The great American barbecue is a traditional way to bring family and friends together on a pleasant sunny afternoon but the sun isn't the only thing heating up these days! Over the years, there have been many heated debates about which types of grill cook meats better; natural gas or charcoal grills.
Die-hard grilling aficionados affirm that the flavor and process of cooking with charcoal grills can't be matched but with the majority of new grill purchases being gas models, there are obviously fans in that camp as well.
Tom Maley, Owner of Jack's BBQ on North Market, uses a gas based grill for his barbecue offerings. Jack's has been a Shreveport staple for more than thirty years. "When this restaurant first opened, we used to use a wood smoker. Over time, I found that we get a better result with a gas grill. In fact, charcoal can be drying to meat if left on the grill too long." Although reluctant to share any secret recipes or proprietary tips, he offers one word for keeping meat flavorful with a grass grill: marinade.
The case for gas or charcoal seems to be divided along three main points: convenience, cost and taste. Charcoal grills require quite a bit of afterwards clean up while gas grills require you to heat the grates and scrape with a wire brush. The ash residue left by the charcoal will have to be cleaned out and thrown away.
Sue Cobb with Cobb's BBQ made some transitions with their barbecue preparation as the demand required. "When we changed from a small rotisserie to a commercial sized pit, we went from charcoal to hickory wood. Hickory wood provides us with great flavor and burning capability." Cobb also advised that "you just don't want to cook over gas with no flavor" and offers the following tip: place wet hickory chips on the grill for added flavor.
Gas grills have push button starters for an instant fire; although you still have to heat it up. It will take at least 30 minutes to heat the charcoal to the required temperature. In addition, with a gas grill you can grill for longer periods of times without having to replenish the fuel. One disadvantage is if you run out of gas and don't have an extra tank, your grill cools quickly and you could sabotage your barbecue efforts.
The ability to raise and lower the heat with a gas grill gives you the option of controlling the temperature of the foods being grilled. You will never have to worry about the wind since the heating comes from below and they heat more evenly over the surface grates. With a charcoal grill, you do not have the ability to regulate the temperature and will have to rotate the food to find hot spots and then to cold spots for proper and thorough cooking.
For some, this little bit of extra work is acceptable in order to get that genuine barbecue flavor for their steaks on a grill, burgers or ribs that they swear natural gas grills just don't provide.
Shreveport resident Ronald Monsour prefers a gas charbroiler for his home cooking use. He does admit that a wood grill is best for long cooked meats such as brisket but if it's a steak or small meal, gas is his grill of choice. "We make an all purpose seasoning and homemade sauce that gives the meat distinct flavor. If you really want a good taste, marinade your meat overnight and throw the meat on an extremely hot grill. It seals in the flavor." Monsour also adds that tongs and spatulas are a better way to flip your meat to avoid penetrating the meat and losing the juices. "Be sure to let your meat sit 4-5 minutes after you take it off the grill so the juices can be reabsorbed," he adds.
When it comes to cost, the charcoal grill is much more inexpensive than a gas grill. The smaller models are great for someone with no backyard or limited grilling space.
Charcoal grills may not have the ease of natural gas grills when cooking a barbecue, but for serious barbecue connoisseurs, it's the ritual that counts. The primitive thrill of cooking outdoors will keep this debate heating up for years to come.
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