Gas or Charcoal BBQ

[Melman Giraffe]

Charcoal every time for me. Gas is cheating!

[dougc]

Gas is an outdoor grill

Lumpwood is a BBQ

[Melman Giraffe]

dougc said:

Gas is an outdoor grill

Lumpwood is a BBQ

You know what I mean

[Akers]

Melman Giraffe said:

Gas is cheating!

dougc said:

Gas is an outdoor grill

You're not wrong. The smokey flavour is what makes a BBQ special!

[Davi]

Gas is a hell of a lot easier, but like most things in life what's easy rarely gives the best results!

[Puggit]

Gas - allows us to bbq whenever we like in the summer.

We have a charcoal bbq at our holiday home, for when we have time to make the effort. It's a royal pain in the arse.

[ascayman]

one is a BBQ one isnt.

[hman]

man make wood burn ,

woman make gas burn.

[Pints]

I voted charcoal but there really should have been an option for Wood. A good, dry woodfire bbq can't be beat. Gives the meat a distinct flavour.

[Papoo]

Pints said:

I voted charcoal but there really should have been an option for Wood. A good, dry woodfire bbq can't be beat. Gives the meat a distinct flavour.

To make things better still, given that you don't want to oversaturate the meat with wood - can leave a bitter residue), just chuck wood chips/chunks on the charcoal fire. Hickory for beef - as a starter for 10. Hickory & apple for pork. Or indeed put them on a gas burner, with the chunks wrapped in foil, with a load of small holes in the foil.

Grilling properly on gas isn't much less effort/time consuming, tbh. Rid the ash (and use lump charcoal, not briquettes, as they produce infinately less ash), get a MAPP propane torch and light the coals in 3 places, cover, and wait - with the vents open.

Many don't realise that a gas grill isn't 'instant heat', just because you can see flames. Gas grills need to be heated, and will often take longer to reach a good temperature, if at all..

So, my answer to the OP - charcoal. Weber kettles are brill at a low budget, Make sure you have a grate to put the coals on, so the ash can fall through and not obstruct the air around the coals. Take time to learn what each vent setting gives you in terms of temperature. And buy some woodchips!

[Papoo]

dougc said:

Gas is an outdoor grill

Lumpwood is a BBQ

Not strictly true, Sir. Charcoals/wood is still a grill, if you cooks steaks/burgers etc on it. The process of cooking low & slow for several hours, eg 5 hours on 225F for a rack of baby back ribs, in thin blue smoke.... that is BBQ.
Notice the pink ring inside the meat - that's a reaction caused by the smoke infusing into the meat. mmmmmm...

[cs02rm0]

ascayman said:

one is a BBQ one isnt.

[Cotty]

I prefer charcoal, but I have and use both charcoal and gas. Charcoal gets used at the weekends when I have time, gas is quick and easy for a weekday. Fire up the gas, cook the food and turn it off, handy but not as much fun as charcoal.

[paul0843]

not only does it have to be charcoal,but preferably big "k"charcoal
which is the preferred choice of most restaurants..