So, apparently I am completely incompetent at using a simple charcoal grill. A device that should be easy. I mean really–put charcoal in grill, light, cook food over hot coals. People have been cooking this way forever, right? How hard can it be?
Well, let me tell you. It’s quite hard. First of all, the charcoal we had wasn’t that “quick-lighting” kind. I tried the pyramid. I tried lighter fluid. I tried that charcoal starter device-thing. I tried combinations of all of the above. Could not get the charcoal to stay lit. So, I went out and bought a bag of the quick-lighting charcoal. (Which can’t be used with the chimney thing I bought. Now what am I going to use it for?) That lit much better. But the bag warned me not to overfill the grill and to put no more than forty briquettes in there. So, I put no more than forty. And when I went to cook my fish (fish!) it took forever. Well, okay, not forever. It is fish. But it took much much longer than it should have. Since I had planned on the fish not taking long, we ended up eating very late, and I just plain gave up on the zucchini and had to take them off the grill and finish them in the oven. (Of course, this also happened while my mother-in-law was here, so I got to add this to my biscuit disaster, and now I’m sure she’ll never want to eat at my house again.)
So, yesterday I decided to try again. I was going to barbecue chicken, so I started the whole process a good hour and a half before I needed to have the chicken done. I figured it would take me about a half hour to get the grill going, and about an hour for the chicken to be done, judging by the rate it took for the mahi mahi. Just the evening before, Jesse and I were joking about the grill and I made some off-handed comment about how I was going to give myself lots of extra time so we wouldn’t be eating dinner at 8:00 p.m., and how just because I planned ahead everything would probably cook really quickly.
Ha. Well. There are times when you really don’t want to be right. I also decided I’d use a few more pieces of charcoal this time, to see if that did anything, and I guess those extra briquettes did the trick, because the chicken was cooked in–I kid you not–under twenty minutes. And one side was burnt to a crisp.
There I was, with the main course ready and Jesse not coming home for at least another hour. Plus, I had used the rest of the bag of charcoal, and it was all still in the grill, nice and hot. I rummaged through the kitchen, looking for anything I could grill, just so I could eke out a little more from the charcoal (stuff’s not cheap!). I came up with sweet potatoes. I remembered seeing something about grilling sweet potatoes in the Jamie Oliver cookbook my mother-in-law just gave me, so I tossed them in some aluminum foil and threw them on the grill. They turned out well. Not really any different from oven-baked ones. Threw some spinach in a pot, and whipped up a batch of biscuits (following the recipe this time).
The chicken, however, was a much sadder affair. I picked off the burnt parts and had to reheat them when Jesse got home. They were pretty dismal–dry, kind of chewy. A little extra BBQ sauce went a long way in rescuing it, fortunately.
I’d like to get another bag of charcoal and keep trying. There’s something about grilled food I just love, and it’s summer, and what’s better than barbecue in summer? So, if y’all have any tips or tricks to how I might have more success with grilling, please share. I’m begging you.
7 Comments
I don’t know. For some reason, I have no desire to understand the charcoal grill experience. Perhaps because I don’t really care much for grilled food. I’d say practice makes perfect – just keep trying! And keep track of how much coal you use for what food and how long it takes.
This is why we bought a gas grill! I cannot imagine having to fight with charcoal. So far, we’ve only used it twice, so I am quite a novice to grilling. Good luck!
Well, when I first started learning to charcoal grill, I had similar trials! First, no more of those nasty briquettes. They’re bad for you. They’re not as easy to use as they’re supposed to be. And, like you, I had to use a ton of lighter fluid (gross!) to make things happen, and then I’d have a ridiculously hot grill for hours and would rummage in the kitchen looking for something more to throw on it. Keep your chimney, and get some hardwood charcoal and newspaper for it! You might have to try a few times, but it really works. Down here, we can get Publix Greenwise hardwood charcoal, and Whole Foods sells it too. I’m sure you have some good options where you are. I’m sure you’ve read it or seen it on tv, but you can cook with direct or indirect heat. My dad uses indirect heat when he wants something to cook slowly and get a nice, smoky flavor (ribs, brisket, etc.). He just shoves coals off to both sides and puts the food in the center. Summer’s a nice time to experiment with that kind of thing, but it can be disappointing when you’re sticking to a strict poor people diet. Keep us posted on your trials and triumphs!
Also, I cannot even imagine having a MIL to try to feed!
Ooh, I’ll have to look for those hardwood ones. I think I’ve seen them before. The lighter fluid always smells so gross, and the quick-light briquettes do too.
Seth and I have had a gas grill since we moved in together. it is our main way of cooking meat. Early on, our grill’s starting mechanism was broken and had to be started with a light. I had a bad expereince trying to use it once. I had turned the gas on, but nothing happened for a few seconds, and the poof! A huge ball of fire came out and singed my eyelashes and arm hair. Nothing serious, but needless to say, I did not turn on the grill anymore, which was fine since it was a manly type job. We have a different grill now that works, and I use it all teh time. But like I said, it is gas, so it is realy easy.
We do have a charcoal grill though that we bought for using on little islands when we’re out boating. I never try to use it, but even Seth has difficulty. Many times we’ve resorted to using a bunch of paper towels to start the darned thing. I always thought we had trouble because we’re grilling on an island. But hearing your story, I guess charcoal grill just are an acquired skill!
Oh goodness, I would have freaked out if a gas grill practically exploded and singed off my eyelashes! Aaahh! What did it feel like to not have eyelashes? How long did it take for them to grow in? I’m quite fascinated by this, apparently.