By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up
www.globalgourmets.ca michael@globalgourmets.ca
Not a mind altering dilemma, but one that always raises its head when contemplating that purchase of a new BBQ grill.
To be honest either choice has its pros and its cons. When I was younger it was easy, we didn’t have a choice, charcoal was the only way to go. I vividly remember my first foray into grilling outdoors using my much treasured and miniscule cast iron Hibachi grill. If you go by the premise that all you need to cook is a source of heat then it more than sufficed, although its size greatly limited the amount of food I could grill and thus greatly diminished my budding culinary creativity!
Putting my druthers foremost I am definitely a purist when it comes to grilling, I will always opt for the charcoal grill along with natural hardwood charcoal over briquettes. All else aside you just can’t beat the flavours imparted by the hardwood charcoal (mesquite hardwood is the best).Briquettes do last longer, but considering the amount of chemicals they contain I stay away from them. There is something very primal about cooking over charcoal jt brings out that caveman instinct in me!
Let’s get down to the actual grill. As far as gas versus charcoal is concerned gas is definitely easier to use and takes very little time to start up and is usually hassle free. Cost wise however gas grills are definitely more expensive. If you have a multi burner individually controlled gas grill it will allow you to more easily smoke or cook over indirect heat.You can simply turn off the heat on one side and cook on the other, then set the thermostat to the desired heat and walk away and come back 8 hours later for your finished product. This method of cooking can also be achieved on a charcoal grill, but it takes much more care and attention throughout the whole cooking process. I am of the belief that when it comes to barbecuing and getting that great bbq taste no short cuts should ever be entertained.
Let’s focus, for this episode, on charcoal grill and consider what you should look for when buying one.
First you need to decide what kind of cooking you are going to do, do you want to just grill streaks and burgers or do you want to be a bit more adventurous and smoke and cook meats over indirect heat (beer can chicken perhaps?). If you prefer the later then you are looking at some kind of kettle grill with a high domed cover that focuses the heat inside and reduces the loss of heat to the outside. Its shape will also allow for good air flow inside and allow you to properly shutdown the grill after use saving some of your charcoal for the future. These kettle grills can be purchased in different sizes so you can accommodate larger cuts of meat allowing you to smoke or cook indirectly over the heat source with the dome closed. (Smoking is achieved by sprinkling some pre-soaked flavoured wood hips over your coals for the first 10 minutes or so of grilling)
Finally, when using your grill, I want to repeat my advice of sticking to natural hardwood charcoal over briquettes, both for the heat it produces and the flavour it imparts to your food. Trust me there is a huge difference, especially if you buy the Mesquite hardwood charcoal (available at Canadian Tire).Above all do not use that quick light liquid starter, purchase a metal funnel starter and use old fashioned newspaper to get your charcoal going then just transfer it all to the grill The liquid starter stuff is packed with chemicals that will eventually end up on your food to one degree or another.
Finally allow for time when getting your grill going, a good charcoal fire will take up to 30 minutes to achieve…remember good taste always takes time with no short cuts permitted!
Here are a couple of great BBQ recipes I use every chance I can get. The first, Beer Can Chicken, was invented by the godfather of BBQ in the US, Steve Raichlin. It has become quite a phenomenon in the last few years.
Steven Raichlen’s Beer-Can Chicken
This recipe offers a satiating experiment for cookouts. Get creative. Raichlen claims, “Once you’ve mastered the basic procedure, there are no limits to its variations.”
Ingredients
• 1 bottle dark beer (poured into a can)
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• 1 3.5 or 4 lb whole chicken
• 2 tbsp barbecue rub
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
BBQ Rub
• 1/4 cup coarse salt
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sweet paprika
• 2 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
• Mix with fingers in small bowl
Rake burning coals into two piles on sides of grill and place an aluminum foil drip pan between embers. Drink half the beer, make two additional holes in top with a church key–style opener, then add bourbon. Remove giblets and excess fat from chicken body cavities and rinse under cold water. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of rub inside body and 1/2 teaspoon inside neck. Rub oil over chicken skin and sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of rub. Spoon remaining rub into beer (don’t worry if it foams). Now comes the fun part: Hold bird upright and lower body cavity onto can, twisting if necessary. Pull legs forward to form a tripod. Tuck wing tips behind back. Stand chicken on grate over drip pan. Cover grill and cook 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until skin is golden brown and crisp. (Feeds two hungry people or four nibblers.)
Mediterranean Lamb Kebabs
4 cloves garlic chopped finely
3 tbsp harissa paste
Juice of 2 lemons
4 tbsp mint chopped
4 tbsp cilantro chopped
½ cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients andd marinate lamb pieces in it for at least 3 hours. Baste lamb with marinade when grilling
