If using charcoal, when do you put your meat on the grill?

GadgetGuy

GadgetGuy

(Formerly Shermie)
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Brighton, MA.
I have to ask this question, and please don't take it to offense, but for charcoal cooking, when do you put your meat on the grill to cook?

The reason that I'm asking this is because I've been invited to lots of peoples' cookouts over the years and had some of their BBQ. /and one of my worst pet peeves is eating meat cooked on the grill that tastes like lighter fluid!!

This problem comes from putting the meat on the grill to cook BEFORE the coals all turn white. I always wait until the coals are all white before beginning the process of cooking. Yeah, even some of my family has a bad habit of doing this! They are too impatient to let the coals turn white first, so that there is no funny tasting meat! :(:headshake::stop:
 
We always use charcoal when broiling fish or grilling pork. Our griller is a small roasting (I don't know how it is called) made of metal. To make fire, we char the charcoals above the gas stove by placing the charcoal on the grilling screen. When the charcoal are lit, we transfer it to the griller and use a fan to stoke the fire. When we are in a hurry, we train an electric fan on the griller so the charcoal will turn red faster. That's the time to place the barbecue on the griller, when the charcoal is visibly red.
 
You could simply start the BBQ before they come to your house altogether! That way by the time they are settled and ready to cook, the coals will be already white hot and ready for you to cook on. I had this problem and that lighter fluid can ruin any amount of side dish you have on hand. For this reason I always have something available that I cook over indirect heat. We did some pulled pork over the bbq the night before and then reheated with bbq sauce over indirect heat for the party.

I've resorted to burning some newspaper underneath my charcoal instead of using lighter fluid. I prefer it that way since I've grown to hate lighter fluid immensely. Another tip I can give is to not touch the coals until they turn ashy or grey. Don't spread them around until they are ready. There is also another thing I was told. When lighting the coals, cover the BBQ to let the entire grill preheat.

Hope this helps somehow!
 
Our local supermarket was selling bags of charcoal that you simply dropped as is onto the BBQ [in the bag] - lit the bag and left [an ideal time to have a cold beer !] by the time the bag had completely burned away the charcoal was well alight and only needed a few more minutes to be ready. Sadly they don't seem to have it this year [although it is still early over here].
 
I use two of the alloy lighting flasks using paper and kindling wood and locally burnt charcoal ,light it in the fladk,let it glow,tip out into bbq,allow to go white,
No fluid !
 
Nordic Ware Stovetop Kettle Smoker..jpg


I don't have an outdoor BBQ grill.

But I use THIS for smoking meats on top of the stove - a kettle smoker. No lighter fluid is needed for it at all! I like it very much. :wink:

One of my nephews came over to the fish fry last summer and offered to cook some meat on the grill. He wanted to cook, but he was going to put some lighter fluid over the coals while the meat was on the grill cooking!!!! :ohmy::headshake::stop:

Thank God that one of my brothers were there to talk him out of it!! I won't eat any of HIS BBQ!!
 
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I agree with you, Shermie. We barbecue often in the summer and we never, ever put the meat on the grill until the charcoal is completely white. I thought that was common knowledge when you are doing charcoal grilling.
 
Karalyne said:
I agree with you, Shermie. We barbecue often in the summer and we never, ever put the meat on the grill until the charcoal is completely white. I thought that was common knowledge when you are doing charcoal grilling.
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Yeah, it is a MUST to wait for the coals to turn white before you put anything on the grill, unless you like the taste of lighter fluid in your food.
That is not healthy at all and it is a complete turn-off!! The best thing to do if you are ever invited to a cookout is to offer the person some help (Would like for me to help you get set up?), get over there early enough before the grill is fired up, watch how it is done, and then you can see for yourself if it is being done right.

The food should not hit the grill until the coals are all white! Then you'll know for yourself as to whether it is being done right. That is what I'm gonna do this year because I'm so sick & tired of eating lighter fluid tasting food!! :wink:
 
I wait until the fames are gone, the briquettes are gray and ashy looking, and I can no longer smell the lighter fluid. (If using charcoal that has been started in a chimney with newspaper. right away.
 
Of course, with a gas grill, one does not have to worry about that problem, since no charcoal starter is needed. :wink:
 
Shermie said:
Of course, with a gas grill, one does not have to worry about that problem, since no charcoal starter is needed. :wink:
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you know there is an electric charcoal starter too. My dad used to have one. it's like an element from the stove you stick it unto the middle of the briquets and plug it in. In about 30 minutes they are ready to go.
 
Chef00 said:
you know there is an electric charcoal starter too. My dad used to have one. it's like an element from the stove you stick it unto the middle of the briquets and plug it in. In about 30 minutes they are ready to go.
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Seems rather far off than just lighting the coals the regular way. There ARE charcoals that don't need lighter fluid. Just a plain match to start them. :facepalm:
 
Shermie said:
Seems rather far off than just lighting the coals the regular way. There ARE charcoals that don't need lighter fluid. Just a plain match to start them. :facepalm:
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You still have to wait for the lighter fluid chemical to burn off which takes about the same amount of time.
 
Chef00 said:
You still have to wait for the lighter fluid chemical to burn off which takes about the same amount of time.
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Yeah, it is almost the same thing. I know several people who will do that (won't wait for the lighter fluid to burn off), and I won't be back to THEIR cookouts any more.
Once you find that out, it is a severe & definite turn-off!! You don't want to be eating that because it is so nasty!! :mad:
 
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Shermie said:
Yeah, it is almost the same thing. I know several people who do that won't wait for the lighter fluid to burn off), and I won't be back to THEIR cookouts any more.
Once you find that out, it is a severe & definite turn-off!! You don't want to be eating that because it is so nasty!! :mad:
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YUCK! I hear ya there! Gross!
 
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