I Just Got a Charcoal Grill and I need Help!

Discussion in 'Rusty's Grill' started by hookmom, May 7, 2007.

  1. hookmom

    hookmom 25+ Posts

    OK. Saturday, I redid Frenchie's deck. He has never used it in the three years he has been living in his townhouse. I went out, got rid of all the leaves, and dirt, cleaned up the furniture, got huge pots and geraniums. Then, I talked him into getting a grill. I put the grill together (as he is so bad at that stuff) and now I need help. How do you cook on a grill? how many of those charcoal briquets do you put into the grill? How long do you wait to put food on the grill? Do you use lighter fluid to light, or a match? How do you know if the meat is done? I've never grilled and am a total grill beginner?

    Help! Anyone, someone, Bueller?
     
  2. Luke Duke

    Luke Duke 1,000+ Posts

    Get one of these

    [​IMG]

    and a good book on grilling. I know that the following books are popular, but I have never personally read them. They are all available on Amazon

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  3. CaptainEd

    CaptainEd 1,000+ Posts

    start with that "how to grill" book linked above. lots of good tips in there, and also buy one of those chimney starters. if you mess with lighter fluid or instant/match-light charcoal your meat will taste like it.
     
  4. Texas Law

    Texas Law 25+ Posts

    Definitely get a chimney starter. If you are unsure how to use it, there was a long thread on using one a fewmonths back. Essential for any level of grill enthusiast.
     
  5. 96 Buff

    96 Buff 100+ Posts

    Reading some books is a great place to start. After that, light up some coals and start with cooking easy stuff like burgers & brats, until you get a feel for your grill. Ultimately, though, your best learning experiences will be the disasterous cooking attempts. Good luck.
     
  6. ImissWallyPryor

    ImissWallyPryor 1,000+ Posts

    Whatever you do, never ever ever never use Matchlight or any other ready to light charcoal. If you do, you might as well buy some lighter fluid for marinade.

    I use a chimney, but honestly, I have a hard time detecting a lighter fluid taste when I use regular charcoal as long as I let the coals burn until they are good and gray. Sometimes I find myself trying to detect a lighter fluid taste, so I think it may be my imagination when I do taste it.

    No matter how hard I try, I never detect a newspaper print taste when I use a chimney. [​IMG]

    Oh, and as far as how much charcoal to add, just fill the chimney up to the top. It's hard to get too much charcoal, but easy to get too little.

    Lump charcoal may be the best, but that depends on the brand (nakedwhiz.com ranks them). I usually settle for Kingsford Mesquite since I have trouble finding good lump charcoal where I live.
     
  7. TEXAS1026

    TEXAS1026 100+ Posts

    The simplest way would be to get some Kingsford and lighter fluid. Pour the charcoal into the pit, put enough lighter fluid on charcoal to help it light, light, let the coals burn until they begin to turn gray. Put food on the grill, cook, eat.
     
  8. Luke Duke

    Luke Duke 1,000+ Posts

    ^ I don't find that any simpler than using a chimney starter.
     
  9. NickDanger

    NickDanger 2,500+ Posts

    The essential point for chimney starters is to not use too much paper. Use page A and B and maybe C of whatever section you choose. No more, no less. Lighter fluid is essentially the same as paint thinner and can't be GOOD for you. It might not be bad if you do it right, but why take the chance when you are going to throw away the newspaper you already paid for anyway.

    There are two ways to keep your grilling subject from sticking to the grill. Oil it or cook it to completion.

    What else is there? Grilling is not smoking and lots of folks around here seem to confuse the two and will tell you that the charcoal makes a difference or that gas is somehow different as a source of heat than charcoal. It's not. If you are cooking burgers or steaks or chicken breasts or sausages or veggies or fruits, there is no need for anything other than coals that have become gray in the chimney. It's just a source of heat.
     
  10. S197HQQKEM

    S197HQQKEM 500+ Posts

    CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

    So what kind of grill did you get?
     
  11. hookmom

    hookmom 25+ Posts

    Question 1. What the hell is a chimney starter?
    Question 2. Can you grill tofu?

    The kind of grill I got is one I had to assemble. It is nice-black so it goes with everything and looks really nice and shiney on the deck. I think this weekend we are going to grill. I'll start out with burgers and tuna steak. Maybe some grilled veggies.

    Wish me luck!
     
  12. Smoky Brisket

    Smoky Brisket 100+ Posts

    a chimney starter is the first picture in Luke Dukes post.

    It lights the charcoal without the use of nasty lighter fluid. You can use the time to prep while the charcoal gets good and lit.

    As to your question 2, I guess you can grill tofu. I actually think theres a recipe for grilling tofu in Steven Raichlens book.

    Take some pictures if you do grill tofu and put it up here.
     
  13. hornian

    hornian 1,000+ Posts

    1 - Frenchie is a girl's name
    2 - You're coddling that boy by putting his grill together
    3 - No tofu

    I think that about sums it up.
     
  14. NCAAFBALLROX

    NCAAFBALLROX 1,000+ Posts

    What Ian said ^ ...

    I am not 100% certain, but IIRC photos of tofu will get you banned.

    If it doesn't then something needs to be changed.

    BTW, let me get a slight jump start on the chimney topic. The newspaper goes in the BOTTOM. I.E. on the OTHER SIDE (bottom side) of the grate. I'm just sayin' is all - we've had someone make this mistake.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
     
  15. hookmom

    hookmom 25+ Posts

    Hornian. Ok. Ok. I'll call him Monsiour Frenchie (forgive the spelling)! And......sometimes it just takes a woman to do the man's work! [​IMG] I'm wondering if those chimneys are a Texas thing or if they sell them up here. I swear I've never seen one except on the top of a house!
     
