I just came across a wonderful collaborative discussion of grilling and barbecuing that's featured on Slate this week. Cooking With Fire is a series of e-mails between food writer/chef Sara Dickerman, Chris Schlesinger and renowned grilling and 'cue guru Steven Raichlen, (pictured).Dickerman starts off the e-mail chain with a question that no meathead worthy of their Weber should ever pose: Is gas better than charcoal? To be fair, she clearly declares herself a staunch advocate of wood and charcoal and seems to raise the question in the interest of open-mindedness.
Here's just a lump of Schlesinger's take on charcoal vs. gas: "Gas only burns two-thirds as hot as live coals ... the characteristic flavor of grilled food comes from ... high heat, the ensuing browning ... deeply concentrated flavor." Raichlen, a man after my 'cue and smoke loving alter ego Joey Deckle's heart, avoids the charcoal vs. gas debate entirely. His favorite fuel? Good old wood.
Highlights of the discussion include the best ways to grill fish, the pros and cons of using a Big Green Egg, what type of rubs go best with what types of meats and the mysteries of roasting pig on a caja china.
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