Barcon
Well-Known Member
Charcoal is for people that think eating is some kind of fucking event. When you bbq in minus 20 weather, fucking about is not part of the rational mans thinking.
Charcoal or Gas
- Thread starter Saddleworth2
- Start date
Charcoal....gas....so yesterday!
Both can produce fairly tasteless or burnt food.
The new (to the UK) electric wood chip smokers are the only way to truly tasty food. It takes a little dedication to learn the new way to cook and patience though.
It's pretty simple to create the best tasting food. With brisket for example, you coat it in a "rub" first, leave for an hour then put it in.
Once cooking, you can then add a marinate/sauce.
Old smokers involved lighting your wood chips and then spending the rest of the day controlling it. You would then end up with a heavily smoked joint of meat that tasted bitter from too much grey soot on the outside. Not anymore. New electric controlled smokers are the best of both worlds. All you do is fill the hopper with your choice of wood pellets, set the desired temperature and go get a beer. There is a metal corkscrew that feeds the chips to the burner pot, they then light and give off the right amount of smoke. They also give a little water so the meat stays moist.
The reason the meat tastes different, is that smokes doesn't land or dwell on the meat. The built in fan constantly blows the smoke around. This way the smoke imparts to the meat, but doesn't cover it.
For meat joints, you cook low and slow. The rubs and marinates have time to sink deep into the meat. For burgers and traditional BBQ favourites, you can turn it up and this produces less smoke. Turn it right up, there is no smoke and it becomes a pizza oven that tastes just like a true Italian stone oven.
This was all new to me last year, and my first thought was everything would taste "smoked". This is NOT the case. I was over in the states, and my mate had just bought a new pellet grill. He mentioned doing a brisket and turkey for thanks giving. I assumed it would all end up a smoked mess that took up most of the day to produce. I was shocked to learn how simple it all was.
After breakfast, he just sprinkled some "rub" on the brisket. Filled the hopper with wood pellets. Plugged it in, set the temperature and shut the lid. An hour later, he brushed some marinate/sauce over the joint. We then went out for a few hours. When we got back, he again brushed some marinate/sauce over the joint and left it for another hour.
As we sat down to eat, I wasn't expecting much. It looked good, and the "bark" glistened. It wasn't the grey black burnt mess I was expecting. But forget all that, it was the taste that blew me away! It was moist, juicy, and the flavour was like nothing I had ever tasted before. Brisket had NEVER tasted like this before. The next day he did something similar with the turkey. That had no preparation, no rub, and he only basted with some fat half way through. He didn't use and foil as it is not needed. Again, the flavour was unique. The turkey meat was moist and full off flavour. People need to try this method of cooking.
Brisket
Turkey
Both can produce fairly tasteless or burnt food.
The new (to the UK) electric wood chip smokers are the only way to truly tasty food. It takes a little dedication to learn the new way to cook and patience though.
It's pretty simple to create the best tasting food. With brisket for example, you coat it in a "rub" first, leave for an hour then put it in.
Once cooking, you can then add a marinate/sauce.
Old smokers involved lighting your wood chips and then spending the rest of the day controlling it. You would then end up with a heavily smoked joint of meat that tasted bitter from too much grey soot on the outside. Not anymore. New electric controlled smokers are the best of both worlds. All you do is fill the hopper with your choice of wood pellets, set the desired temperature and go get a beer. There is a metal corkscrew that feeds the chips to the burner pot, they then light and give off the right amount of smoke. They also give a little water so the meat stays moist.
The reason the meat tastes different, is that smokes doesn't land or dwell on the meat. The built in fan constantly blows the smoke around. This way the smoke imparts to the meat, but doesn't cover it.
For meat joints, you cook low and slow. The rubs and marinates have time to sink deep into the meat. For burgers and traditional BBQ favourites, you can turn it up and this produces less smoke. Turn it right up, there is no smoke and it becomes a pizza oven that tastes just like a true Italian stone oven.