  16. DRAG69

    DRAG69 1,000+ Posts


     
  17. Luke Duke

    Luke Duke 1,000+ Posts

    Buy the chimney starter on Amazon at the same time that you buy the book.

    Here is a link to a recommended chimney starter.
     
  18. misterpink

    misterpink 25+ Posts

    you need to start a fire in that thing before you cook anything you want to eat. Maybe throw some bacon(don't eat it) on the grate for that first fire as well. Also, it won't always be black and shiny and matching the furniture. Besides that get a chimney starter works good.

    For those talking about lighter fluid, my dad is the best meat cook I know. He always squirts lighter fluid all over the grate and inside and lights it. It starts one heck of a flame but he says it is disinfecting the grill. While the grate is hot we clean it with a wire brush. I have never had a lighter fluid tasting piece of meat. So, I would believe that if you let it burn off before you try cooking on it than lighter fluid would have no after effects.
     
  19. led224

    led224 100+ Posts

    Keep in mind that it's takes the charcoal awhile to really get going. If it's still mostly black, it's not ready. Wait until it's all grey (45 min-1hr).
    I always use lighter fluid (and lot's of it) and have never had anything come off the grill tasting like it.
    Good Luck!
     
  20. hullabelew

    hullabelew 1,000+ Posts

    hookmom, if you use lighter fluid, please, please have a camera ready for when you set his deck on fire. [​IMG]
     
  21. austintexas

    austintexas Guest


     
  22. Olhorn

    Olhorn 100+ Posts

    Ok Hook Mom, use the chimney as all others have suggested. If you put the lighter fluid directly on the charcoal, be sure to put on enough. You will know when you light it. Let the coals come to gray. Usually about 25-30 minutes on the Texas Gulf Coast. Use a little oil or a Grilling Pam on the Grill and then put it over the fire and let it heat up. Then put on something easy and somewhat inexpensive. Make sure you have the long handled tools to work with the food. By the way, surely your companion will come around and the male will come out along with the cooler of beer and then you are in business. Please feel free to take pictures and report back. Good luck.
     
  23. HornsN04

    HornsN04 500+ Posts


     
  24. Ankf00

    Ankf00 250+ Posts

    Raichlen's books will teach you how to make that charcoal grill dance. He goes nuts with the random, crazy ingredients though, you have to tone that down on your own
     
  25. mayberryrfd

    mayberryrfd 100+ Posts

    If you go to the Weber website, they have a good chimney starter. Get two sheets of newspaper, ball it up and put under the chimney starter. Fill starter about 3/4 of the way up with regular charcoal briquettes. Light paper under the starter and wait for all the coals to turn grey. it would help to have an oven glove or big pot holder for the next part. Once the coals turn color, pour them out into the bottom grill grate. Spread the coals out evenly on the bottom. (I have started putting the coals to one side so I can use the other side for indirect heat...that way I don't burn everything if I get distracted or go check my email...lol)

    Apply any high heat oil to the top grill grate and set on top. Oiling the grate is important. Give it a few minutes to warm up and then place meat or whatever on top.

    You can grill tofu on a grill but you might want to foil under it or get a pan for the grill. If you want to try it without, slice it thick and see if that works. Tofu will heat up really fast.

    I second getting the grill bible. I don't usually mess with a lot of the recipes as I have my own but the front section is really good for understanding how to use the grill and how to adjust the heat.

    If you want to grill veggies, I suggest putting them on a stick and doing it that way.

    Make sure you always put your grill away clean. I know people that leave it until they next fire up and that is just gross. If you don't have a grill scrubber thingie or do like I do and lose the damned thing all the time, use a loosely balled up piece of tin foil.
     
  26. hullabelew

    hullabelew 1,000+ Posts

    Paging Hookie. Did you torch the deck? Flame the tofu?
     
  27. hookmom

    hookmom 25+ Posts

    No--the deck was not burned. However, we had to do some serious pruning of the tree that we grilled under. Some of the branches kind of fizzled. But alas, all is well because I, Hookie, did the grilling last weekend. I made chicken kabobs one night, they turned out great, and the night before did another steak. I'm looking forward to this weekend. I'm going to try grilling duck breasts. This grill thing is so...so...EMPOWERING! For years I was so afraid to take on this grilling thing. Now, I cannot wait to get me some ribs and make a nice b-b-q sauce and grill. The possibilities are endless--grilled andouille...grilled catfish, clams on the half-shell opened up via the grill. Unbelievable. And I could not do this without the help of my Hornfans Buddies! Thank ya'alls!
     
  28. NickDanger

    NickDanger 2,500+ Posts

    Grilling duck breasts will be a DISASTER if you don't parboil them for 10 minutes before putting them on the grill. They are so laden with fat that they will just turn your grill into an inferno of fat fire. I'm assuming store bought ducks. If they are wild, then you need to add fat - like bacon wraps.
     
  29. Texas___Fight

    Texas___Fight 2,500+ Posts


     
  30. hookmom

    hookmom 25+ Posts

    Nick. Thanks for the heads up on the duck. I was just going to buy the D'artagan duck breasts and marinate them in a cherry/balsamic mixture . I had no idea the fat from the duck could do more damage than good. I guess I should just cook the duck indoors. Thanks again for the tip! [​IMG]
     

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