Accessorize for Success

When I was up in Maine for my birthday, Mom hooked me up with one of those charcoal chimney things, and this past week I gave it a trial run. You basically stuff the bottom with paper, which is seperated from your charcoal by a metal grate on the inside of the chimney. Touching off the paper lights the bottom layer of coals, which in turn heat up and light the ones above them. Oxygen is drawn up through the bottom, which facilitates a fast transition to glowing coal perfection.



The primary benefit here is twofold: first, and most importantly, one can avoid using any sort of liquid fuel to start your coals. No lighter fluid, no 'match light' presoaked charcoal. This contributes to the overall taste of your grilled foods enormously. Secondly, the coals heat much faster and more evenly than the traditional 'raging fireball explosion' method. Also when the paper is first burning, you get a large amount of white smoke pouring out of the chimney in a sort of mad scientist's beaker effect.

Also, I found a cooking shop that sells mesquite chips which went great with some bbq chicken and steak we had yesterday afternoon. Looking forward to firing up some more tonight.