Mix Lump Charcoal With Charcoal
Lump charcoal is all natural and made entirely of wood. Professional chefs tend to prefer lump charcoal for the woodsy, "outdoors" flavor and aroma it imparts to food. Compared to standard charcoal briquettes, however, lump charcoal burns hotter and faster, making it hard to control heat and cooking time, and it is generally more expensive.
Fortunately, you can combine lump charcoal with briquettes to attain the flavor you want as well as the heat control you need, all without burning a hole in your wallet.
Instructions
1. Find regular charcoal briquettes at most grocery stores. Look for briquettes that are "long burning." Avoid those that promise to light immediately with "one match," as they tend to be loaded with fuels that can pass on an unpleasant odor to your food.
Locate a bag of lump charcoal at your grocery or hardware store. Choose a brand that promises to be composed of "100% natural" lump charcoal. Often the bag will state the type of wood used, such as oak or mesquite.
2. Pour enough charcoal briquettes into the charcoal chimney to fill it up about two-thirds of the way. Fill the chimney up the rest of the way with the lump charcoal. By layering the fuel in this manner, the lump charcoal will ignite last, allowing it to spend more time cooking your food and imparting that wonderful flavor.
3. Crumple the sheet of newspaper into a loose ball and stuff it into the bottom of the chimney. The chimney is now ready to light. Set the filled chimney either in the bottom of your grill or on a wide stone or cement area away from any combustible materials.
Light the newspaper with a match or a lighter, working your way around the edges of the newspaper so that it lights evenly.
4. Expect the newspaper to smoke a great deal, but within a minute of igniting the briquettes the smoke should be minimal. Hold your hand six inches or so above the chimney. If it's too warm to hold your hand there for more than ten seconds and a steady column of thin smoke is coming from the chimney, the charcoal briquettes have ignited properly.
If the chimney feels too cool, crumple another piece of newspaper, light it, and try again.
5. Look for a layer of white-gray ash atop the layer of lump charcoal, and make sure the fuel below is glowing red, to ensure that your fuel is ready to go. This should take about twenty minutes.
Grasp the handle of the charcoal chimney carefully, and pour the contents out in an even layer across the bottom of your grill, or on one side of your grill if you are preparing a "hot side/cool side" grill.
You are now ready to cook.
Tags: lump charcoal, charcoal briquettes, your grill, bottom your, bottom your grill, charcoal chimney