Spring is here! People are dusting off their charcoal grills getting ready for some prime eating time outdoors {al fresco}. The big box stores have stacks of charcoal bags piled high, ready for the onslaught of customers, customers who are ready to grill on the barbie.
Caveat to outdoor grilling
There is a negative to grilling outdoors. You may ask what could be a drawback to outdoor cooking?
Lighter fluid.
Why do we think it’s negative? Because it gives your food a chemical taste, which means the food absorbs that hint of the chemical, not to mention the odor that your clothes and hair absorb.
Preparing the charcoal for indirect heat.
What you need
It isn’t difficult to start a fire without lighter fluid. All you need is:
- Crumpled paper towels( about 4 or 5 large sheets)
- Vegetable oil
- Charcoal
- A chimney starter
- Matches or a lighter.
The chimney starter is easy to find, and you’ll quickly pay for the chimney starter by what you save in not purchasing lighter fluid.
Lighting Charcoal without Lighter Fluid
How to use natural starter instead of lighter fluid
The concept of the chimney starter is quite simple:
- You crumple up several paper towels, douse some vegetable oil on them and put them under the bottom of the chimney.
- You fill the chimney with the charcoal to the top.
- From the bottom, you light the crumpled paper towels.
Isn’t that simple?
The heat from the burning paper towels will ignite the bottom coals. Since heat rises, the top coals will also catch.
When the top coals are gray with ash, you’re ready to grill. The bonus here is that you can grill in about 15 to 20 minutes and no chemical odor whatsoever. How you spread out, your coal will depend on what you’re grilling. We will give you tips on how All Our Way does it as we are posting our recipes.
If you are cooking something that will need additional coals, you can always pile them on top of the already lit coals. Pulled Pork takes a different technique, and we will show you how we do it. Now you put the rack over the hot coals, and you put the lid on the grill. Wait for the inside to heat to the proper temperature for your meat. You will have to read your grill’s instructions on how to vent your type grill for correct cooking.
Ready to grill
When you’re ready to grill, put the rack over the hot coals and put the lid on the grill. You need to wait for the inside of the grill to heat to the proper temperature for your meat. Read your grill’s instructions on how to vent your type grill for correct cooking.
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Andrea Frank
My dad was an engineer and loved perfecting things like this. His method is to take a single sheet of newspaper, folding it acordian style to a width that can sit under the chimney, then coiling the length of folded paper so it can be tucked inside the cylinder base. He allowed that I could use two sheets of paper if I really wanted, but I’ve found one is plenty and you want it loose for air circulation. Dad is big on only needing one match to light any fire (camp fire, bon fire, wood stove, etc) and this really works here, too. The folds of the paper direct the flame upwards while keeping the fire moving around the base slowly enough for the coals to catch. Works like a charm. No oil needed. To the guy who doesn’t have a chimney- get one. Or try building one from a can or one-time-use oatmeal box, or carefully stacked briquettes. Justs takes some thought.
Nicky b
I meant chimney starter I dont have one
Marisa Franca
Hi, Nicky!! They really are inexpensive and it more than pays for itself by not having to buy lighter fluid. My sister-in-law got us onto it and we love using it. It is so easy to start the charcoal without all that yucky smelling lighter fluid. Wal-Mart a lot of times have sales on them and they are under $10.00. I hope you’ll give it a try.
Nicky b
What if you dont have one of they lighter fuild
Gloria
Nothing beats outdoor grilling, no matter how you do it. OMG I still remember that “lighter fluid”….and the crappy taste it left on food. So glad we have moved on to bigger and better ways of cooking over fire. Hubby has one of those chimney starters too.
Nick Shollack
I would like to cite your information for my chemistry project. My project is on Lighter Fluid or Not.
Marisa Franca
Hi, Nick! As long as you refer back to the post and All Our Way. Let me know how it goes with the project!!