This was all new to me last year, and my first thought was everything would taste "smoked". This is NOT the case. I was over in the states, and my mate had just bought a new pellet grill. He mentioned doing a brisket and turkey for thanks giving. I assumed it would all end up a smoked mess that took up most of the day to produce. I was shocked to learn how simple it all was.
After breakfast, he just sprinkled some "rub" on the brisket. Filled the hopper with wood pellets. Plugged it in, set the temperature and shut the lid. An hour later, he brushed some marinate/sauce over the joint. We then went out for a few hours. When we got back, he again brushed some marinate/sauce over the joint and left it for another hour.
As we sat down to eat, I wasn't expecting much. It looked good, and the "bark" glistened. It wasn't the grey black burnt mess I was expecting. But forget all that, it was the taste that blew me away! It was moist, juicy, and the flavour was like nothing I had ever tasted before. Brisket had NEVER tasted like this before. The next day he did something similar with the turkey. That had no preparation, no rub, and he only basted with some fat half way through. He didn't use and foil as it is not needed. Again, the flavour was unique. The turkey meat was moist and full off flavour. People need to try this method of cooking.
Brisket
Turkey
Yaya_Tony
Well-Known Member
How much are they paying you? Electric wood burner ffs.Charcoal....gas....so yesterday!
Both can produce fairly tasteless or burnt food.
The new (to the UK) electric wood chip smokers are the only way to truly tasty food. It takes a little dedication to learn the new way to cook and patience though.
It's pretty simple to create the best tasting food. With brisket for example, you coat it in a "rub" first, leave for an hour then put it in.
Once cooking, you can then add a marinate/sauce.
Old smokers involved lighting your wood chips and then spending the rest of the day controlling it. You would then end up with a heavily smoked joint of meat that tasted bitter from too much grey soot on the outside. Not anymore. New electric controlled smokers are the best of both worlds. All you do is fill the hopper with your choice of wood pellets, set the desired temperature and go get a beer. There is a metal corkscrew that feeds the chips to the burner pot, they then light and give off the right amount of smoke. They also give a little water so the meat stays moist.
The reason the meat tastes different, is that smokes doesn't land or dwell on the meat. The built in fan constantly blows the smoke around. This way the smoke imparts to the meat, but doesn't cover it.
For meat joints, you cook low and slow. The rubs and marinates have time to sink deep into the meat. For burgers and traditional BBQ favourites, you can turn it up and this produces less smoke. Turn it right up, there is no smoke and it becomes a pizza oven that tastes just like a true Italian stone oven.
This was all new to me last year, and my first thought was everything would taste "smoked". This is NOT the case. I was over in the states, and my mate had just bought a new pellet grill. He mentioned doing a brisket and turkey for thanks giving. I assumed it would all end up a smoked mess that took up most of the day to produce. I was shocked to learn how simple it all was.
After breakfast, he just sprinkled some "rub" on the brisket. Filled the hopper with wood pellets. Plugged it in, set the temperature and shut the lid. An hour later, he brushed some marinate/sauce over the joint. We then went out for a few hours. When we got back, he again brushed some marinate/sauce over the joint and left it for another hour.
As we sat down to eat, I wasn't expecting much. It looked good, and the "bark" glistened. It wasn't the grey black burnt mess I was expecting. But forget all that, it was the taste that blew me away! It was moist, juicy, and the flavour was like nothing I had ever tasted before. Brisket had NEVER tasted like this before. The next day he did something similar with the turkey. That had no preparation, no rub, and he only basted with some fat half way through. He didn't use and foil as it is not needed. Again, the flavour was unique. The turkey meat was moist and full off flavour. People need to try this method of cooking.
Brisket
Turkey
Can roast anything on a charcoal bbq if you know what you're doing. Piece of piss.
That's the point though, most people don't know how to cook with charcoal. It is hard to keep the temperature constant, and involves a lot of hands on involvement to get good results. Get it wrong and the meat is dry/burnt or undercooked. Smoking is even harder to get right.
What you after, getting a girl scouts badge to say you can cook with charcoal, or great tasting food?
