Gas vs Charcoal BBQProbably 99% of the world's greatest restaurants grill with gas. This is not just a matter of convenience or price. Charcoal makes a tiny bit more smoke than gas, although, when lit properly, good charcoal produces little smoke and it is not likely to penetrate deeply into food that is cooked quickly such as hot dogs, burgers, or steaks. Of course there are at least two different kinds of charcoal. Briquets, which are made from charcoal and a lot fillers and chemicals, and lump, which is pretty much just hardwood charcoal.
The smoke you see when grilling comes mostly from drippings from the food hitting the hot surfaces below not from the fuel. Meat drippings are mostly water, fat, and protein plus whatever you have added, such as marinade or sugar in barbecue sauce. When drippings hit the heat source they vaporize and some of that condenses on the meat and some penetrates into the meat. Most gas grills cover the flame jets with metal plates, lava rock, or ceramic rocks that absorb the heat and radiate it. Drippings hit these radiant surfaces where they are vaporized, making smoke and steam, just like charcoal. Some new gas grills have "infrared" burners which are superheated surfaces that are very close to the meat and more vapors get back to the meat with these burners.
There is also a minor difference in the flavor imparted by combustion gasses, the volatile by-products given off by the burning of the charcoal or the gas. When propane combusts it makes more steam than charcoal, and that may help keep meat moist giving gas an advantage for some meats. Some cooks think the steam can be a disadvantage for some meats, hampering chicken skin from getting crisp for example.
There is one other flavor difference of note. If you use self-igniting charcoal or charcoal fluid to start a charcoal fire, there can be an unpleasant petrochemical smell during ignition and it can get into the food. Yuk. For this reason you should use a charcoal chimney or an electric charcoal starter. I strongly recommend the chimney because it is faster and easier and needs no outlet. My fave is the Weber Chimney Starter .
If you use your grill for long low and slow smoke roasting, there is a more noticeable difference in flavor. The combustion gases from charcoal when mixed with smoke from wood chips or chunks makes a distinctive flavor typical of traditional southern barbecue. On a propane grill, the flavor is a bit more bacon-like. Which is better? Taste is a matter of taste.
But when it comes to direct heat grilling, the fact is that, if all things are equal such as cooking temp, most folks can't tell the difference in the taste between charcoal and gas grilled food. If you use strong flavored rubs, marinades, and sauces, you will never notice taste differences. You may think you can, but blind tastings have shown that you probably can't. So if there is little taste difference, the choice comes down to functionality. That's why I own both.
Thanks Grillman.com
