Charcoal used to be the only option for people who wanted to grill. Now, with the availability of gas grills, people have more of a choice in how they cook in their backyards. This isn’t typically a problem, but for those who have grown accustomed to use gas to grill, they may be surprised when they go to a park or other public place and find there are only charcoal options.
You will probably be a bit caught off guard knowing that you do not have charcoal or starter fluid; after all, you wouldn’t need that for a gas grill, now would you? You can always avoid this situation by simply checking the area where you are going to see what they have in advance. Most parks and beaches do still offer grills, however you can pretty much be safe in assuming that they will be charcoal.
There are a few things you need to know about cooking with charcoal, especially if you have never done it before. For one, charcoal takes almost twice as long to get to proper cooking temperature as a gas grill. This is due to the fact that the charcoals must be completely white before you are able to cook anything with them, and this can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes. The time required is also dependant on weather, such as wind or rain, since many charcoal grills do not have covers. This really is especially true in public areas.
Another way to save time when charcoal grilling is to choose a grill that has a cover. When you are able to keep the heat contained within the grilling service it will heat faster and stay hot longer. While this may not always be possible, it is certainly something to consider when you do have a choice. If you don’t have a choice, you want to keep the grill out of the wind in order to make sure the fire remains intact and the wind doesn’t put out the flame.
If you are on a time frame you need to choose meats which will cook quickly such as hamburgers and hot dogs. While steak, chicken and ribs taste delicious after charcoal grilling, they also take much more time. Certainly if you have time for heating the grill and then still cooking steak, chicken or ribs, you will be doing your guests a real service. The most important thing to remember about charcoal grilling is it takes time, but the effects are well worth the wait.
Two Trees Products brings high quality barbecue products to the grilling marketplace. Our products include 100% Mesquite Lump Charcoal, all natural self starting 100% Mesquite Lump Charcoal, Regular Charcoal Briquets, Wood Smoking Chips and mesquite and hickory wood chunks and The unique Cobb portable barbecue grill.
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