Charcoal or Gas?

[Excalibur]

It's incredible how many people who can't stop talking about the better taste of charcoal have served me food that tastes like lighter fluid. The truth is that it doesn't matter if you don't know what you're doing.

Weeknights, I do most grilling with gas -- there just isn't time. When there is more time, then lump charcoal (not briquettes) in the Big Green Egg.

 

[superjohn]

I don’t understand how you could possibly not understand that.

It's not that complicated, I think gas grills kind of suck. If cooking outside I use charcoal. If it's about just being outside and all I had was a gas grill I guess I would take my cast iron outside and put it on the grill.

 

[Excalibur]

Speaking of people who take themselves too seriously . . .

 

[nomar]

It's not that complicated, I think gas grills kind of suck. If cooking outside I use charcoal. If it's about just being outside and all I had was a gas grill I guess I would take my cast iron outside and put it on the grill.

You're right -- it's not complicated. You're being contrarian for the sake of it, because you enjoy that far more than cooking on charcoal.

Virtually everyone agrees that grilling a burger, or chicken, over a flame is preferable to pan cooking it. And even if you disagreed with that for some weird reason, it would be weird to smoke up your kitchen when you could easily cook outside.

 

[superjohn]

Speaking of people who take themselves too seriously . . .

Take myself too seriously because of cooking preference?

That would be like me thinking you're a major for having a Big Green Egg.

 

[superjohn]

You're right -- it's not complicated. You're being contrarian for the sake of it, because you enjoy that far more than cooking on charcoal.

Virtually everyone agrees that grilling a burger, or chicken, over a flame is preferable to pan cooking it. And even if you disagreed with that for some weird reason, it would be weird to smoke up your kitchen when you could easily cook outside.

Steak and burgers are far better on the gas range on a cast iron than an outdoor gas grill IMO and that's mostly what I like to cook for grilling type fare.

 

[nomar]

Steak and burgers are far better on the gas range on a cast iron than an outdoor gas grill IMO and that's mostly what I like to cook for grilling type fare.

Well that was kind of my whole point

 

[superjohn]

Well that was kind of my whole point

All this stuff is opinion, I don't understand why people reheat their pizza in an oven or worse yet a microwave but most people seem to do it this way instead of in a pan when a pan is way better IMO.

 

[nomar]

All this stuff is opinion, I don't understand why people reheat their pizza in an oven or worse yet a microwave but most people seem to do it this way instead of in a pan when a pan is way better IMO.

So it's just semantics. You understand why someone who wants to reheat their pizza in less than a minute would use a microwave, even if you think it's lazy.

Likewise, if I tell you I like to cook burgers on the grill, with a copper mat, because I like the effect of the flames plus the ability to cook the burgers in their juices, while being able to simultaneously grill on the same surface corn or peppers or shishitos or whatever, and also I like to avoid smoking up my kitchen (which even my professional grade hood/exhaust system can't prevent), you surely understand my position -- even if you prefer your way.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Charcoal for taste, but more often use convenient gas grill (especially with fish to keep taste a la Hey Adrien's wicked smaht input).

Tangent: How long must apple, pear, peach tree wood typically need to age/dry out before using for BBQing? A few way overgrown, old fruit trees were cut down recently as they weren't producing much fruit for anyone other than deer, but kept some non-rotted trunks/branches and hope to use them for fall BBQing. Thanks for any helpful input.

 

[UCDaveD]

I’m a charcoal fan myself, but I’ll be dammed if there aren’t days I defer grilling all together because I just don’t feel like going through the motions. Considering adding a gas grill to the stable for those lazier nights.

 

[8893]

Tangent: How long must apple, pear, peach tree wood typically need to age/dry out before using for BBQing? A few way overgrown, old fruit trees were cut down recently as they weren't producing much fruit for anyone other than deer, but kept some non-rotted trunks/branches and hope to use them for fall BBQing. Thanks for any helpful input.

20 minutes.

And btw people are making great hard cider out of fruit like that.

 

[August_West]

Charcoal for taste, but more often use convenient gas grill (especially with fish to keep taste a la Hey Adrien's wicked smaht input).

Tangent: How long must apple, pear, peach tree wood typically need to age/dry out before using for BBQing? A few way overgrown, old fruit trees were cut down recently as they weren't producing much fruit for anyone other than deer, but kept some non-rotted trunks/branches and hope to use them for fall BBQing. Thanks for any helpful input.

Simple. Until dry and burnable. No different than “ seasoning” wood for a fireplace.