Grill Junkies

**GTP231** · 02-03-2009, 05:10 PM

I've just got a lil 17" or so charcoal grill so I'm not looking for anything crazy here. What's your prefered charcoal of choice and some nice marinades bbq sauces?

**cammed goat** · 02-03-2009, 05:12 PM

I either use Kingsford or MatchLight.

**Hi-Po** · 02-03-2009, 05:19 PM

Mesquite wood. Its real Mesquite wood. Puts a real nice flavor into the food. It lights sorts rough, kinda hard to get it going... but I thought it tasted good. Mighta been alittle more expensive.

**adam3566** · 02-03-2009, 05:20 PM

Propane FTMFW!!!

**Hi-Po** · 02-03-2009, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by adam3566

Propane FTMFW!!!

Hank Hill would like to put you in a choke hold.

**adam3566** · 02-03-2009, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Hi-Po

Hank Hill would like to put you in a choke hold.

Doesn't he use propane? Haven't watched the show in some time, but could have sworn he uses propane. I wouldn't grill without it.

**Rhinohuey** · 02-03-2009, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Hi-Po

Hank Hill would like to put you in a choke hold.

Originally Posted by adam3566

Doesn't he use propane? Haven't watched the show in some time, but could have sworn he uses propane. I wouldn't grill without it.

Hank Hill would put you in the choke hold Hi-Po. Only clean burning lady propane for him.

**GTP231** · 02-03-2009, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by adam3566

Propane FTMFW!!!

**Hi-Po** · 02-03-2009, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by adam3566

Doesn't he use propane? Haven't watched the show in some time, but could have sworn he uses propane. I wouldn't grill without it.

Shit, Ya got me.

Havnt watched the show in awhile.

Hank hill would shake your hand.

**adam3566** · 02-03-2009, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by GTP231

Lmao, I prefer to taste my meat instead of the flavored charcoal!

**GTP231** · 02-03-2009, 05:38 PM

My Pork chops taste like pork chops thank you very much

**Hi-Po** · 02-03-2009, 05:39 PM

mmm Pork chops.

**adam3566** · 02-03-2009, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by GTP231

My Pork chops taste like pork chops thank you very much

To each is own I guess. I have tasted steaks cooked on charcoal at football games and they used that flavored charcoal junk and YUCK!. All I could taste was the charcoal.

**steves2000ss** · 02-03-2009, 05:41 PM

Do NOT use matchlite or lighter fluid unless you want your'e food to taste that way. I use kingsford and light it with a propane torch.You will not believe how much better the food taste.

**GTP231** · 02-03-2009, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by steves2000ss

Do NOT use matchlite or lighter fluid unless you want your'e food to taste that way. I use kingsford and light it with a propane torch.You will not believe how much better the food taste.

Hmmmmm

**adam3566** · 02-03-2009, 05:43 PM

Originally Posted by steves2000ss

Do NOT use matchlite or lighter fluid unless you want your'e food to taste that way. I use kingsford and light it with a propane torch.You will not believe how much better the food taste.

I don't use any of those methods, just was stating the few times I did have it, it tasted like garbage.

**Y2KSS1363** · 02-03-2009, 05:45 PM

Gas is for wimps.

Charcoal is the way to go. I use Kingsford. Awesome in my Weber.

Mesquite lump is the goods, but very expensive. When I can get it, I put a few pieces on top of the regular stuff.

Also, use a chimney starter, not fluid.

Most of the marinades in the supermarket are good, A-1's Steak and Chop is one of my favorites for beef and lamb.

Buffalo wing is good on chicken, teriyaki on salmon and pork.

**02Sweet** · 02-03-2009, 06:11 PM

most of the time I have to use propane b/c of time or its too cold outside.

If weather permitting and time i love using regular old charcoal with no fluid in it and use a homemade chimney with an old coffee can

**0rion** · 02-03-2009, 06:19 PM

I've never used a grill before......are they hard to use??

**0rion** · 02-03-2009, 07:10 PM

go here and order a bottle of the shake on seasoning and a bottle of the wet and sweet sauce. Can't go wrong with that combo on pork or beef.
The other thing is to start using indirect heat....that'll introduce a whole different world to you. Put your coals on the far side of the grill and put your meat on the other with a water pan under it. Start out with a pork butt since you really can't screw those up and do it indirect for ~6 hours depending on the size of butt. I like to do 3-4lbers because they come out much better. Put some yellow mustard on the butt and rub it down with that shake seasoning and let it sit overnight. Put it on the far side of the grill with the fat side up and let it go for 6 hours. The good thing about the smaller grill is it won't take much charcoal at all to keep the temp in that 250 range on the meat side. Buy a cheap grill thermometer to put over there with the meat and try to keep your temp ~250. Don't add the sauce until the very end....like the last 15-30minutes. A sugar or tomato based sauce will burn and get bitter. That sauce at the site I posted is a molasses based sauce...very good. If you don't have that use sweet baby ray's original. Then just pull it or I'll usually chop mine with a clever and put grated raw cabbage on top with a slather of sauce.
As far as charcoal or wood it's really a personal preference. I quit using mesquite altogether a year or two ago. It's a strong wood and will overpower stuff if you're not careful so then you're just eating mesquite. I use hickory and apple exclusively these days. Pork has enough fat in it that it'll wash the meat pretty good so you can put more smoke flavor on it.....that's why butts are so easy to start out with. They're more forgiving. Beef and chicken will absorb more smoke and will take some practice to know how much is enough for your tastes.
Pretty much all your smoke flavor is going to be in those first 2 hours of cooking until the meat seals up so I'll mix in wood with the charcoal fairly heavy those first 2 hours then I back it off and only add a little here and there for the other 4. If you use to much wood it'll create a bitter taste so you want to have not enough vs to much. It helps if you char your wood before adding it to the grill or just adding small amounts of "green" at a time.
I only use lump charcoal. I may use some briquettes on rare occassions but you'll find that lump burns much hotter and has 1/10 of the ash of briquettes due to it not having the fillers briquettes have. You can find lump just about everywhere these days. Menard's has royal oak lump which is the best I've used and wal-mart has it during the summer, Meijer's carries frontier which is probably second best, and Lowe's carries cowboy lump which is good. Stay away from kingsford lump. It sparks real bad and is expensive garbage.
Do those things and you'll have some kick ass pork bbq to eat. Let me know before you do it and I'll give you my cell so if you have questions during cooking.