Charcoal vs Propane

As I was taking my walk around the neighborhood yesterday; well actually my dog Sammy was the one taking a walk, I was still half asleep as it was 6:30 am. I passed a house that had a Weber barbeque out front and a sign that said “FREE”. It appeared that they were doing a spring clean-up and the grill was meant to go as part of that clean-up. I couldn’t resist stopping and looking at it and I was curious to see what kind of shape it was in. When I opened the top to look it I saw that it was actually in fine shape and was very tempted to go get my car and bring it home! The thought of grilling burgers, chicken and steaks over white hot coals was almost too much to resist. Then reality settled in and I remembered that I have a wonderful propane grill at home and there was no need to have another grill as well. With a bit of remorse, I put the top back on and continued the walk. It got me thinking about Propane vs. Charcoal for grilling. They both have advantages and disadvantages, and as far as pure barbecuing flavor, I think that charcoal wins hands down. There is also something to be said about the whole process of setting up the coals and the anticipation of waiting for the grill to become the right temperature. I do recommend that if you are using charcoal that you avoid using lighter fluid or ready to light briquettes.

Many a steak has been ruined by having an oily residue taste when the fluid has not been burned completely off. I recommend using a chimney fire starter. Not only will your grill get hotter, faster. It will also reduce the secondary flavoring that lighter fluid may cause.

Now for propane, there is certainly nothing better for a quick after work grilling. All you have to do is remove your grill cover, start the grill and by the time you go back in and get your food. The grill is ready. Oh yes, there is indeed a caveat. Make sure you have propane. I think we all have had the unfortunate case of going to start the grill and finding out that the tank is empty or it runs out while cooking. While there are several devices on the market to let you know how much gas is left. I think that the best option is to have a backup tank filled and ready to go, especially during the busy grilling season. Keep you eyes open for a used tank at garage sales. That is certainly an affordable insurance policy against disappointed guests.

As far as flavor, propane does not have the same taste of charcoal but you can use wood chips for added flavor (be sure to soak them first and wrap them in foil for easy removal and clean-up.)

So who wins this contest? In my opinion, it’s a toss up. The real winners are your guests after you serve them delicious food cooked the way they like it. Although the old school charcoal gets my sentimental vote, I think that the ease of propane puts it right up there.

Oh, and by the way, the Weber grill was gone in the afternoon, and I do own a small “Smoky Joe” Weber that can be used for picnics or camping when I do want to grill old school.

May your grill always be hot, and may your beer always be cold.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother’s day is a time to remember Mom. I also would like to thank my Mother for all she has done over the years, and especially for being my first culinary mentor.

As I look back and remember my cooking experiences, I have to recall my first cooking foray which happens to coincide with my first cooking disaster. I don’t recall exactly how old I was but I could not have been more then 4 or 5 years old. My mother was not feeling well and as the Brits say “went in for a lie down.” Well, being the caring son I decided to cook my mom something for dinner. After all how hard could it be? I saw her cooking many times in my short life and I thought I had it down pat.

My first step was to decide on a menu. I knew Mom liked eggs so I checked the fridge and we had eggs. I then hard to pick out my hardware and new that frying pans were used a lot so I grabbed the first one I could find. My next step was to turn on the stove. I saw that done many times and figured I could do that as well. Okay there was one problem; I could not reach the stove! Okay, problem solved. Go get a chair and move it near the stove.

I would of course like to say that after I moved the chair closer everything went smoothly, but of course that is not the case. As a short recap, eggs check, pan check, heat check (thank God the pilot was lit). Now it was time to get cooking. I knew that the eggs had to be cracked and shells were not good so I paid extra attention to make sure that the eggs were cracked correctly and put them in the hot pan. I was “cooking with gas” and quite proud of myself. That is until the smoke started and I could not get the eggs out of the pan! I did not know it at the time; but I forgot on key ingredient to the sauté direct heat technique of cooking. I forgot the fat or oil. Keep in mind that this was the 60’s and non stick cookware was not as prevalent as it is today

Well I learned a lot that day I learned the first of the basic cooking techniques and also how recover from a cooking error. I switched over to plan B and made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Going forward, I learned a lot more from my Mom. I recall sitting at the kitchen counter and watching the basic cooking techniques of baking, roasting, braising, poaching, and simmering. On this day I also remember my first cooking teacher and I say Thanks Mom.

As many of you know, I walked a 20 mile walk yesterday to help raise money and awareness for a real problem that exists today. That problem is America’s hungry. Many of those are children. While I do not intend to climb on my soapbox, I would like to let everyone know that 42,000 walkers and 2000 volunteers helped raise 3.8 Million Dollars for the cause. The team I walked with (United States Personal Chef Association. New England Chapter raised about $2700. A job well done all around and also a big thank you to all who donated.

After the walk, I had a “hankering” for a nice steak. Maybe it was my body saying PROTEIN or maybe my mind saying STEAK. Whatever , it was I stopped at the market on the way home a bought some steaks. Although I have cut down on eating red meat, I thought that after the walk I deserved it. This leads me to today’s post, how to grill a great steak.

Many of us like to go out and get a steak from a restaurant but have difficulty on duplicating the same experience at home. Although we may not be able to get the same result of a top notch steak house with there 600-700 degree grills and ovens, there are tips that we can follow to have an excellent meal and impress our friends.

Tip 1
Buy a good quality steak. The USDA grades beef, and the best is USDA Prime after that comes USDA Choice. While only 2% of the beef is graded Prime, Choice is readily available in your higher end markets.

Tip 2
Take the steaks out of the refrigerator about an hour or so before cooking; let them come to room temperature. Now I know some of you may be crying “foul, you warned us of the Food Danger Zone”. That is okay, one hour for beef at room temperature is acceptable (Warning: this is not recommended for chicken.)

Tip 3
Get your grill hot. If using coals, make sure they are white hot (stack only on one side) or preheat gas grill with one or two burners turned off,

Tip 4
Season just before grilling. Use a spice rub or at the very least salt and pepper. Do not salt before hand as it draws out moisture if left too long. You may also want to brush with oil before seasoning to help prevent sticking.


Tip 5
Sear for a few minutes on each side, do not move around on grill. Let mother nature do her job and the steak will release itself from the grill plate after a few minutes, You can rotate once if you want nice crossed grill marks.

Tip 6
Move to cool side and cover grill. Now perhaps the most important step is to heat to desired temperature for doneness Invest in an instant read thermometer (less then $20.00) Also keep in mind that carryover cooking will continue to raise temp about 5 degrees so remove a bit early

VERY RARE Approx. 130°F, 55°C
RARE Approx. 140°F, 63°C
MEDIUM RARE Approx. 145°F, 63°C
MEDIUM Approx. 160°F, 71°C
WELL DONE Approx. 170°F, 77°C
VERY WELL DONE Approx. 180°F, 82°C


That’s it, follow these guidelines and you are on your way of becoming become a “Grillmeister”

Let me know how you liked these tips, any feedback welcomed.