103 replies to this topic

[DuffMan]

Charcoal may be easier than you think.

 

First, get yourself a nice Weber ketttle grill.  Either a Weber One Touch for $100 or a One Touch Gold for $150, which is a little nicer.

 

 

 

Then get yourself a chimney starter for $10 or so.  You pour the charcoal into the top, and then crumple two pieces of newspaper and put it into the bottom.  No lighter fluid or anything else.   Light the newspaper and you'll have hot coals in 15 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That being said, I also have a propane grill and use them both.  The propane grill is nice because there is zero prep work.

Sammy,

I just use an electric starter with my charcoal, takes maybe 10 minutes to get going.

[NewMarketSean]

I find that charcoal still takes a good 20-30 mins to get going even with a chimney starter. Maybe I am not a pro with it yet but I had it go out on me a couple times when I used a starter and didnt let the top coals ash over.

 

Still, charcoal is the way to go if you've got about an hour to cook. Otherwise, use gas.

[Russ]

I think the biggest things are to let the grill get hot, don't overcook the beef, and be patient with chicken and ribs. Salt your steak. A lot of it is just trial and error. It takes some practice, but even the screw ups taste pretty good.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Go online and look up marinades -- those are simply measuring and mixing.

 

Put meat on grill at proper temperature (this will also be online).

 

If you want to ensure it's cooked (the experts can tell) you can always use a meat thermometer.

 

DO NOT OVERCOOK.

[SammyBirdland]

I find that charcoal still takes a good 20-30 mins to get going even with a chimney starter. Maybe I am not a pro with it yet but I had it go out on me a couple times when I used a starter and didnt let the top coals ash over.

 

Still, charcoal is the way to go if you've got about an hour to cook. Otherwise, use gas.

 

 

If you watch the video, he dumps the coals out sooner than I would.  I tend to wait until they all start to ash, but he dumps them when it ashes about halfway up.     I guess this would be fine, since the less-lit coals would be underneath the embers.

[Markus]

Someone else mentioned veggies - you can always make a foil boat and throw the veggies in there with some balsamic vinegar to sauté or steam them on the grill.

 

Totally meant to mention this but just forgot.  Good call.

 

Also, here's a good way to test the doneness of meat without having to cut it open or stick a thermometer in it.  Though if you cook/grill enough, you'll have a general idea of how long it takes for any piece of meat to cook.

[McNulty]

This thread is easily the worst thing about NYC. I'm grilling my balls off the next two months.

[You Play to Win the Game]

This thread is easily the worst thing about NYC. I'm grilling my balls off the next two months.

Yeah I guess I never thought about that, but it'd be pretty impossible to grill in NYC wouldn't it?

[Pedro Cerrano]

Yeah I guess I never thought about that, but it'd be pretty impossible to grill in NYC wouldn't it?

Nah all you need is a spot with a mini yard and a $13,000/month rent!

[You Play to Win the Game]

Yeah I guess I never thought about that, but it'd be pretty impossible to grill in NYC wouldn't it?

Nah all you need is a spot with a mini yard and a $13,000/month rent!

AKA, a law degree?

[McNulty]

This thread is easily the worst thing about NYC. I'm grilling my balls off the next two months.

Yeah I guess I never thought about that, but it'd be pretty impossible to grill in NYC wouldn't it?

I could've but it's risky with the roof. Cerrano is right.

[SportsGuy]

The Weber grills don't make the food taste better...at least based on all the research I did.

[You Play to Win the Game]

The Weber grills don't make the food taste better...at least based on all the research I did.

For me they are just a lot less hassle and well made.

[SportsGuy]

For me they are just a lot less hassle and well made.

They are made of a better material that last longer outside.

[Mike in STL]

Glenn, another thing thats real important is to trust your times. On my charcoal grill for a med-rare steak, its five minutes on each side, high heat. If you check it every other minute to make sure you're not burning it, your just letting heat out and you'll get rubbery meat. Basically, if your lookin youre not cookin.

[Mackus]

Get two good thermometers. One instant read to check your meat temp (only way to know when its cooked like you want, all other methods are good guesses at best) and one for the surface of your grill, so you know at what temp you're actually cooking. The thermometer that comes with the grill is useless, even nice grills like Weber.

[Mackus]

The Weber grills don't make the food taste better...at least based on all the research I did.

For me they are just a lot less hassle and well made.

Much better at even cooking, too. Consistent temp across all burners.

My propane grill sucks, so I just use my charcoal grill now. Will definitely get a nice grill for my next propane, but I love my charcoal.

[glenn__davis]

Thanks to everyone again.  This was very helpful and I've learned some good tips to go forward with.

 

MikeRandall, I definitely had learned that lesson already.  My first attempt I think I was opening the grill every minute or so.  And in my head I know that was a silly thing to do but just couldn't help it.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Thanks to everyone again.  This was very helpful and I've learned some good tips to go forward with.
 
MikeRandall, I definitely had learned that lesson already.  My first attempt I think I was opening the grill every minute or so.  And in my head I know that was a silly thing to do but just couldn't help it.

No doubt. It's cliché, but grilling requires discipline.

[SportsGuy]

Somehow I almost blew up my grill today.

I didn't think anything was lit...turned it all off(including propane tank)...when I turned it back on, there was an "explosion". No fire or anything but a load boom.

No idea how it happened and I still used it a few min later with no issues...but scared the shit out of me.