Thursday, Jul. 03, 2008
Gas or Charcoal? The Debate Lives On
Grilling Aficionados Discover an Alternative Grill, Varied Food
By Brandon P. Murray
Contributing Writer
Many families gather for the Fourth of July to watch the skies light up with fireworks, but before the ramparts begin bursting in air, many also fire up their grills for a good old-fashioned holiday barbecue.
But, with grilling comes that long-debated burning question — which is better, gas or charcoal?
"You can cook anything you want on any of the grills, or you can smoke or you can do virtually anything," said Greg Foreman, owner of Foreman’s General Store in Colleyville.
It’s a matter of personal preference, Foreman said.
His store offers a variety of grill types as well as smokers, he said.
"The benefit of gas grilling is of course speed," Foreman said, as it is quicker to light than charcoal.
"You get a little better flavor from charcoal," he said.
This is because of the smoke from the charcoal, which influences the flavor, Foreman said.
Charcoal and gas grills both produce carbon. Foreman also now carries wood pellet grills, which he calls "green source" grills because they have a smaller environmental footprint than gas or charcoal, Foreman said.
Wood pellet grills are "a little slower cooking, a little juicier cooking, a little healthier cooking," he said, and are gaining in popularity.
Some people use grills all year because of the added taste and the efficiency. Some cooks prefer grilling for health reasons, giving lean meats, fish and vegetables that special grilled flavor.
Grills, in general, are a very versatile cooking tool that can prepare a variety of meals beyond the traditional hamburger or hot dog, Foreman added.
"I pretty much make everything on the grill."
Just as the type of fuel is an important factor, so too is the craftsmanship of the grill itself.
"I tell everyone, 'Everything we sell catches fire and cooks food,’" said Beau Noack, a salesman at Barbeques Galore in Grapevine.
"What separates it is basically how long it [lasts] and the quality of the parts," Noack said.
Barbeques Galore owns the manufacturer and all the copyrights for its line of house grills, Noack said. "So if you buy one of our house brand grills we take care of all of your parts. You just come here and ... we do all of the service."
"A lot of these grills, if you take care of them, will last from 20 to 30 years," Noack said.
The cheaper charcoal grills tend to be made of aluminum or cast aluminum rather, which can’t tolerate as high a temperature as stainless steel.
"The best charcoal grill in my opinion is the Big Green Egg," Noack said.
"It is actually made of ceramic. And so with the ceramic the entire grill heats up," Noack said. "The hood, or the lid , actually radiates heat down so it basically cooks food from all directions."
Rather than using lighter fluid to light a charcoal grill, Noack recommends "fire starters," which are little cubes that you light and drop on top of your coals.
"Lighter fluid, especially when it’s not used properly, will make your food reek of lighter fluid," he said.
Both Foreman and Noack stress the importance of getting a good warranty when purchasing a grill of any type.
Noack points out the necessity of reading any lifetime warranty carefully because the length of a "lifetime" can be deemed differently by each company.
Barbecues Galore limits its lifetime warranties to 15 years, Noack said.
Foreman said that, "We are a Webber dealer and Webber offers a warranty."
Foreman added, "I’ve never had them turn me down on a warranty issue at all, regardless of age." For more information on grills, call Barbecues Galore at 817-421-9052 or Foreman’s General Store at 817-281-7252.
Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon
Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets
2 thin untreated cedar planks
lots of ginger, chopped
2 Tbspn. lime or lemon zest, chopped fine
2 Tbspn. orange zest, chopped fine
1 dash salt and pepper
olive oil
2 Tbspn. Cajun spice seasoning [available from McCormick’s or Island Spice]
Instructions:
Preheat grill and oil up one side of the cedar with olive oil. Sprinkle a bit of the Cajun seasoning on the plank, and lay the filet of salmon on top. Season the filet with salt, pepper and the Cajun seasoning. Cover the filet completely with the ginger and zest — this adds flavor and helps the fish retain all of its moisture. Put the whole thing directly on the grill over the coals [cedar plank side down], close the lid, and stand back! It will smoke like crazy for a while, but that’s OK. Check on the salmon after 15 minutes. If the plank catches on fire before the salmon is done, simply spray it with some water. When the salmon is done, you can either serve the whole thing with the cedar flaming around the edges, or remove it from the cedar plank and serve. You may wish to remove most of the crushed ginger topping as it is a bit overpowering.
Recipe Source:
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