Help a grill virgin out

Killian · Post by **Killian** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 3:22 pm

My wife and I got a small charcoal grill for our wedding. I have never used a charcoal grill, so please educate me.

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 3:57 pm

First things first. Get one of these. A Weber Charcoal Chimney.

What I always do with a new grill is make lots of burgers first. You always want to season your grill as quick as possible. Get some ground chuck, the good fatty shit. Put whatever you like on your burgers, season salt, Tony's, garlic powder, onion powder, worshteshire (sp?), etc. Whatever you like...

If you don't know how to use a charcoal chimney, you just turn it upside down. I put 3 full double sheets of crumpled newspaper in it. You don't rumple it too tight. Just enough to cram 3 full sheets in there. Set it right side up. I put it on layered extra heavy duty foil so I don't burn the concrete. Load her up with some Kingsford and use a trigger lighter to light the paper. In about 20 minutes, you'll have charcoal ready to cook on without having that lighter fluid smell on your meat.

Pour the hot coals into the grill and spread them around a bit. I like to throw some mesquite chips that have been sioaking in water for about 30 minutes on the coals when I put the meat on. Throw your burgers ont he grill and cook'em up. Do extra burgers to get some extra fat in your grill. The more fat, the more flavor.

I NEVER cook a steak on a virgin grill. It's also good to pour some extra seasoned salt and spices on the coals. Really makes it smell good.

Once you get that first round of burgers done, come on back.

By the way, what kind of grill is it? Is it just a small Weber kettle? A barrel grill? Standard grill on wheels with a lid and an adjustable grill height?

socal · Post by **socal** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 5:03 pm

Chuck the charcoal and get a Weber gas grill.

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 5:09 pm

Not sure why anybody would want to grill a virgin.
They have so many better uses.

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 8:00 pm

socal wrote:Chuck the charcoal and get a Weber gas grill.

What would you cook steaks on?

The day Dins eats a fish that isn't wiggling out from under his knife and fork is the day I eat a steak off a gas grill.

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 8:28 pm

IndyFrisco wrote:
socal wrote:Chuck the charcoal and get a Weber gas grill.
What would you cook steaks on?

The day Dins eats a fish that isn't wiggling out from under his knife and fork is the day I eat a steak off a gas grill.

I'll bet you've had plenty of steaks that were cooked on gas grills.
Unless, of course, you've never ordered a steak in a restaurant.

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 8:39 pm

I RARELY eat a steak at a restraunt. First off, I know most of them use gas or electric grills. Second, I know I can cook a steak better than just about anything I can buy at a chophouse. Third, because I can make something better, I'm not paying outrageous prices that places whose gas grilled steaks that taste deece charge.

I'm a steak snob. I don't eat it unless I cook it or I can see who is cooking it and how they cook it.

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 8:42 pm

btw, gas grills have their purpose. I have a nice one myself. I gotta 5 burner stainless bad boy that my wife bought me from Barbeques Galore for $1100 for my wedding present.

I use it plenty to grill veggies, chicken, pork, burgers, dogs, brats, beer can chicken, turkey tenderloins, fish, shrimp, etc.

However, I ALWAYS cook the steaks on charcoal. I do other meats on charcoal too, but I never put a steak on a gas grill.

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 8:52 pm

OK, I can see your point, though I don't think that there's enough of a difference to be that complete of a snob. A good steak is a good steak, and a good steak cooked right on a gas grill is still a good steak. To each his own though. My wife won't order fish at a restaurant because she doesn't think she can get anything that compares to what I fix. Me, I'll eat whatever I'm in the mood for.

I've been looking for a woodburning firepit that also has a cooking grill. When we put in our pool and patio we had a circular area built near the spa with seat walls specifically for a fire pit, which we haven't gotten yet. Once I find the right firepit I'll be cooking my steaks over a wood fire, which beats charcoal all to hell.

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:14 pm

Yeah, that's why I say I put mesquite in my charcoal. Tastes SO much better with actual wood in there vs. just the charcoal.

And the cost of steaks at restauraunts vs. the actual taste is generally why I don't buy them there. I'm no cheapskate, but I can do better myself.

Atomic Punk · Post by **Atomic Punk** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 4:24 am

Mikey wrote: I've been looking for a woodburning firepit that also has a cooking grill. When we put in our pool and patio we had a circular area built near the spa with seat walls specifically for a fire pit, which we haven't gotten yet. Once I find the right firepit I'll be cooking my steaks over a wood fire, which beats charcoal all to hell.

Y2K can build one of those. I've seen his work and it kicks ass. You ought to PM him about it as it's something I want someday.

Those Weber charcoal starters are around $12 at Home Depot.

Good advice!

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 4:24 pm

I've never seen the Weber charcoal chimneys at Home Depot in Texas or Indiana. NOt saying they don't have them in Cali, but not around here. They only have the Char Broil brand which absolutely sucks compared to the Weber. I have one of each. Only time the Char Broil is ever broken out is if I need a lot of coal for the smoker box on my smoker. Usually that is not the case.

Atomic Punk · Post by **Atomic Punk** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 6:00 am

IndyFrisco wrote:First things first. Get one of these. A Weber Charcoal Chimney.

Just checked today.

$12.97 on aisle 3.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:01 am

Got mine for about $4.95.

As a bonus, it even came full of coffee.