Charcoal grilling anyone?

[volvoguy87]

It's that time of year, when the weather is warm and the grills come out. My housemate has a charcoal grill and we are preparing to fire it up for the first time this year tomorrow afternoon. It has been quite some time since I used a charcoal grill but I am trying to get all the necessary supplies together. I just can't find any old fashioned lighter fluid.

I remember from years ago that charcoal lighter fluid had a very distinct and pungent odor. I always associated the smell of charcoal lighter fluid with summer, good food, and good times. All the lighter fluid I can find here is "odorless." I know to let the coals light and allow ALL the fluid to burn off before getting food near the grill and I would like to find some of the old fashioned lighter fluid to make it like I knew as a kid. No, I don't intend to use it as an air freshener or anything silly, I just want the grilling experience I had while growing up.

Can any of you get original style lighter fluid, or is that kind NLA?

Medium well for me,
Dace

 

[maytagbear]

Are you sure you want that

"petroleum overtaste?"

I was so glad when most of the grillers of my circle went to chimney style charcoal starters or to propane.

I have doubts about the "odorless" aspect.

Good luck anyway!

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[polkanut]

I use an electric charcoal starter. It's a huge, thick metal loop that you pile your briquets on top of. It will glow red, and while it may take a little longer, you don't get the petroleum aftertaste.

 

[super32]

I get lighter fluid from sams club. It does have the "smell" but i dont think its as strong as you was when i was a child. My mom wanted a charcoal grill for mothers day. So i got her one but she wanted the "match light" coals.

P.S. Mom still lives in Cincy.

 

[jasonl]

Barbecuing with charcoal is not "green" by a long shot, but the lesser of two evils is use the charcoal chimney. If you start it with newspaper, it will smoke and smell like burning paper for a few minutes. You can also use a Sterno to start the coals for a clean start. If you use Match Light, you will get the 70s charcoal grill smell that you're looking for, but I wouldn't want any food to taste like that.

Charcoal BBQ tastes better than gas. Just more work to get it started.

 

[abcomatic]

after taste

Talk about after taste. My grandmother, who lived in Kenosha, Wis., always kept a Mason jar in the trunk of her '53 Plymouth filled with charcoal bricketts and GASOLINE. lol After taste? I am surprised that we didn't blow up the car or set fire to the sand on a beach on Tobin Road, south of Kenosha.
I sure miss those times, and I didn't even know about after taste. We ate Oscar Meyer smokie links, cooked on stones that I fetched from off of the beach, potato salad that hadn't been in the 'fridge since the early morning and gallons of lemonaide.
After taste was not even an issue. Yes, I do glow in the dark. lol Have fun cooking out. Gary

 

[whirlaway]

Steak on a Grill

My brother is a far better cook than I.He always uses the old lighter fluid.The steak is delightful.The green thing sometimes can go just a little to far and believe me Im not a wasteful person.If your over 40 you understand perhaps a little bit better about those good-ole,cookouts.Bobby

 

[toggleswitch2]

I remember from my youth, in the days of the early 70's, the neighbor using an electric charcoal starter a (a loop of electric coil as one would see in a top-burner [Calrod]of an elecric stove) to start his BBQ.

Then he'd use an electric fan to get the coals an ashy-grey and ready for use quicker.

 

[runematic]

I do a lot of grilling, bbq-ing & smoking year round & I definitely use a chimney. I switched years ago. While I love the smell of lighter fluid, I love the better taste & ease of use of the chimney. In a pinch, fluid is ok, but try a chimney, you'll get a nice charcoal smell & that'll take you back to childhood as well.

 

[volvoguy87]

Good food!

I wanted original stinky lighter fluid partially so I could tell when it burned off. Instead I had to make due with Kingsford orderless fluid on some non-Kingsford hickory charcoal briquettes. The results were fantastic! The grill is a red Weber kettle grill and we only made hamburgers, but WOW! It also helps that I got the ground chuck at Cincinnati's Findlay Market, a 19th century market that just never closed. The ground chuck I got was not too expensive, but was of the highest quality and was ground just as I walked in the store.

One of the best burgers I have had in years,
Dave

 

[jasonl]

Can't beat a Weber

I have the 21" One-touch gold (has the ash catcher underneath). More than enough capacity for me and Helen and will easily cook for the whole family. It cooks wicked even and at the perfect temperature. The only downside is it takes ALOT of charcoal. A full chimney full and then some. But that's ok, it makes the best barbecue around.

KC Masterpiece Smokehouse Marinade... OMG

 

[whirlcool]

There is nothing like home made BBQ!

