Thin cuts of lamb, pork, or beef (including burgers) should be cooked hot and fast. Keep extra fuel on hand and you will never have to worry about running out of gas. Lighter fluid is a definite no-no. When it comes to the best smoking wood, hardwoods like hickory or cherry are usually preferred for their tighter cell structure, which makes them burn slower than softer woods like pine, which also give off sooty smoke that won’t taste great on your food. Grilling with Charcoal Charcoal is actually made from wood that’s been burned in a low oxygen oven or silo until it’s basically just pure carbon, also known as char. This app offers more than 75 delicious recipes, over 60 guides and many tips and tricks. Is Shopping the Outside of the Grocery Store All It's Cracked Up to Be? He has written two cookbooks. In the barbecue world, wood is the most important and nuanced ingredient for smoking, a method of cooking that uses indirect heat over many hours. Spark your passion for charcoal grilling with the Kettle that started it all. arinahabich / Getty Images. Here’s a couple of slabs of the largest short ribs I’ve ever seen. Grilling Inspiration Caramel Apple "Inside Out" Reimagine fresh-dipped caramel apples on a stick done on the grill at home. Quick and Easy Fixes for Common Gas Grill Problems, How to Prevent and Control Grilling Flare-ups, The 8 Best Gas Grills Between $1,000 and $2,000 in 2020, Emergency Grilling: For When the Power Goes Out. https://barbecuebible.com/2019/08/09/wood-fire-grilling-kalamazoo-gourmet/ . You get a totally different texture.” If you’re still partial to convenience, check out CNET’s Best Gas Grills for 2020 round-up. There’s nothing like a burger or steak cooked over charcoal. Beef will take those harsher woods more readily.”, Related Reading: How to Smoke Meat Like the Pros | Pitmaster Tips for the Best BBQ Brisket Ever, No matter what—or how—you’re smoking, the biggest rule is just to enjoy the process. By signing up, you agree to the CBS Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. Using a grill brush will help remove stuck-on food, but it also pushes the debris into the grill itself. Here are 5 mouth watering burger recipes for you to try! Build up your grilling skills with hints and helpful advice to step up your grilling game. But just because she doesn’t recommend lighting up a campfire in your Weber, doesn’t mean wood and outdoor cooking can’t go hand-in-hand. . Other OptionsGas vs Charcoal GrillsJust like wood, there are options when it comes to selecting your charcoal, too. You also want to be careful to never use any wood that’s moldy or has been treated for cooking because it can release harmful substances into your food. The high temperature will caramelize the meat's surface. Copyright © 2020 Weber, All Rights Reserved. Put the meat on and wait 1 minute. According to Meathead Goldwyn’s in-depth explanation of the science of charcoal, it’s got more potential energy than wood, and “burns steady, hot, and produces less smoke and fewer dangerous vapors.”. For those dead set on grilling with wood only, there are a few options. Always try to keep a portion of your grill empty so you can move the food should a flare-up occur. To sear, start with a grill as hot as it will go. “Which is basically what the charcoal process is. Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter. Check the burners to make sure that the ports (holes where the flames come out) are not clogged. “That’s when hickory comes into play, or you can use mesquite. Or you could make like Cookston, and use a zoning set up to add a bit of wood flavor in a regular old charcoal grill. Grilling Inspiration Top Weber Burgers. (And pellet smokers are the outliers here; they use compressed wood pellets, as their name suggests.) Here’s a look at their grills and why wood is my favorite fuel for grilling and barbecuing: . Charcoal is actually made from wood that’s been burned in a low oxygen oven or silo until it’s basically just pure carbon, also known as char. For this reason, firewood and wood meant for cooking is usually “seasoned” or air-dried for at least six months. Thanks to their uniform size, they burn consistently but some claim they produce an ashier burn, aka, cap out at a lower heat than lump wood charcoal. For more about how we use your information, see our privacy policy. The Original Kettle Premium charcoal grill boasts upgraded features, such as a hinged cooking grate for easily adding charcoal while grilling, and the One-Touch cleaning system with high-capacity ash catcher, making for a smooth grilling experience from beginning to end. Searing is one of the secrets to great, grilled flavor. These flare-ups make the temperature of a wood fire difficult to control without a seriously large and specific type of grill designed for wood fires, meaning your burgers would end up a little less flame-kissed and more charred to a crisp.