There are a fair number of things in life I'm good at. But what I am NOT good at (other than golf, don't go there) is lighting a grill.The thing is , I LOVE to grill. What's not to like about a "kitchen appliance" you can clean with a hose and a leaf blower. You've got the outdoors. You've got meat. You've got lighter fluid and giant pointy instruments Conan would be proud of. You've a big open flame near alcohol. Just the danger factor alone gets my juices going. But frankly, I just struggle with getting the damn things lit sometimes. Until one of the usual dinner gang arrived with this. . . . .
This little gadget. $10 at Wally World. Put 3 pieces of newspaper in the bottom, pile the match light coals (or whatever you've got) on top, light the paper, wait 15 minutes. Look down in there, they should be JUST about ready.
At 18- 20 minutes, dump them out and you are ready to roll. PERFECT.
Throw on some range beef mixed with a little bit of worchestershire sauce and some Penzey's Chicago Steak seasoning and throw those on there.
Only way to improve on that is to top with some Bacon Coleslaw which starts with fresh garden cabbage, yellow pepper, a little bit of crumbled blue cheese and BACON.
Stir in some dressing that's made out of homemade ranch (with some fresh dill), honey and red wine vinger.Top your burger (that's right folks, if you've not tried fresh, crunchy coleslaw on your burger in place of mayo, ketchup etc, and lettuce you are missing a TREAT.)
Click on pictures to enlarge.
Fire, Beef and Bacon. It doesn't get a whole lot better.
Fire, Beef and Bacon. It doesn't get a whole lot better.
41 comments:
"But what I am NOT good at (other than golf, don't go there) is lighting a grill."
If all else fails, use more girl-scout water.
Works for me!!! (though there is the threat of after-taste from the extra fuel...) :-\
I'll bring beer, even the fixin's for Black & Tans if you'd like but please no slaw on my burger.
That starter chimney with a little more newspaper packed in the bottom to burn longer will do an excellent job of lighting regular charcoal so you don't have to spend the extra money on the matchlight stuff.
Looks yummy! Those chimmneys are the best. I wont grill with out mine.
BTW Pete Stanford (AKA Huey'S Gunsight)got me checking out your postings. I may not comment alot but i read everything. Good job! Keep it up!
I use 1 sheet of newspaper with my charcoal chimney. As for Match Light, I prefer the regular Kingsford as I can taste the accelerant used in Match Light.
I just use Kingsford's Matchlight charcoal, and have rarely had problems with it. If it is slow to light because the coals have dried out during their time on the store shelves, a splash of rubbing alcohol (NOT gasoline or charcoal lighter fluid) makes things all better.
I thought you were going here .
We use girl-scout farts. Used-to have a charcoal and a chimney starter like that but the Fire station authorities thought it would burn down our complex and I don't want to lose $600k of equity. As compensation we burn the gas through grease-filled ceramic briquettes that lend a tasty burntish flavor. Easy-on, easy-off.
Dirtcrashr- I actually thought you were going here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjPxDOEdsX8
This IIRC originated with the Physics dept at Purdue
"Fire, Beef and Bacon. It doesn't get a whole lot better."
Except for the beer, which it sounds like your guests supply. And perhaps an attractive chef, which never hurts the proceedings. (I speak of course of wife and/or daughters, unless of course complimenting the chef in question gets me an extra burger. Then I'm shameless.)
Good stuff lady!
Lord I have been using a starter chimney for years. If I would have known I would have told you about it sooner. I love mine. I just can't stand the taste of the starter fluid in my food.
I am going to steal your recipe for that slaw. In return, I will send you mine for buccaneer pork.-grin-
Do it the Boy Sout way (well at least my way as Scout Master). Propane Torch!
Contact me if you want to do it easier to light your grill...45 years experience and never had one fail to light. Go to my face book for my emailG Dom
Looks good, and yes those chimmneys work! Burgers look good too!
Amusingly, I hacked one out of an old coffee can just last night. It's too darned small (I should have used a bigger coffee can!) but it got enough charcoal going to use to start even more in a more-conventional pile.
The bacon/slaw on burger looks yummy but I don't do bleu cheese. (Tam expressed horrified amazement. What can I say? I just don't like the fancier cheeses).
Unless you have a LOT to grill, only cover half the bottom of the grill. If you get a grease fire, just move the meat to the other side. I prefer this rather than drowning coals with water.
I love to grill. I grill a lot. Nothing beats charcoal seared steak.
The charcoal starters are great. But look at the original Weber model instead of one of the clones. You will find it is close to twice as heavy and will last commensurately.
Doggone it, Brigid, you're making go off my diet....AGAIN!
Plus I have to wipe all the drool off my keyboard.....AGAIN!
Keep it it up, though.
Oh Yeah,
I've been using those chimneys in one form or another for several years. I DON'T like the flavor of the blasted starter fluid in my stuff.
Also, I do a lot of Dutch Oven cookin', so there are times that I need more that one load of charcoal. especially if I am using multiple ovens.
Gotta try that Cole Slaw recipe. ANYTHING with bacon !!
