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BBQ - What do you prefer

Low and Slow or fast and Hot

  • Charcoal

    Votes: 38 86.4%

  • Gas

    Votes: 6 13.6%
  • Total voters
    44
AJUMP23

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
I was wondering if any of you gaffers BBQ. I have 2 separate grills for separate jobs. I have a Flattop for quick cooks, and then I have a Komado Joe (porcelain Grill) for the low and slow cooks. I can do ribs, and pulled pork. I want to do a Brisket but I have yet to invest in one and do it. What are your favorite BBQing things Gaf.


planet-bbq-brisket.jpg


R.954c9380a3e72d7950274438110cdc01
 
Charcoal has better flavor, but it's a pain in the ass to mess with when I just wanna throw a few burgers or a steak on the grill.

Anyways, the real answer is a smoker.
iu
 
Pejo said:
Charcoal has better flavor, but it's a pain in the ass to mess with when I just wanna throw a few burgers or a steak on the grill.

Anyways, the real answer is a smoker.
iu
Click to expand...

I have some friends with electric smokers but that feels like cheating. I am sure they are great and the food taste good coming out of them, but I have never used one.
 
AJUMP23 said:
I have some friends with electric smokers but that feels like cheating. I am sure they are great and the food taste good coming out of them, but I have never used one.
Click to expand...
It's just so convenient. So much prep work/time saved. This is one of the cases I don't care where the heat comes from because the flavor comes from the chips/pellets anyways.
 
Have a gas grill and a smoker. Working my way through all different types of meat. Been mostly sticking with NY Strip on the grill. Need to fire up the smoker soon. Haven't nailed it yet.
 
The newer automatic pellet grills (Traeger?) seem to be a wonderous innovation but I stick with my Green egg. I do have a little propane Weber Q for quick burgers or hot dogs/camping but anything serious gets the Egg. From 18 hour low and slow to 700 degree quick sear, it can do it all. Not tried pizza though, planning on a dedicated pizza oven for that.

I used to have a Weber smokey mountain bullet grill, and I can say that was a HUGE PITA to keep in temp when it was cold and windy. The thin steel walls conduct too much heat. The ceramic grills though, nice and stable inside, usually not much more than (very) warm to the touch on the outside (important when little ones are running around), and laughs in the face of rain, snow, or heat. I use those temp monitoring fans though once the grill seals itself with aerosolized grease and you learn the vent settings, it isn't that necessary.

As for the type of BBQ, I fluctuate between honey sweet, jerk, and stuff like mango-habanero. Not really down for mustard or heavy vinegar based sauces. My dry rubs lean towards lots of garlic. I'm happy with pork and beef ribs (growing up it was always beef with my dad, pork ribs was "getting fancy" at the one BBQ joint in the town where I grew up), chicken is beer can because I can't spatchcock worth a damn, shrimp and scallops are smoked on the salt block. Steaks go on a hot grill for the sear, then drop temp for a bit, I've also never mastered the reverse sear and don't really see the need. Smoked turkey is divine and waaaaaaaay safer when drunk than frying one. The oven is for baking only and I'll die on that hill :P
 
I have a Weber charcoal grill and a pellet smoker. Smoker gets used way more. The last thing I did on my smoker was chipotle seasoned chicken breasts, and I was applying a fresh layer of fresh local honey every 30 minutes. Best chicken I have made to date.
 
AJUMP23 said:
I have some friends with electric smokers but that feels like cheating. I am sure they are great and the food taste good coming out of them, but I have never used one.
Click to expand...
LOL I do have a small electric, counter top "grill" my wife and I got for a wedding gift (23 years ago). I still use that -- but I don't pretend I'm "grilling."
 
Raven117 said:
Gas isn't even BBQ dude. Are you talking about grilling?
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I feel like these days the terms BBG and grilling are basically synonymous. And gas, electric, charcoal, or pellets are just a heat source, really. There are enough ways to add the smoke to non-wood burning cooks that I'm not sure folks could taste the difference if done correctly.

I agree that the ancient arts and techniques are typically the best, for sure I ain't going to a BBQ joint if they don't have a massive row of steel drum smokers out back burning charcoal, but for home use there are lots of ways of getting the job done to one degree or another.
 
jason10mm said:
I feel like these days the terms BBG and grilling are basically synonymous. And gas, electric, charcoal, or pellets are just a heat source, really. There are enough ways to add the smoke to non-wood burning cooks that I'm not sure folks could taste the difference if done correctly.

I agree that the ancient arts and techniques are typically the best, for sure I ain't going to a BBQ joint if they don't have a massive row of steel drum smokers out back burning charcoal, but for home use there are lots of ways of getting the job done to one degree or another.
Click to expand...
Not in my state. Grilling and BBQ are different, and people here know the difference
 
Raven117 said:
Not in my state. Grilling and BBQ are different, and people here know the difference
Click to expand...
I wonder what the overlap of folks saying "I can't tell you the difference between man and woman" and "I can't tell you the difference between grilling and BBQ" is. I suspect it's pretty high :P
 
I like the flavor when done right with charcoal, and general experience of playing with raw fire....
But I also like more precise control and easy fill and fire-up convenience of my gas grill.

So when I'm home, I use gas grill. When I need to grill on the run - definitely charcoal.
 
I'd have to pick gas by default. Last time I remember charcoal BBQ'ing is when my dad it it in the 80s in this big round grill.

Aside from that, every BBQ I've been to (friend, fam, or myself) uses either a propane tank or a gas hook up line direct into the BBQ.

My dad had something like this (probably still buried in the garage somewhere), but it was brown.

9cc6d25ac4ccdb7add9f741f4dd0681a.jpg
 
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Depends on the food. Ribs I prefer smoked, burgers I use a griddle and sausages natural gas on a grill.
 
I've got a Ninja smoker / BBQ - actually does a decent job I think, although I smoked a brisket for 8 hours the other day and it ended up like Jerky (brisket virgin here so can't blame the Ninja). Actually chucked some frozen pizza in it and it came out perfect (as can be with a cheap frozen pizza) in about 2 mins.

Used a gas one for years and liked the convinience of it compared to charcoal ones, especially if chucking a few bits on after work for a quick al fresco dine, although it did seem to be a bit of a cockroach magnet if neglectatious (yes I made that up) with cleaning. Fried a number of them over the years (poor little shits, although they do take risks it seems...).
 
I have a kamado joe 3 at home. I use it regularly.

Just for grilling, but also low n slow for pulled pork, short ribs, brisket,...

Reverse sear full picanha is great.

Full beercan chicken is very easy.

Other things like paella, chili con carne, cassoulet,...

Even bread and pies.

On a kamado in combination with a good thermometer, it's all very easy too, tbh.

It's the best cooking apparatus I ever bought.

In the summer house we have a small weber, which is decent, but most things are a lot harder to do then on a kamado. Still good equipment, but it just requires more attention.

So charcoal.
 
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