Time to Break Out the Charcoal Grill!

Two Chimney Starters are Better Than One!

I am looking out my window today and what a dreary day it is.  Why can’t every day be cook out weather? 

We had great weather this past weekend – perfect  for a few Corona’s and the Weber.   Ahh…the beauty of the charcoal grill.  My husband loves his Weber, he prefers it to a gas grill any day.   Most people say that it takes too long to get the coals hot enough – those people have probably never used a chimney starter.  Chimney starters eliminate the need for of lighter fluid which can taint the flavor of foods, they also get your coals extremely hot, quickly! 

We used a combination of standard pressed charcoal briquettes and natural hardwood lump charcoal briquettes.  The hardwood lump charcoal doesn’t contain chemical binders or igniting agents – you get a clean, hot burn that produces a superior flavor in your grilled foods.

Steak and Chicken on the Charcoal BBQ

You can find a chimney starter at most houseware retailers or home improvement stores.  To use your chimney starter place your favorite charcoal in the chimney, stacking it to the top.   Place a waded up piece of newspaper under the grate within the starter.  Set the chimney starter on top of your barbeque grill grate and light the piece of newspaper  – it should catch quickly with no need for lighter fluid.  Check out this video for a more detailed look at using a chimney starter. 

You will be amazed how quickly your coals heat up. Once you see grey ash appearing on the coals, they are ready in about 7-10 minutes.  Remember to wear heat-resistant gloves when you handle the hot chimney.  Pick up the chimney by the handle and pour out the coals into your bbq grill. 

Vegetables Grilled on a Charcoal Grill

We cooked chicken, steak and vegetables that day.  Some simple seasonings and perhaps some barbeque sauce and you are good to go.  Happy Grilling!

Looking to purchase your chimney starter – or an extra chimney starter?  Amazon sells them at a great price.

Tags: charcoal grill, Chicken, chimney starter, Grilling, Meat, vegetables

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 at 4:36 pm and is filed under Kitchen Gadgets, Our Favorite Recipes, Quick and Easy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.