Which is better to use charcoal, wood, or propane when grilling?
Cooking meat over fire has its perks, but how do you do it? Most people who want to get into grilling always ask themselves ‘which grilling method works best for me?’ Is it charcoal, wood or propane? While there is no real right or wrong answer to this question it ultimately comes down to your lifestyle and preference. Without further adieu let’s check out these different grilling methods.
Lump Charcoal
Lump charcoal is one way to start your BBQ backyard adventures and to be honest it is my preferred choice in my house.
It burns much hotter than let’s say briquette charcoal.
One of my favorite things about lump is that it really doesn’t take long to light up. Each bag of lump charcoal also comes with many different sizes and can vary depending on the brand you chose. They look like pieces of wood compared to the square shape of briquettes. Check out some brands such as Royal Oak, Cowboy Brand or B+B.
Briquette Charcoal
When most people think of BBQ in the backyard this is what comes up ‘briquette charcoal’ in the ole Weber grill. There are many choices out there to pick from some even come infused with lighter fluid (which I would not recommend using).
This can give you some chemical smelling food if you grill too early.
The thing I don’t like most about briquettes is that it’s used from leftover wood mixed with fillers such as sawdust. It can burn longer and produce more ash but they also take much longer to light. If you are having issues with lighting your charcoal click here to learn how to easily light your grill.
Real Wood
If you ever watched an episode of Pit Master or have taken a road trip down in South Carolina or through Texas you would notice the profound use of oak. That’s right good ole oak wood logs are used in a lot of BBQ joints. It produces great flavor without overpowering the food and it is a preferred method. If you can get your hands on some or try some post oak from amazon.
Propane Gas
Here we are talking about gas! Really it’s just a convenient way to grill your food at home. Using it in a pinch when there isn’t much time to light a charcoal grill has its perks. The flavor isn’t the same as a charcoal grill but hey who would complain when your working with time constraints. Just make sure you have enough gas to finish what you are cooking on the grill. There are smoke boxes than can be purchased to give you that nice wood-smoked flavor.
You can use most of the above to smoke your food with the low and slow method (minus the propane). So, don’t delay and choose your cooking method and get grilling!