View Full Version : Cooking with gas or charcoal?
brewmonkey
07-07-2004, 10:42
Do you prefer to cook with a charcoal or gas grill?
How about some of your favorite things to throw on the grill?
Charcoal, no question. A good steak or a nice piece of fish go pretty well on the grill. Accompanied by some chopped potatoes and onions topped with butter and wrapped in aluminum foil.
The Reaper
07-07-2004, 11:14
Originally posted by brewmonkey
Do you prefer to cook with a charcoal or gas grill?
How about some of your favorite things to throw on the grill?
I prefer to cook on gas, and eat charcoal cooked.
Just lazy.
Steaks, chops, chicken breasts, brats, chorizos, sausages. The usual.
TR
I prefer charcoal myself. Besides the usual array of meats, fish, sausages, chops or chicken I love making veggie kabobs after they've sat in a marinade of balsamic vinegar, bit of olive oil, fresh crushed garlic, fresh cracked pepper, salt...other spices. I like cutting up potatoes and cooking them in a foil pouch the same way.
brewmonkey
07-07-2004, 11:47
I grill with mostly gas as we have burn bans from time to time and they include charcoal grills. When I do use charcoal I like to find the natural coal not the compressed version (kingsford etc..) and add a small amount of cherry or hickory that I soaked in water to get some of the smoke. I use alder when I can get it and am grilling Salmon.
The gas grill is convenient though and does not take the prep time or the cleanup that a charcoal grill does. With the coal grill you have to clean the inside after each use (or should) as the ash can advance the aging of the grill.
Have you ever grilled squash or zucchini? Slice lengthwise and lighty coat with some olive oil and a pinch of salt and cracked pepper. I also grill corn on the cob. You can do it with or without the husk. With the husk it will actually steam itself but leave the corn very crispy or take of the husk and lightly salt it.
Roguish Lawyer
07-07-2004, 11:52
I cook with gas only because it is easier. My grill has a smoker box to add flavor, plus the grill develops its own flavor over time.
I grill steaks and chicken most often, but I'll grill anything. Lately, I've been grilling breakfast sausages at the urging of my kids -- great stuff.
Brew: Yes, I grill vegetables and corn. Corn grilled in the husk is best IMO. Soak the ears well before grilling them.
TS: I think you may need to post the ribs recipe again here. Folks, these are THE ultimate ribs.
brewmonkey
07-07-2004, 12:22
Originally posted by Roguish Lawyer
Brew: Yes, I grill vegetables and corn. Corn grilled in the husk is best IMO. Soak the ears well before grilling them.
This is one of those things I found out the hardway about. The first time I did it I just dunked them quickly and threw them on the grill. A few minutes later I had fire pouring out from under the lid as the ears caught fire. Another classic grilling moment at Brewmonkey's house. :D
Bravo1-3
07-07-2004, 12:47
Charcoal only. A gas grill is nothing but a stove. My neighbors onboth sides of the house have these four figure gas grills with every feature known to man, including computerized controls on one. Personally, I think it's just silly to have that kind of thing.
I grill 2-3 times a week during the spring/summer and into early fall. Once the weather starts getting bad, I reduce it to once a week.
I grill anything and everything that can be grilled. Out here store bought fish is cheap and high quality. I grill lots of fish. Those foil grill bags are awesome! As I type this, there are 2 whole racks of babybacks and a pork shoulder in the smoker. They'll be done some time tomorrow. Tonight I'm grilling some nice NY Strip Steaks I picked up at the butcher shop (yes we have an actual Butcher shop out here... haven't seen one of them in years!)
But I grill everything, even the vegetables. Corn or asparagus are the current favorites.
A good friend of mine actually cooks over Mesquite coals. No Charcoal at all, just mesquite. I have never tasted anything disagreeable that he has cooked in this way, or any other way for that matter. He just builds a fire and when the wood has burned down to coals, he puts his grate over them and goes to work.
Sacamuelas
07-07-2004, 13:08
I am similar to TR in my taste preference. I like charcoal better.
I have both(gas/charcoal)type grills on my back deck along with a charcoal smoker. I tend to cook standard 'craptastic' dishes ( boneless/.skinless chicken breasts, burgers, cheap steaks, sausage, brats, hot dogs) on the gas grill for convenience. I also agree with RL that gas grills becomed seasoned thru use and actually develop decent smoke flavor over time. Perfect for those quick-no cleanup craptastic meal preps.
For high quality steaks, ribs, guests coming over chicken, shrimp kabobs, fish.... I use the charcoal grill.
:cool:
Originally posted by brewmonkey
Have you ever grilled squash or zucchini? Slice lengthwise and lighty coat with some olive oil and a pinch of salt and cracked pepper. I also grill corn on the cob. You can do it with or without the husk. With the husk it will actually steam itself but leave the corn very crispy or take of the husk and lightly salt it.
Absolutely, it is delish! And yes...corn too, properly soaked first.
For grilling, The flavor comes from the drippings landing on the coals (gas or charcoal). Most gas grills use briquets.
I have roasted whole pigs in gas and charcoal and there is no difference. A pan of wood chips provides the smoke. The advantage to gas is temperature control.
Jack Moroney (RIP)
07-07-2004, 19:37
Up here in the forest we use charcoal when we lose power. However I think my best grilling has been done with foogas and white phosphorus:D
Jack Moroney
The Reaper
07-07-2004, 19:49
Originally posted by Jack Moroney
Up here in the forest we use charcoal when we lose power. However I think my best grilling has been done with foogas and white phosphorus:D
Jack Moroney
VC in the Wire?
TR
Jack Moroney (RIP)
07-07-2004, 19:59
Originally posted by The Reaper
VC in the Wire?
TR
Actually a frigging python tripped one in the wire but those nice folks that used to spray the hell out of our area with agent orange created a nice tinder box. As soon as we got a radio intercept we fryed the little fellas by igniting the area with white phosphorous rounds when we could not get to them any other way.
Jack Moroney
Just moved into a new house 2 weeks ago. Since the old house had a built in natural gas grill, thats what I used. CincHouse loves her asado, thus I had to make a quick purchase. Bought a $79.00 Weber charcoal grill along with that quicklite---no need--lighter fluid stuff. Pretty neat and the flavor is outstanding, albeit the cook time has more than doubled. Simply means 1 extra beer while I supervise operations on the grill.
Nothing fancy, just beef, chicken, lamb, veggies and sometimes fish.
Originally posted by Bravo1-3
Charcoal only. A gas grill is nothing but a stove. My neighbors onboth sides of the house have these four figure gas grills with every feature known to man, including computerized controls on one. Personally, I think it's just silly to have that kind of thing.
I grill 2-3 times a week during the spring/summer and into early fall. Once the weather starts getting bad, I reduce it to once a week.
I grill anything and everything that can be grilled. Out here store bought fish is cheap and high quality. I grill lots of fish. Those foil grill bags are awesome! As I type this, there are 2 whole racks of babybacks and a pork shoulder in the smoker. They'll be done some time tomorrow. Tonight I'm grilling some nice NY Strip Steaks I picked up at the butcher shop (yes we have an actual Butcher shop out here... haven't seen one of them in years!)
But I grill everything, even the vegetables. Corn or asparagus are the current favorites.
We should have stayed for supper when TF Kilo and I were moving. Breakfast and a roof over our head was greatly appreciated though. We owe you and the misses one.
You have some great recipes that I need to steal.;)