Bobby Flay's Grill It! - Bobby Flay [2]
BTU’s
BTU’s are not a measure of cooking power. They indicate the volume of gas a grill can burn. In general, large grills with large cooking surfaces require higher BTU’s. That said, well-engineered grills use fewer BTU’s and cook food more efficiently, similar to a well-engineered car. Too many BTU’s can cause damage to burners and reduce the life of the grill. A general rule to follow is to look for 100 BTU’s per square inch of primary cooking space.
Charcoal Grills
Die-hard grillers prefer charcoal over gas. They tell me that there is nothing like the red-hot coals, flames, and smoke. I respect that and use charcoal myself when the mood strikes me. Charcoal grills are much less expensive than gas grills but the same criteria apply when purchasing one.
Price and Construction
Charcoal grills normally range in price from one hundred to five hundred dollars. Once again, a good solid construction is just as important for charcoal grills at it is for gas grills, maybe even more so since you are dealing with open fire and hot coals. You really don’t need to go for any bells and whistles when looking for a charcoal grill but there are a few features that are nice to have and will make your life a little easier. Here is what I recommend:
A porcelain-enamel finish on the bowl and lid make for a practically indestructible grill.
A tight-fitting lid is necessary for cooking larger cuts of meat, which require indirect grilling.
Top and bottom vents allow for good airflow to keep the coals going.
Look for two grates—one in the bottom portion of the grill to lift coals and the other higher for cooking the food. The bottom grate allows the air to flow so that the charcoal burns and so that heat and smoke are circulated during cooking. Generally the grates sit on metal pieces welded to the body of the grill. Check the metal guides and make sure they are solidly attached.
Hinged grill grates let you add additional charcoal easily while grilling.
A model that includes a damper will allow you to sweep ashes into it so you aren’t left having to scoop them out yourself.
Lump (Hardwood) Charcoal versus Charcoal Briquettes
I prefer lump charcoal over briquettes but I do use both for different reasons and different recipes, and sometimes I combine them. Lump charcoal gives a great woodsy aroma to food and briquettes provide long, even heat. Both burn equally hot but lump charcoal burns very hot and very quickly, which works well for quick-cooking items such as burgers, fish, and chicken breasts. If you want to grill long-cooking items such as a pork shoulder or brisket, then the slow, steady heat of the briquettes is the way to go.
Building a Fire
Don’t even think about reaching for that can of lighter fluid. One of the single greatest inventions ever created for grilling is a chimney starter. This aluminum cylinder requires only charcoal, newspaper, and a match or lighter to create clean-burning, glowing bright red coals in less than 15 minutes. To use a chimney starter, follow these easy steps:
Stuff a few pieces of newspaper into the bottom of the chimney starter.
Remove the top grate of the grill. Place the chimney starter on the bottom grate of the grill, right side up.
Fill the top part of the chimney starter to the top with charcoal. Light the newspaper with a lighter or matches.
Heat the coals until they glow bright orange and turn ashy.
Carefully empty the coals evenly over the bottom of the grill.
You will get approximately an hour of grilling time from a large canister of coals so if you are planning on grilling something that takes longer to cook than an hour (such as brisket or pork butt), be sure to have another canister of hot coals ready to go to replenish the heat before it dips too low.
Direct versus Indirect
Confusing? It really is quite simple. Direct grilling literally means to grill the food right over the heat source and is used when grilling small, lean items that