Charcoal Barbecues Recipes International Guide
Charcoal Barbecues For Better Tasting Meat
By Frank Russelton
It’s not that Consumer Reports Magazine is the end-all-and-be-all
of purchasing guides or anything, but it’s just a little strange
that they run an annual report on barbecues gas grills and not
charcoal barbecues! Sure, charcoal may be more of a hassle to
get going and cook evenly, but they’re also cheaper in price and
give you that coveted smoky flavor that your average gas barbecue
simply can’t deliver.
When you’re shopping cheap, it can be tempting to just grab any
old $20 grill, such as the Arctic Steel brand, yet there’s so
much more to purchasing charcoal and portable barbecues than price
and convenience. In fact, most reviewers rank Arctic Steel the
lowest. Instead, give your purchase a little more thought for
the best grilling experience.
Weber Is The Leader In Charcoal Barbecue
From review site to review site, Weber leads the pack in charcoal
barbecues. Perhaps you’re not looking to spend a fortune on portable
barbecues, but you don’t want some piece of junk that will blow
away or burn your food either. The Weber One-Touch Silver retails
at $75 to $100 (depending on the size) and the Weber One-Touch
Gold runs between $120 and $150.
The Gold features a stainless steel cleaning system, while the
Silver contains an aluminized system. Reviewers praise the oval-shape
that aids in uniform cooking, their proven fifty-year track record
and the one-touch ash-cleaning mechanism. While Derrick Riches
of www.about.com
praises the Weber One-Touch as "the best," he also admits
there are a few shortcomings.
The grills lack side tables, thermometers and lid-catchers, which
are common features on other grills. Additionally, the porcelain-enameled
bowl exterior could be prone to rust and cracking over time, as
can the steel cooking grates. Even so, Weber provides a great
barbecues charcoal experience for the money.
More Room To Maneuver Your Ingredients
The Char-Griller Outlaw, retailing at $160, is another one of
the decent budget charcoal barbecues. Unlike Weber’s oval shape,
the Outlaw has a rectangular shape to accommodate its 1,000 square
inches of cooking space. For the serious griller, the wooden worktable,
three shelves and warming rack add a little extra room to maneuver
toppings, buns, tools and marinades.
With cast iron grates and a powder coat finish, the unit is more
durable than many of its competitors. As with any of the barbecues
charcoal grills, there are a few cons to consider. The large surface
area takes longer to heat up and may be impractical for a small
amount of barbecuing. Additionally, airflow controls are lacking,
which makes it harder to cool down the coals when you’re done.
The Top Of The Range Luxury Model
If you’re looking to buy barbecues that offer versatility so
you can try smoking, searing and baking, you may want to try the
Weber Ranch Kettle ($1,000). Weber is a leader in charcoal barbecues
of every price range, so it’s no surprise that their luxury model
holds its own against the competition too.
The Ranch Kettle gains positive comments for the 1,104 square
inches of cooking space that’ll fit 19 Cornish hens, a superior
cleaning and ventilation system and heavy gauge steel grates.
However, critics argue that, aside from the more durable cooking
grates, little differences separate this $1,000 model from the
$300 One-Touch. Also, you’ll still be missing out on the workspace,
side tables and adjustable coal grate.
About the Author:
Frank Russelton has written a number of articles on food and cooking
including Steak
House, Cooking
Recipes, New
Recipes, Cookbooks,
Cooking Tips.
Keep a lookout for more articles on this website.
Did You Know?
What type of heat sources are used in barbecue cooking?
If you want to start a heated debate among
barbecue chefs, bring up what type of heat source they use to
barbecue. Some claim that true barbecue cooking can only come
from wood or charcoal briquettes.
The argument there is that it gives the
food a smokey taste that cannot be beat and that it is how mankind
has been barbecuing over the centuries. On the flip side are those
that prefer propane grills. They argue that the propane allows
the food to taste properly. That you do not taste the wood or
charcoal but instead get the true flavor of the meat.
If you are cooking competitively in a barbecue
competition then most often you will have to use charcoal or wood.
The idea is because smoking on a propane grill is very hard because
it is hard to truly get the temperature where it needs. And barbecue
competitions look for something called "smoke rings" that show
how long the food has been slowly roasted over a low temperature
fire.
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