Outdoor Cooking '09

[bbro]

Queen - I had one guest, not a big deal. He understood. I just whipped out my trusty grill pan and all was cooked.

Urbane - I am trying to do it without the user of match light or lighter fluid. I keep reading that it leaves an aftertaste on lighter flavored meats like chicken which is what I primarily eat. No worries, I haven't given up yet.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by bbro

Urbane - I am trying to do it without the user of match light or lighter fluid. I keep reading that it leaves an aftertaste on lighter flavored meats like chicken which is what I primarily eat. No worries, I haven't given up yet.

It doesn't, at least not that I can tell. The starter is burned off when there are no more flames flickering, just a charcoal glow. Just give it its time.

Starter also works on lump charcoal, which has that nice purity you're after -- just carbonized wood, no extras. Smoking up your meat with mesquite or hickory chips is nice too. Some will dampen the chips before using them, but burning them dry works every bit as well. Since these are tossed onto the coals, just a handful or two, for the sake of their smoke, expect dense smoke to blow all over the place, and for rather a while, too. Throttling the vents keeps the smoke on the meat longer.

The chimney starter, fired with wadded paper, a few lumps of charcoal, and maybe small kindling wood also, has its fans. Never tried it myself, but it's another approach to heating the charcoal long enough and hot enough to get it good and well lit.