Plus : Quality charcoal starts easily with wadded up paper . No infernal contraptions such as chimeys or lighter fluid needed . Just place your charcoal loosely over the paper so as not to crush it and promote a good draft/air circulation .

Plus : You can add charcoal as you are cooking . I have always heard there are accelerants added to briquettes which must burn off before you cook .

Plus : To me the lump charcoal adds more flavour . You do have to use quality . Royal oak is great . "Maple Leaf " sparks and pops quite a bit .

Minus . It has to be stored in a dry enviroment as it will pick up moisture , be harder to light and pop sparks all over the place .

Minus : It doesn,t last as long . You usually have to add a bit during cooking . (easily done . )

Try both over the summer . To me there is no comparison .
(Well yes one........ Ashphalt to charcoal . L:O:L
 
Here's another great trick for chicken. Soak the bird - whole or pieces - in brine. About 1/4 cup of salt per gallon is enough for me - others prefer more. Cover the bird with brine and let sit 2 - 3 hours. If the weather is warm, you will need to refrigerate the bird while brining, or add some plastic bags full of water frozen to keep the water cold. Rinse well and use the indirect method for about an hour for pieces, 2 hours for a whole 4 - 5 Lb. bird. This makes the chicken moist and very flavorful. Also works great for turkey, which needs longer brining- 5 - 8 hours depending on size. And longer cooking.
Try this once and you'll thank me.
Don't work for red meat though.
 
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