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Charcoal or gas.
Grill enthusiasts have debated the advantages and disadvantages of both since propane and other gas grills were introduced to the marketplace. There are solid arguments on either side.
In the end, it all comes down to personal preference -which creates the specific flavor you seek in your barbecue.
Chad Leger with Leger's Country Market in Mire regularly competes in local, regional and national barbecue competitions. He prefers charcoal pits, but he refuses to use charcoal lighter fluid or bricks pre-soaked in a lighter fluid solution.
Instead, Leger uses a chimney. It's a metal canister with a handle on the side and a grill on the bottom. Charcoal bricks are placed inside the canister. Newspaper or another substance is placed beneath the canister and lit.
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Trevis R. Badeaux
tbadeaux@theadvertiser.com
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Bricks light evenly and, more importantly, Leger said, the chimney eliminates the "lighter fluid-taint taste" on the food.
Great barbecue is important to the Guidry family. That's why Ray Guidry invented the Cajun Grill, a specially designed pit with a charcoal tray that can be adjusted to accommodate the type of meat on the grill - up to bring the fire close to beef to sear steaks and roasts, down to prevent cooking chicken and pork too fast.
Ray Guidry created the first Cajun Grill in the 1960s as a present for his father. Today, his son, Keith, uses the pit to create crawfish maque choux, smothered potatoes and other recipes that earned him a bit of a following among the University of Louisiana tailgate crowd.
"There's something about the smell of a barbecue pit that drives me crazy," Keith said. "There's something about the fire, the raw meat and a sizzle on the grill. There's a deep internal bond a man has with all that. I love it."
The Cajun Grill is Keith's preference, he said, but the amateur barbecue chef has tried his hand at gas grills as well. Gas grills, he explained, sustain the natural flavor of the meat, perfect for a week night, 30-minute cookout.
Charcoal pits add a signature smoky taste to that natural flavor created by the burning bricks. Hickory, mesquite, pecan, oak and other aromatic woods added to the bricks enhance the flavor even more, Keith said, creating a specific flavor some crave in their barbecue.
"Cooking on a charcoal pit is an event better suited for a weekend cookout," he said. "It takes time to get the fire just right. You can't rush it."
For Charley Goodson, charcoal will not suffice. Gas grills are not an option. Instead, Goodson relies on natural woods to get the signature smoky flavor that continues to make his restaurant, Charley G's Seafood Grill & Bar, a popular Acadiana eatery.
"The flavor it imparts on the food is significant," Goodson said. "Fish and meat absorb the smoky flavor of the wood. It can be overbearing if you are not careful or if you use a harsh wood on delicate meat."
Mesquite, for instance, has too harsh a flavor for fish, he said. It's flavor overpowers the taste of the fish. So, Goodson uses pecan and oak, woods indigenous to the region that are strong enough to impart a signature flavor on beef and pork dishes without being too intrusive on seafood dishes.
At home, Goodson opts for charcoal flavored with oak, mesquite, pecan, hickory or other wood shavings. Goodson, like Guidry and Leger, starts his bricks with a chimney to eliminate the fuel taste most charcoal starters give grilled food.
"Generally, the fuel aftertaste is burned off if you use the right amount," he said. "I don't think it's worth taking the chance of it still being there giving an off flavor to the food."
Charcoal v. Gas Q&A
Which grill produces better flavor?
Because taste is so subjective and personal, the debate will probably continue regarding whether charcoal or gas grilling produces superior flavor. Multitudes of taste tests have demonstrated that most people cannot tell the difference.
Which grill lights easier?
Gas grills are a snap to light. You simply turn on the gas, push the igniter button, and adjust the control to high - in just 10 minutes you're ready to cook.
Despite the fact that many people would argue otherwise, charcoal grills are are extremely easy to light and take only about 30 minutes to reach a medium stage of heat. Using a chimney starter can shave another 15 minutes off that time.
Which grill looks better?
This one's a tie. With people spending more and more money to spruce up their backyards, you have dozens of attractive grills to choose from, whether cooking with charcoal or gas. Grills come in high-tech, contemporary, gleaming stainless steel or wonderful bright-colored porcelain enamel. Choose from bright red, cobalt blue, or even designer colors like teal. Even painted gas grills come in colors like hunter green or burgundy. Handsome carts or cabinets in stainless steel or wood finishes add to the sturdiness and beauty that can enhance your patio or deck.
Buying a grill that suits your style and needs is a little like buying a car, except, unfortunately, you can't take it out for a test drive.
SOURCE: Gas versus Charcoal Grilling,
www.dummies.com
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