British BBQ Society Forums

I notics that Steven Raichlen has said that he prefers to grill (steaks, etc) over wood, rather than charcoal.

Has anyone given this a go?

Steve W

My boss does, he doesn't do it often, my palate isn't good enough to seperate the nuances between charcoal & pure wood, usually as my nostrils are filled with the sensational smell of crisping beef fat

SR also likes the pure "caveman" approach of chucking the steaks straight onto the embers and brushing any rubbish off prior to eating.

I tried Raichlen's "Jurassic Steaks" throwing a 1&1/2 inch T bone on fresh lumpwood charcoal. All I added was some Salt and Pepper and it was the best steak I've ever had. Even with the slightly crunchy odd bit of charcoal dust on it.

In Barbecue World Raichlen talks about Schwenkgrille and how the swinging over hot spots caused by wood fire being erratic helps it to cook evenly. It's always put me off grilling on wood.

I've tried it using a whole bag of weber wood chunks in a chimney and then cooking over them. It was ok, not dramatically smokey but different. If I hadn't picked the bag up cheap, it was split I wouldn't of bothered, would I bother again probably not, I'll just stick to lump, it works well for me and my family.

Yep we've cooked on logs. We kind of had too because we ended up buying a ton of wood accidently and didn't realise quite how much it was! We didn't have room for it all!

I wonder if you get a very different flavour grilling over oak logs compared to grilling over charcoal with a few oak wood chips thrown on.

Steve W

I did half a chimney with a log thrown on the top (out of the forest up the road) today. It got VERY hot, my pork chops got a fantastic sear on them, nicely blackened.

It was the same log I used last time I grilled, and it saves on charcoal I have to say (half the charcoal was reused too). I did pork chops, chicken wings, grilled lamb ribs, corn-on-the-cob, just a quick dinner, the whole thing was done in about half-an-hour from ignition to closing the vents.

Wood chips are for girls.

Beware of wood from the petrol station if you don't know what it is. Much better to scavenge it yourself.

Pecker wrote:I notics that Steven Raichlen has said that he prefers to grill (steaks, etc) over wood, rather than charcoal.

Has anyone given this a go?

Steve W

yes my wife, she does all of the direct heat grilling.Her father has a vineyard in Croatia and they use the wood they have pruned from the vine.They use a grill with legs of about 4". The fire is built and lit, when it is ready the rake the glowing coals under the grill, the skill comes in if you are using a thick piece of meat.

thelawnet said "Beware of wood from the petrol station if you don't know what it is...............

The wood sold in forecourts or generally for kindling is softwood, usually pine and unsuitable for direct cooking on
due to the resins etc in the wood. It burns hot and fierce and leaves a sticky residue (from memory) on skillets etc so wouldn't want that on my food.

Hi
Grilling over wood embers is the best type of Hot and Fast BBQ, in my opinion.
Friends and I hold Caveman nights, where we camp out in the woods on the farm, no tents allowed, plates banned, only knives for eating irons, fire lit with Flint and steel.
All food cooked, either straight on the embers, or on a modified shopping basket.
The smell of that is enough to convert a vegan!

Cheers
Cyderpig