GRILLED TO PERFECTION
Grilling is a method of quickly cooking food over high, dry heat. This technique shares many similarities with barbecuing and smoking. Although backyard cooks often choose to grill meat, you can also grill vegetables or almost any other type of food.
Enthusiasts almost always use charcoal or propane for fuel. If you’re in the market for a new grill, consider gas for convenience or charcoal for quality. The small amount of smoke emanating from glowing coals gives meat a light smoky edge that grilling aficionados love. In this article, I’ll focus on grilling over a charcoal fire.
Fuel
Most stores that sell grilling supplies offer both lump charcoal and charcoal briquettes. Lump charcoal is made from hardwoods burned in an environment where oxygen is excluded. Because it burns hotter and faster than briquettes, you’ll need more lump charcoal — and, unfortunately, it’s more expensive. Lump charcoal is best for steaks and thick pork chops.
are made of a variety of things, including wood, coconut shells, or peat. They typically contain a small amount of coal, and they may also include petroleum products. To make briquettes, these materials are reduced to small particles, mixed in a slurry, and then pressed together and dried. A binder, usually some form of starch, makes them hold their shape once dry.
