I want to start grilling. What's a good charcoal grill to get?
What other things do I need?
What are some good entry-level recipes that would be hard for a beginner to fuck up?
weber smokey joe
chimney starter, tongs
corn in husk, grilled peppers, steak
>>7406681
>I want to start grilling
>posts a BBQ
>>7406704
>weber smokey joe
Not a bad grill, but really goddamn small. Get a larger weber.
>>7406711
>>7406719
BBQ = cooking slowly with indirect heat. Smoking is an example.
Grilling = cooking quickly over direct heat, like grilling burgers or steaks.
You can do either method with most kinds of "grill". Some dedicated smokers are capable of smoking only and don't work for grilling.
>>7406711
That grill is set up for grilling, not bbq.
>>7406681
Get a weber; the bigger the better.
For direct heat use lump.
For indirect you can get briquettes without additives (stubbs and kingsford competition).
Light your charcoal with a chimney.
Probe thermometer
>>7406977
I agree with this grillmaster.
A largish weber kettle grill sells for 99.99 new. With it you can grill, smoke or even bake.
You will want a chimney, tongs, a flat scoop to retrieve partially used briquettes is handy. Fire source of some type, thermometer, grilling spatula, and probably a grilling mitt (It's not really needed for the lid, but if you ever have to add coals after the burner is going, you'll appreciate it.
If you get into smoking you will want a drip/water pan, and possible some charcoal holders to keep the coals contained on one side of the coal rack. You will maintain temperatures better with that setup. I would also recommend buying the grilling rack with the trap doors on it that will allow you to add coals to the side bins.
After that it's just getting the woods and rubs you want.
>>7406681
Start with chicken and pork. They're inexpensive so it won't hurt you in your wallet when/if you fuck up.
>>7408018
Good call. On top of that, check out Weber's YouTube channel. They'll try to sell you shit you don't need, but they do show a lot of very good technique.
>>7407982
>Light your charcoal with a chimney.
This is the way to go. Crumple some newspaper and you've no need for lighter fluid.
Grill coal? Buy a huge bag of walnuts and soak them in sugary water in a huge ass bucket for a good 20 mins. When you took them out, their shell will crack open easily and they burn just sweet as grill coal. By the way keep banana peels and bay leafs at your reach when grilling some good steak or fish. They keep it juicy and tasty.
>>7408070
That sounds so much more expensive than Kingsford.
If in the US, you can get Kingsford for cheap on memorial or labor day weekends at Home Depot. I think it was 6 dollars for 2 giant bags last year. I bought 18 bags. They do it every year as a loss leader.
charcoal is only worth it if you're cooking a lot of food at once.
if you're some lonely basement dweller wanting to grill a couple chicken thighs or a pork chop, just get a propane grill.
>>7406681
Get a lot of spices to make your sauces yourself.
>>7408109
If Liz Lemon was real, this book would be the Secret Santa gift I'd give her at the office party.
And then I'd play Horny Santa with Cerie.
>>7408109
No reason not to have both.
I have a charcoal grill for when I want to have people over to hang out and drink outside on the deck while cooking a bunch of food.
I also have a propane grill that I use when I just want to quickly grill something small without fucking around with charcoal.
>>7408131
If you're not going to use charcoal, and add some flavor, then you might as well just use the broiler in your oven.
I get where you're coming from, I used to think the same, but with a chimney, it only takes like 10 minutes to get your coals ready. Start them up, prep the meal, and by the time you're ready to grill, it's ready.
>>7408159
True, but in that same 10 minutes, I can fire up the propane grill and heat it up, grill a couple burgers or some chicken or whatever and be done without any additional cleanup. Plus it still tastes smokier than stuff does under the broiler in the oven.
i give everything i grill a really thick paprika rub.
the paprika absorbs all this smokey flavor and forms a nice crust.
>>7406681
Weber makes good shit at fairly reasonable prices.
The smokey joe is small, but it's a good grill to start with.
>>7408109
Absolutely this. I bought a 57cm Weber Kettle, but since I was only cooking for myself I found it to be a huge waste of charcoals.
I went and bought a babyQ and love it. Perfect if I'm going to one or two steaks, but if I have friends over I can fire up the big Weber.
>Charcoal
You already done fucked up, son
what do yall think about pellet grilling? there are ive seen a lot of diff. companies roll these out.
basically its electrically powered that pushes out wooden pellets into "fire chamber" at a specific interval so you can control very accurately the temperature and it keeps it steady
any review that talks about it makes it sound like its the induction cooktop of grilling
pros
steady temp, no fuss, ready to go at any moment
cons
cant use regular charcoal, have to use small pellets
has to have electricity
not very legit for smoking bc the "burning logic" of the fire chamber/pellets burns very clean (combusts at a near perfect rate)
>>7406681
>What's a good charcoal grill to get?
Anything Weber. They cost a little more than the no-name brands you'll see at Walmart or Lowes, but that's because they are well-made. You might try looking for one on Craigslist if the price of a new one is too steep for you.
