Gas vs. Coal

T

Texas___Fight

2,500+ Posts
Watching Unwrapped on FNW and they say in a recent survey that Gas beat Charcoal in a recent poll.
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Well, I love my gas grill and all but damn they sure didn't poll Texas.
 
I would love to have a coal grill or a smoker, but they're not allowed in our apartment. I wonder if city code has something to do with that poll.
 
It takes me about 40 to 45 minutes to have my charcoal grill ready to cook on. Why anyone would use gas is beyond me. Might as well cook in the broiler.
 
While I can see the ease of use during the week of gas, I guess when I first saw the poll what I was thinking about is weekend "Bar B Q" use. Hell, I've used my gas grill twice this week and it is great for "grilling" out, but when it comes to flavor and overall experience nothing beats the real Bar B Q flavor of wood.
 
Quick poll

When was the last time anyone made scratch chocolate merange pie? even the crust

Homemade cobbler-- your home of course

or my favorite yeast rolls

been a while for me too although I made chocolate pie at christmas-- sinful how good it is--yes even the crust because Nanny said real crust made from crisco makes all the difference

realistically, I use gas 90% of the time for convenience--I do use indirect heat and wood chips

the next time someone has a little spare time while you are waiting on the coals to get perfect--let me know I can send my granny's recipee for scratch peach cobbler--the one she made everday except sundays at the hickory cart ( corner of heights and whiteoak in Houston ) from 64-83. 3 secrets, real butter, crisco and nutmeg and send me some,,

ps I only eat homemade ice cream with my cobbler-- hand churned definately tastes better-- I can taste the difference
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They've done taste tests where something like 5% can even tell the difference between gas grilling and charcoal grilling and even those weren't saying the charcoal was better. The only flavor you might theoretically impart would be smoke, charcoal isn't supposed to be smoking and a seared steak isn't going to cook long enough or at a low enough temperature to soak it in.

Besides, the best steaks aren't cooked on either gas or charcoal, but cast iron.

To each his own, bit is HARDLY an open and shut case and the science points strongly against charcoal making any difference over gas.

Remember, we are not talking about bar-b-queing or smoking. That's a completely different animal.
 
Sure there's a discernable taste difference. But not enough of one to make me say "holy **** this tastes bad."

It's more about the even heating and temperature control than it is about the "flavor" of the flame. If you're convinced that getting a charcoal grill prepped and ready to go is the only way to cook something over fire, then go with it.
 
Actually his post reads that only 1 in 20 CAN tell the difference between the two.

I'm all for the flavors of wood and charcoal, but there's nothing wrong with a gas grill. Those who say you might as well use your stove or oven just don't know how to use one, I guess.

I just don't understand the people who get offended by gas grills. Smoking and grilling are two different things and, as said many times on this thread, you just can't beat the convenience of a gas grill during the work week. There's nothing wrong with using some flavoring skills with marinades, spice rubs, or brine to go with a correctly grilled piece of meat as an alternative to using smoke when making real barbecue.

What counts is the end product and I've made some awesome **** on a gas grill and, amazingly, it doesn't affect my barbecue skills. For many people, being a purist really means they can only do one kind of cooking well.
 
I have recently purchased a gas grill and it's wonderful. I have bought a vegetable wok for the grill. It's great. I'm buying a basket at home depot tonight to cook fish with. It keeps the fish from getting stuck and falling through. I can't believe I wasted my time with charcoals all these years.
 
Some of us could really stand to read a little more carefully. The issue is NOT grilled versus smoked. The question is framed as GRILLED over GAS versus GRILLED over COALS.
 
I use both and when I use gas I throw an aluminum pan with wood chips on there for flavor unless I am just cooking hot dogs.
 
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