Here is the recipe for my home made BBQ sauce. It is FANTASTIC on Country Style Ribs, even works well on beef ribs too.

Allen's Home Made BBQ Sauce

2 Cups Open Pit BBQ Sauce (either regular or hickory smoke will do)
1/2 Medium Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Whole Lemons
5 Tablespoons Lean & Perrins Worchester Sauce
1/4 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Ground Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Chop onions and reserve. Put the Open Pit, Brown Sugar, Tabasco, Paprika, Ground Black Pepper and Cayenne Pepper, and the juice of the two lemons in a saucepan. Stir pretty constantly as you heat the sauce. Heat until it starts bubbling. Then stir in the chopped onion and mustard. Then stir in the honey. At this point you can stir occasionally. Simmer slowly for about 20 minutes until the onions just about disappear.
Let the sauce cool to room temperature. Then use on food while cooking. This sauce makes a nice glaze(that browns beautifully) on the food you are cooking. But it is VERY sticky. Make sure you had out lots of wet wipes to the people you are serving. But this recipe makes the best BBQ sauce I have ever tasted! Optionally, you can put a bowl of it on the table for people to add more while consuming this dinner.

Generally when I serve BBQ ribs, I serve Scalloped Potatoes
and Fresh Corn on the cob.

Allen's Scalloped Potatoes

3 Idaho Russet Potatoes (or Yukon Gold Will do too)
1/2 Coffee MUG Flour
1/2 stick butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon each, Salt & Pepper
Paprika
3 slices each American Cheese/Swiss Cheese

Preheat your oven to 375F degrees.
In the coffee mug add the flour and salt & Peper. Mix well.

Peep and slice potatoes about 1/4" thick, now butter a 6x9 baking dish]
Add a layer of the potatoes, then dust with the flour mixture.
Now add about 10 "dots" of butter on top of this layer.
Repeat by adding the next layer of potatoes. Then dust & butter
Repeat until the baking disk is 3/4 of the way up the top.Make sure you do the same for the top layer.

Scald the milk in a saucepan and then pour evenly over the top of the potatoes. Cover with lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Then uncover and cook for 10 more minutes. Then the last 5 minutes put the cheese on top of the potatoes in a checker board pattern(alternate the American & Swiss Cheese)
and return to oven until the cheese has browned.

Let stand for 5 minutes or so and then serve. This will stay at serving temp for quite some time.

Just a note. Last weekend I made this and knew somebody that had high blood pressure problems was coming over. So I left out the salt and just let people salt this meal to taste after they were served. It tasted ALMOST (90%) as good as the salted version without any salt at all.

 

[alr2903]

Volvoguy if you want some charcoal lighter fluid its in full bloom at the dollar stores. just let it all burn off.. we barbeque old school, and if there is a "flare-up" a splash of miller lite works much better than water

 

[gyrafoam]

Thanks Allen------

I can tell by looking at them those recipies are real good.
I'll give them a try. I've wanted some good BBQ chicken for a good while now. Usually use some good 'ole Williamson Bros. sauce, but I'll try something different.

 

[jasonl]

Coonass barbecue and charcoal chimneys

Arthur hit the nail on the head with the Miller Lite and old lighter fluid. That's what I remember with the weekend barbecues with my family. Lots of drinking, talking in French (Cajuns) and good bbq.

By the way, Lowe's has the super huge Chimney that will work with the 21" Weber grills.

 

[yogitunes]

We should have all got together for a WASH-IN BBQ....good food...good recipes...good drinks and great people...a winning combination in any setting

maybe everyone could bring your favorite DISH(washer) and share...or even a washer for entertainmet...

dinner and a show.........

maybe for the fourth of July..who knows

 

[58limited]

I've been using gas for the last couple of years, mainly to save time. However, when I want serious BBQ, I have a great grill made from a 3/8" thick large steel pipe. I use a chimney (I switched to it back in college) and I find that it actually lights the briquettes faster than lighter fluid. For awhile, I used pecan instead of charcoal - I had cut down two after hurricane Rita. I really like applewood (or any other fruit wood) but it is harder to come by.

Gonna do some grilling tomorrow. As mentioned above, beer is great for flare-ups. I never seem to remember to have water standing by, but I always have a beer in hand while grilling.

I have an old unused bottle of Safeway lighter fluid in the garage that came with the house. Safeway left this part of Texas well over 15 years ago, maybe longer.

Webber grills are awesome. Mine finally bit the dust just about the time I graduated in 1999. I would have gotten another but the grill that came with the house is great.