>>7408123
>Cerie
get a load of this pleb
>>7409457
They have smoke modes that reduce the airflow and promote incomplete combustion.
My parents have a Traeger and it's great.
>>7409550
>They have smoke modes that reduce the airflow and promote incomplete combustion.
now we're talking i didnt know. do you "have to" use their brand name wood pellets or do other brands work just as well?
i wish i could try one somewhere rather than buy one, theyre pretty expensive
>>7408131
I'm a charcoal snob myself. but I'll never fault someone else for using propane to grill steaks or other quick cuts.
If I wasn't a closet pyro, firing up a chimney full of coals for two and a half min on each side just wouldn't make sense. But I love lighting my chimney as much as i love eating.
as it stands I usually buy a bunch of polish sausages to throw on after the steak :D
best all around bbq/grill/smoker/pizza oven combo for those who can afford it. i can't but i had a friend whos old man had one.
>>7410821
my dad has one, it's the bees fookin knees m8. seared a steak at 1000c
>>7408094
It's $10 here for 2 20lb bags, but yeah, I load the fuck up every year when Home Depot puts the Kingsford on sale. I grill at least 2-3 times a week, usually.
>>7409642
>as it stands I usually buy a bunch of polish sausages to throw on after the steak :D
This. I always keep some sausage or something to throw on the grill because I hate wasting a good fire.
OP, try slow cooking chicken quarters on indirect heat. It's easy as fuck, they're inexpensive and it's really hard to mess them up. Put a good rub on them and then grill them with the lid closed for about an hour and a half or a little longer, turning them every 20 minutes. Throw some wood chips on there if you want some extra flavor.
>>7408159
The broiler isn't as good as a propane grill is. When you grill food the flavor comes from two things:
1) the smoke from the wood
2) the fat dripping down into the coals/grate/etc and vaporizing
Charcoal grill does both.
Propane does #2 only
Broiler does neither.
That's the same ranking for heat output as well. Charcoal is hotter than propane which is hotter than a residential oven's broiler.
>>7409457
That's not grilling. That's for smoking only.
>>7410929
Whoops, I forgot to mention that you could add some wood chips to your propane grill to get some smoke but it won't be as much as actually burning wood or charcoal. Not to mention that wood chips are often quite expensive, but it's still better than nothing.
>>7408635
>but since I was only cooking for myself I found it to be a huge waste of charcoals.
You know you don't have to fill it all the way up, right? You can build a small fire in a large grill, but you can't do the opposite.
>>7408007
Thanks for the advice anon. I'm buying a grill too.
>>7406711
ahh, you have to get tighter with your nomenclature.
Barbecue is a method of cooking
Grill is a piece of cooking equipment
I would get a knock off weber style kettle grill (fuck paying for a brand name). Bigger is better. No one ever wished they had a smaller grill.
Chimney starter is mandatory
Charcoal brickettes are burn more consistently (you can set your watch by it), but produce lots (and I mean LOTS) of ash.
Lumpwood can burn hotter (if you have the right conditions) produces less ash and gives a better flavour. But its hard to keep a consistent burn and tends to cool quickly when out of the chimney.
I've had great results with both though.
Smoking and grill are totally different schools of cooking, the details of both are way outside the scope of this thread. I would advise you to make your way over to this site:
amazingribs.com
Its the best resource on the web for all things barbecue.
Get propane. I do 70% of my BBQ for myself.
30% for the guests and the never complained that it wasn't char coal grilled.
>>7410933
>theyre only for smoking
do you mean that are only good at smoking? every single company that does pellets calls them grills are they just trying to take my money?
again i wish i could try it b4 buying it
>>7411093
Grilling is the process of cooking food over direct, high, heat. I've never seen or heard of a pellet device that does that. They are all smokers: they burn small amounts of the pellets to produce smoke, but they generate very little heat, and none of it is direct.
Can you post an example of what you are calling a "pellet grill"?
>>7411110
they probably advertise anything and everything with a "grill rack" as a grill
>>7411110
>I've never seen or heard of a pellet device that does that. They are all smokers: they burn small amounts of the pellets to produce smoke, but they generate very little heat, and none of it is direct.
so basically it is a wood started convection oven-
talk about major let down, I thought it was supposed to start and maintain a full on fire.
this>>7411117
is what I fell for
thank you for clearing that up, certainty a big difference
>>7410950
>I would get a knock off weber style kettle grill (fuck paying for a brand name).
Webers cost a little more because they are made a lot better than knock-offs.
>>7412218
Its a metal bowl that you put a fire in, how well made does it need to be made?
>>7413743
Better welds, better enamel to hold up to heat and prevent rust.
A cheap one's paint will crack, and then moisture and heat will cause it to rust out fairly quickly. You'll spend more in the long run.
Really this goes for any tool. Buy quality, you pay 25% more, but you get to use it twice as long or more. Hell, I'm still using a Makita drill from the 80's. I would have gone through 5 black and deckers in that time.
