Comments on: The Art of Summer Grilling

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 21 May 2010 20:15:00 +0000

wood is the way to go but i can’t use it on my balcony…the association doesn’t allow it :(

By: ken

ken — Sun, 31 May 2009 00:49:40 +0000

Hey A T. Nelson, We would use the coffee can trick every now and then except we would just cut out the bottom and pull it out of the grill with a pair of vise grips.

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:47:46 +0000

The charcoal chimney is a great thing…if you have a can of non-stick spray handy, spray your newspaper before you crinkle it up to shove in there…it’ll burn longer while lighting the coals.
And if you really want to learn to cook real barbecue, the Weber Smokey Mountain is the easiest and best introduction to that…it’s very well built and even newbies can turn out some really good Q with it.

By: A.T. Nelson

A.T. Nelson — Sat, 23 May 2009 17:01:03 +0000

Another note on chimneys: I recently made myself a chimney starter using a large metal coffee can and some wire. I simple cut the top and bottom off of the coffee can with a can opener, punched a series of holes around the can about 1/5 of the way up from the bottom, and crossed a wire back and forth between the holes to create a grid near the bottom of the can. I took the bottom piece that I had cut off and punched more holes in it, then set it on the grid to create a platform for the coals. I also cut some notches along the bottom of the can to allow more air to mix.
The homemade chimney starter doesn’t have a handle, but I simply set it in the grill and pour it out using oven mitts. If you decide to make one of your own, please be careful when handling it, as the thin walls of the coffee can conduct heat very well.
I tried it last night, and it worked well. The only problem with the starter is that it is only large enough for a moderate amount of coals. I am going to experiment with adding an additional can on top of the chimney to make it longer. But you can’t argue with the price.

By: Will

Will — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:31:48 +0000

Count me in–chimney and lump charcoal!

I had a gas grill until last spring, when I discovered some critter had gnawed through the rubber hose that connected the propane tank to the grill. We got a cheap charcoal grill as a temporary measure, and discovered how good the real charcoal flavor is. I waited until right after Labor Day, and got a decent charcoal grill with a firebox on the side (for traditional BBQ). Now I use it at least 1-2 times per week. I’ve made traditional spare ribs (5-6 hours, with chunks of cherry and apple to provide some fragrant smoke) along with some great steaks and pork chops.

I will never go back to a gas grill! (Or lighter fluid.)

By: Ron Weitnauer

Ron Weitnauer — Wed, 20 May 2009 23:07:42 +0000

I actually make charcoal grills for a living, and so we do a lot of grilling. Some general things I’ve learned the hard way:

(1) use lump charcoal and soaked wood chips if you want smoke, only use briquettes if you don’t care about sweet smoke and just want searing heat. Just be sure that you don’t throw any additional briquettes on the fire while the food is there – they give off a nastiness caused by the coal in them (they are not really made of all wood) when they are lighting.

(2) Never use lighter fluid. Never use that gross “quick light” charcoal. A chimney is far better, but takes a while longer. The trick is to pour a little vegetable oil on the newspaper and it will burn longer, and light faster. Some grills have the charcoal lighting feature built right in. They’re faster even than a chimney.

(3) Pay attention. Especially when you are doing expensive meats. The internal temperature of a NY Strip will rise 10 degrees PER MINUTE. So the difference between a beautiful $30 steak and shoe leather is 3 minutes.

Hope this helps. Just remember that once you learn how to do it, all grilled foods are just varying degrees of excellent. Happy grilling. Happy eating.

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:29:00 +0000

I agree with Craig. Why ruin a steak with ridiculous amounts of seasonings and marinade. Try some salt and pepper like he said or add melted butter with garlic while it’s on the grill.

By: Perry Clease

Perry Clease — Wed, 20 May 2009 02:38:37 +0000

Another vote from me to use real charcoal and a chimney to light the stuff. The commonly used briquettes containing clay or something leave more ash than real charcoal.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:39:59 +0000

I agree with everything except for one point:

“If you put the meat over the flames, the flame will char the meat, and the inside won’t cook all the way.”

Now, a whole lot of char is not good, but a crisp outside with a nice rare inside on a steak is unbeatable!

By: Craig

Craig — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:25:11 +0000

While I say ‘thanks!’ for the article, the writer lost a lot of credibility with the first mention of lighter fluid….

If you don’t like the taste of the meat, put a bunch of seasoning on it, marinade the heck out of it, and use a bunch of flavored chips.

If you love the taste of meat, just use salt and pepper; get the meat to room temperature; stack really hot coals on one side of your Weber; sear the meat for 3 mins on the fat side; turn the meat over, placing it on the ‘cold’ side of the grill; then, cover the grill and minimize the air flow around the coals to cook the meat for at least 1-2 hrs….