Forget The Gas, Light The Charcoal For A Better Grill Thrill
Turn off the gas grill and light the charcoal for a better grill thrill!
I own three different grill apparatus and have come to the conclusion that when it comes to great tasting barbecue charcoal is the best.
This past Memorial Day weekend my wife and I got together with her siblings and spouses at her mother’s house. My mother-in-law doesn’t own a grill of any type, so we had to bring the grill to her. I own a small Weber charcoal grill that is perfect for tailgating and folks that don’t have a lot of space on the deck or patio for a large grill.
My “Bobservation” on charcoal grilling
I have owned this small portable grill for over a decade and use it only at concerts or football tailgates. It can only cook 6 burgers at a time because it’s not real big, but big enough for the small group of 8 eight of us that got together in her backyard.
My late father in-law Leo working the portable Hibachi. This is how I like to remember him, beer in one hand, fork in the other. No shirt, no problem!
You have to have patience with charcoal grills
We put the grill on a portable table with plywood underneath it and added the match light charcoal and waited around 20 or 30 minutes for the coals to get hot enough to spread out under the grate and start the cook. You have to be patient with the coals because it’s not like gas, where as soon as you light the grill you can start cooking.
People don’t have the patience to use a charcoal grill regularly anymore, we just want to light that grill and get going, but if you have the time to wait for the charcoal to get red hot and start cooking you won’t regret it.
Charcoal cooks fast!
I was surprised at how quickly the burgers cooked when they went on the grill. Even frozen burgers cooked quickly and the dogs too. The char you get on the flame broiled burgers is delicious, and if you like your dogs a little on the charred side, you will love how they cook too.
Experts know why Charcoal grilled meat taste better
From the folks at Napoleon “When you fire up the grill and toss food onto the red-hot grids, the Maillard Reaction occurs. The browning of whatever you’re cooking smells divine, activating the saliva ducts in your mouth, which will facilitate the transference of the chemicals that activate your taste buds.”
I have never heard of the Maillard Reaction, but I sure did experience it this past Memorial Day and hope to be experiencing it a lot more this summer. If you don’t own a small charcoal grill, I highly recommend you getting one, trust me they are a lot cheaper than gas grills and a lot tastier too!
Here I am working my mini charcoal grill, notice that awesome smoke!
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7 Patriotic Desserts Perfect for any Backyard Barbecue
Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle
10 oz angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes, 2 pints strawberries, sliced, 2 pints blueberries. For the cream filling – 6 tbsp fat-free sweetened condensed milk, 1 1/2 cups cold water, (1) 4 oz package white chocolate or cheesecake instant pudding mix, and 12 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed.
Red, White & Blue Pretzel Rods
Pretzel Rods, Red, White & Blue candy melts, Blue sugar, and two small Ziploc bag.
Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes
For Cupcakes – White Cake Mix with red and blue gel food color. For Vanilla Cream Frosting – ½ cup butter, at room temperature, 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 to 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, red and blue gel food color.
Red, White, and Blue Popsicles
Sugar Water Mixture – 3 cups water, 1 1/4 cups sugar. (Red) Watermelon Layer – 3/4 cup sugar water, 1 cup chopped seedless watermelon, 2 to 4 drops Red Food Color (optional). (White) Coconut Layer – 1 cup sugar water, 1/4 teaspoon Imitation Coconut Extract, 1 cup coconut milk. (Blue) Raspberry Layer – 2 cups sugar water, 2 teaspoons Raspberry Extract, and 5 to 7 drops Blue Food Color.
