What do you tell friends just starting out with charcoal?

[addicted-to-smoke]

Gave a buddy a 22, a chimney/Weber cubes, and made up a single large charcoal basket.

His first cook was pork chops and he said that was great. Done direct "to sear" and then indirect. Whatever. Something went wrong with the veggies he did, tho. Over cooked I think. The next time, his wife did some kinda chicken and screwed it up. Tried indirect but probably assumed it should go faster, and so moved to direct and I guess charred it.

He kept mentioning "searing" but I had to let him know that while you can always do that for any food, most meats that are not steak will spend most time indirect, and for longer than "just a few minutes."

I tried to explain to him that she could have just left the chicken indirect at that resulting lower temp BUT let it go for like 30-40 minutes. But maybe it was chicken breast, I don't know.

He said his wife figures that "the best" use is to forget the basket and dump coals in the center, with food all around. My response was, that's fine, but charcoal use won't be efficient (no baskets) and not all food will fit like that.

There's a fundamental disconnect at play here, and I think it's that the machine is both grill and oven, but no one really puts meat in the kitchen oven in the way they would a kettle grill, so it "doesn't make sense."

**********
They use disposable gassers normally, but there's a chance that if they can get over the kettle learning curve it'll be all over for the gasser.

I'm looking for something like a YouTube kettle channel or blog to recommend that includes TECHNIQUE and not just recipes of grilling-geek stuff that might bore them. Simple foods, not the usual brisket/pork butt and "smoker" videos.

[Appwsmsmkr1]

Hi,
In my opinion, the best you tube videos I found were the older ones from bbq pit boyz. Years ago they did most of their cooks on a performer. I especially refer to the bbq chicken thighs that they do on the kettle. They also have one for a brisket which I've done twice and always comes out excellent.
Hope this helps.
Appwsmsmkr1


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[Appwsmsmkr1]

Here is one of them.

https://youtu.be/TUBQp-iIIOM


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[michaelmilitello]

The "two zone" fire tutorial on amazing ribs.com is probably the most simple fire arrangement.  If you can master that and when to cook indirect vs direct, charcoal gets fun real quick. 


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[HoosierKettle]

Hi,
In my opinion, the best you tube videos I found were the older ones from bbq pit boyz. Years ago they did most of their cooks on a performer. I especially refer to the bbq chicken thighs that they do on the kettle. They also have one for a brisket which I've done twice and always comes out excellent.
Hope this helps.
Appwsmsmkr1


Sent from my iPad using Weber Kettle Club

Excellent advice for a YouTube channel. I love their early stuff on a kettle.


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[YardBurner]

Find a copy of Steven Raichlen's
"How To Grill".
Very well written.
Plus it's a fun read.

[addicted-to-smoke]

Thanks guys. I just sent him an email with some of that, along with some of my own experiences.