How charcoal can affect your barbecue

When I first started smoking meat over hot coals, I didn’t realize or think that there was a difference in the brand of charcoal I was using.

I just bought what was available and in most cases… bought the cheapest. Most of the time, it was Wal-Mart’s Sam’s Choice line of charcoal or the Kingsford brand. It wasn’t until later in my barbecue research and competition experience that I learned that there is a big difference in charcoal.

Different charcoals impact the flavor of your barbecue in different ways. To understand the difference in charcoal, you first need to know what is used to make it.

Charcoal is the byproduct of burning plant matter in a low-oxygen environment that removes moisture and other substances, leaving behind pure charcoal. Since I choose to cook with charcoal briquettes and that is what I will be discussing here.

Briquettes are made by taking leftover wood and paper, cooking them at high temperatures with little oxygen, and using binders and often other materials to form a uniform size of charcoal. And it’s the other materials that are added to the charcoal to make the charcoal that make most national brands undesirable when preparing competitive quality meat.

Most commercially sold charcoal briquettes are made from trees such as: cedar, fir, and alder. These trees are used because they are common in the regions where the companies are located. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t smoke my meat with this type of firewood, and I don’t want it in my charcoal either.

With most commercially sold charcoals, you will find other materials such as: limestone, sawdust, sodium nitrate, and even borax. They add limestone to create an ash on the coals because most inexperienced cooks need to SEE this ash to know the coals are ready to cook. Sawdust and sodium nitrate help coals light faster, and borax is used in the manufacturing process to help coals release more easily from molds.

Of course, not ALL brands of charcoal use these extra added ingredients…and these more “natural” brands are the only ones I want to use when smoking and grilling good quality.

I found a charcoal that is produced from only oak and hickory hardwoods and then held together with a starch binder. That’s all there is… oak, hickory, and starch. It produces very little ash, excellent heat, and gives meat a nice flavor when grilled or smoked.

The brand of charcoal I personally use is Chef’s Delight Oak & Hickory Charcoal. It is sold locally in Memphis at a charcoal store, but may also be available in your area. Several of the best barbecue restaurants in Memphis use the same charcoal.

If you’re spending money on expensive cuts of meat and working hard to produce competitive quality meat, you’ll want to use the best grade of charcoal you can find.

I suggest looking locally for a charcoal store or restaurant supply store. You can give them a call or just stop by and ask about the different types of charcoal they have to offer.

If they don’t have Chef’s Delight Oak & Hickory Charcoal, they probably have a comparable brand. Trust me, it’s worth spending a little more time figuring out what’s in the charcoal you use…and finding a brand you can trust.

And be warned…just because some national brands label their charcoal “all natural” doesn’t mean it’s perfect for smoking and grilling. Just because they remove added chemicals does not mean they use oak and hickory woods to produce this charcoal. So take the time and read the labels.