You obviously haven't tasted what a pellet grill produces or you wouldn't piss on it. It is simple, clean and controllable. But it is the end results that counts, and on that score it is like nothing else i've experienced. You carry on in your belief that your way is best if that floats your boat, but let people who are willing to try something new enjoy the results.
What you after, getting a girl scouts badge to say you can cook with charcoal, or great tasting food?
You obviously haven't tasted what a pellet grill produces or you wouldn't piss on it. It is simple, clean and controllable. But it is the end results that counts, and on that score it is like nothing else i've experienced. You carry on in your belief that your way is best if that floats your boat, but let people who are willing to try something new enjoy the results.
Ronnie the Rep
Well-Known Member
Charcoal, done properly, is the only way to barbecue.
End of
End of
Helmet Cole
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 23 Jul 2007
- Messages
- 8,054
Can you use it to dry your soccer jersey? It looks a bit more pricey than a Weber and some charcoal.That's the point though, most people don't know how to cook with charcoal. It is hard to keep the temperature constant, and involves a lot of hands on involvement to get good results. Get it wrong and the meat is dry/burnt or undercooked. Smoking is even harder to get right.
What you after, getting a girl scouts badge to say you can cook with charcoal, or great tasting food?
You obviously haven't tasted what a pellet grill produces or you wouldn't piss on it. It is simple, clean and controllable. But it is the end results that counts, and on that score it is like nothing else i've experienced. You carry on in your belief that your way is best if that floats your boat, but let people who are willing to try something new enjoy the results.
Saddleworth2
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 27 Jan 2014
- Messages
- 21,684
thanks Blues. Overwelming support and sound rationale for charcoal by a ratio of 10:1. I will be sticking with my weber kettle bbq.
Hiley rated
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 3 Sep 2012
- Messages
- 215
It's a charcoal from me too.
NeilYoungIsBack
Well-Known Member
Charcoal for economy, versatility and flavour.
I did a 7 hour cook last weekend and only used 1/3 of a bag of charcoal, so maybe £1.75 of fuel. That was using the so-called Minion method where you put some cold charcoal at the bottom and then lay hot coals on top. Over time the cold charcoal takes over from the hot charcoal to give you a very sustained cooking time.
That did 2 whole chickens (one after the other, as I only possess one "poultry infuser") and a ham. I used a hickory chunk on the ham to boost the smokiness of the flavour. This was all for a big family picnic we were having the next day.
At the end of it the coals would have been still plenty hot enough to do sausages, burgers etc. had we been having them.
I did a 7 hour cook last weekend and only used 1/3 of a bag of charcoal, so maybe £1.75 of fuel. That was using the so-called Minion method where you put some cold charcoal at the bottom and then lay hot coals on top. Over time the cold charcoal takes over from the hot charcoal to give you a very sustained cooking time.
That did 2 whole chickens (one after the other, as I only possess one "poultry infuser") and a ham. I used a hickory chunk on the ham to boost the smokiness of the flavour. This was all for a big family picnic we were having the next day.
At the end of it the coals would have been still plenty hot enough to do sausages, burgers etc. had we been having them.
TCIB
Well-Known Member
Pellet smokers are nice, i used one and it was a fine piece of gear. It still left me cold though as a bbq lover.
It is like a gas bbq with a smoker function. They do look cool but thta is because they are not cheap.
The uk has minimal dealings with them so far also for example food grade cooking pellets are not in every shop and if it breaks chances are no uk engineers have ever touched one before.
Pellet smokers are for serious bbq'ers who go into competitions and such.
Use the minion method on coal for a long low and slow, 30-35 briquettes on grate and put 12 or so hot coals on top of them.
You can get a good 6-7 hours before adding more fuel that way.
It is like a gas bbq with a smoker function. They do look cool but thta is because they are not cheap.
The uk has minimal dealings with them so far also for example food grade cooking pellets are not in every shop and if it breaks chances are no uk engineers have ever touched one before.
Pellet smokers are for serious bbq'ers who go into competitions and such.
Use the minion method on coal for a long low and slow, 30-35 briquettes on grate and put 12 or so hot coals on top of them.
You can get a good 6-7 hours before adding more fuel that way.