Bob
III
***Cheapskate Hint***
I've used a chimney starter ever since I saw one used on the "America's Test Kitchen" and "BBQ University" programs...until I found this tip from Alton Brown's "I'm Just Here for the Food" book:
Simply take a paper towel or two, saturate them with a teaspoon or two of ordinary vegetable cooking oil, and place the oil-soaked paper towel(s) in your grill where you will be placing your charcoal. Arrange the charcoal atop the towels according to your grilling needs for an (in)direct fire, then light the oily towels.
The paper towel acts much like the wick in an oil lamp, and will keep burning long enough to ignite even the most stubborn pile of charcoal.
Word verification: "hotie" - How apropos...
I can't believe I'm reading this on your site. Making the fire is the heart of grilling. It's the whole fun for grilling. You don't use coffee cans and newpaper. Newpaper! Obama newspaper. Just thinking about something cooked over that nonsense rolls my stomach.
Happy Million hits Birgid.
Gregg
Jeez, I didn't mean to upset you so much...My family were farm owners also. Wikipedia has a very good article on farm subsidies if you are interested; there are only 175,000 farms left in the USA and the top 30% get 80% or so of the billions in subsidies and that top 30% account for the bulk of farm output so yes that is corporate farm welfare. We do have a wonderful national memory and mythos of our agrarian past which I think is a very good thing in that it has contributed greatly to the national character and personality...what makes America, America. I meant no disrespect to you and realize now your poem was more a lament for days past than an ode to the present I think. Again I do love your blog, the recipes and our libraries are very similar. I too am a pilot although I didn't attend the AF Academy... Steve S.
If the charcoal doesn't light, get somone to put more gasoline on it. ;o)
Seriously, the chimney's work so well, I won't light any other way now...
The Bacon Slaw is a regular on our menu, normally winds up on top of my BBQ Beef or Pulled Pork sandwiches.
If the you happen to spill the charcoal on the ground, do not walk on it barefoot!!! It doesn't matter how cool it looked on National Geographic, it will burn the skin off the bottoms of your feet!!! Something learned in kindergarten...
I'm sure you saw the guy who took to lighting charcoal briquettes with liquid oxygen? Genius, that.
Jim
Chimney starters are Teh Awesome.
use your weed burner to light the charcoal
...and I agree with Dr.Jim, so long diet and hello drool. Luckily, I covered my keyboard before I opened your blog. (See, I'm learning!) Thanks.
A friend told me this weekend that he uses a couple of paper towels with some vegetable oil on them instead of newspaper.
Someone told him that newspaper has chemicals in the ink and paper, paper towels don't.
My advice is to get real charcoal chunks, never use lighter fluid, and use that chimney lighter or the Weber grill with propane ignition for the charcoal. I know you will taste the difference.
Charcoal....snort....just turn the propane tank on and hit the strikers!
O.K. sometimes I use charcoal. Usually when there's a Dutch Oven involved. Brigid, how do you fare with a Dutch oven and coals? I'll bet you use cast iron quite a bit.
I have to quit talking, I'm slobbering too much from the pictures of bacon and coleslaw!
As B.B. King said, "The Thrill is Gone." I've always done all the cooking in this 29 year marriage. Probably 60 to 70 percent of it on the grill. Ok, yes, it's true, I admit it, I use a gas grill. The crushing angst of not using charcoal has faded with time and the liberal application of good Canadian lager. A small to medium chunk of mesquite placed at the very edge of the grill for purposes of enfume, also helps assuage the guilty feelings. Compromisingly yours, steve
Since I now grill pies and grill through the winter (in Chicago), I have developed a foolproof technique that lights it fast and keeps me safe:
Buy a propane torch - light torch and hold it over the coals for a bit - about two minutes which is enough time to drain a beer.
The only thing I can think of to say is that looks very good and i think I just thought of what I am going to grill this weekend.
I've used those chimneys for years--I think I'm on my third now. No lighter-fluid taste!
Hmmm. If only you had a device to "throw flame" at somebody, er something way over there.
How About Giving Us a Few Cook Like a Pirate Recipes?
To Start Things Off, I've Posted a Pirate Steak Recipe On My Blog.
I think you should give this show a look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_aSglGw88U
I love my chimney starter. I usually spray some paper towels with vegetable oil and put 2 of them under the chimney and start it. But since I got a new Duo grill, I put the chimney on the side burner and light it that way. The chimney is great for starting just a few coals for using the minion method for long smokes.
I've never seen one of those contraptions. A chimney starter? When desperate I've used the paper towels & veg oil treatment but mostly, I've never had any problems getting a fire started, even with flint & steel.
YeOldFurt
I have major issues lighting grills. Ours is propane with an electric starter. The starter never works so I have to open the gas valve and quickly throw in a lit match.
A huge fireball singeing your face is no fun.
I'm not a big fan of slaw but otherwise that burger looks amazing.
As a fellow redhead I stole your image thing.
Bacon Jam
http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2009/09/bacon-jam-recipe-make-it-at-home.html
1/2 sheet of newspaper sprinkled with about a teaspoon of corn oil in the bottom of your chimney starter, filled with regular charcoal briquettes, and you can grill anything: meat, veg, fruit, pie, bread, pizza, anything! We do it all summer long to keep the heat out of the kitchen.
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