Expert: Whitestag - 3/6/2004

Question
I'm hoping this question falls within your area of expertise.  My wife and I both love our steaks, chiken, ribs, etc, charred/blackened on the outside and nice and pink (medium rare) on the inside. Is there a way to get that without having big flames? We are going to be buying a new barbeque(propane) this year and we want the flare-up but they all seem to be built to prevent flare-up.  I thought it was the flare-up that gives you the charred/medium rare.  Is there a particular BBQ that you like to use?  Is there a particular feature we should be looking for that will give us the flare-up we want?  What do you think... can you help us?

Thanks in advance

Jim

Answer
It isn't the flare-up that you want, it's high heat.  Flare-up is burning grease -- you want burning charcoal (or wood).  Use charcoal rather than gas, and you'll be far more likely to get the flavor and effect that you want.  Gas just doesn't burn hot enough.  In fact, try to get your hands on lump charcoal rather than briquettes -- it burns hotter and gives better flavor.  Avoid using lighter fluid -- it never really burns off completely, and you end up with some of the flavor of the stuff in your meat.  Start up your charcoal with a chimney starter or an electric starter -- I've seen both of these for sale at Home Depot.  Lump charcoal is a little harder to find, but I've seen it at most Whole Foods markets and at Trader Joe's.  If you can get your local hardware store to order it, you'll get a better price.  Lump charcoal burns faster as well as hotter, so you have to adjust the quantity that you use a bit.  I use a chimney starter, and I find that If I fill the chimney just to overflowing, it's the right amount for my 22" Weber Kettle.

Which brings us to your last question -- I find that kettle grilles work best for cooking with charcoal, because you have so much more control over the heat.  If the fire is burning too hot, you can partially shut the bottom vents.  If you shut the bottom and top vents, the fire will go out.

A final comment -- chicken and ribs (if you're talking about pork ribs) should be cooked carefully and slowly -- undercooked meat can make you very sick.  As a result, they tend not to develop the same kind of char on them that you get with rapidly cooked steaks.  Instead, they end up kind of golden brown.

Enjoy your grilling!