The Right Grill For Your Barbecue

August 13, 2007 By: CarpetGuy Category: Articles by others, Grilling and Barbecue

The Right Grill For Your Barbecue
By Jerry Powell

Barbecue is a mix of talents. There is the choice of meat (or
in some cases vegetables), the creation and choice of sauce, and
of course the flame. Once the components are gathered together,
then the real talent starts with the maintenance of the flame,
smoke, turnings and sauce applications.

We are going to focus on the flame, and the types of flame
sources for our barbecue. There are basically three main sources
in use today: Wood, Charcoal, and Natural gas or propane.

Natural gas and propane

Gas grills are easy to light. The heat is easy to control (via
knob-controlled gas valves on the burners), so the outcome is
very predictable. They result in a very consistent and tasty
result, although some charcoal purists argue it lacks the
flavors available only from cooking with charcoal. Advocates of
gas grills claim that gas cooking lets you “taste the meat, not
the heat” because it is claimed that charcoal grills may deposit
traces of coal tar on the food. Many grills are equipped with
thermometers, further simplifying the barbecuing experience.
However propane and natural gas produce a “wet” heat that can
change the texture of foods cooked over such fuels.

Gas grills are significantly more expensive due to their added
complexity, and higher heat. They are also considered much
cleaner as they do not result in ashes (which must be disposed
of) and also in terms of air pollution. Proper maintenance may
further help reduce pollution.

Charcoal

This generally begins with purchasing a bag of processed
charcoal briquettes. A charcoal chimney starter is a traditional
(but generally underused) method for getting a consistent heat
from your coals. Alternatively, they can be lit in a pyramid
directly inside the charcoal grill after presoaking with lighter
fluid.

After all coals are ashed-over (generally 15-25 minutes), they
are spread around the perimeter of the grill, and the meat is
placed in the center for indirect cooking. For additional flavor
and attractive appearance, thicker cuts of meat may optionally
be seared over direct heat (outer perimeter of grill) prior to
indirect cooking in the center. Water-soaked wood chips (such as
mesquite, hickory, or fruit trees) are often added atop the
coals for an extra smoky flavor. The temperature of the grill is
controlled by the amount and distribution of coal within the
grill and through careful venting.

An alternative to charcoal briquettes is lump charcoal. Lump
charcoal is wood that has been turned into charcoal but unlike
briquettes it has not been ground and shaped. Lump charcoal is a
pure form of charcoal and is preferred by many purists who fear
that artificial binders may be used to hold briquettes in their
shape.

Wood

The choice and combination of woods burned result in different
flavors imparted to the meat. Different types of wood burn at
different temperatures. The heat also varies by the amount of
wood and controlling the rate of burn through careful venting.

The type of wood chosen is really what sets this method apart
from the others. This is where the gourmet can really
experiment. Let’s go through some of the woods available to get
a feel for the differences we can expect.

Golden Birch is very delicate & slightly sweet, typically used
with fish, pork, lamb, goat, poultry, and light-meat game birds.
As a smoke source Golden birch would be used to smoke Salmon.

Wild Apple is slightly sweet with a fruity smoke flavor. Used
mainly for beef, poultry, game birds, and pork (particularly
hams).

Sugar Maple has a mild smoky, sweet flavor. Good with lamb,
goat, pork, poultry, cheese, vegetables and small game birds.

White Cedar has a fine light smoke, and doesn’t add much in the
way of other flavors. Ideal for cooking fish, beef, and pork.

Wild Black Cherry, is hard to get a hold of but offers a
distinctively sweet and fruity smoke. Great with beef, poultry &
game birds.

About the Author: Jerry Powell is the Owner of a Popular site
Know as Gourmet911.com. As you can see from our name, we are
here in the business to help you learn more about different
kinds of Gourmet Food and Wines, from all around the world.
http://www.gourmet911.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com

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