Grill survey!

[Metalhead]

Charcoal or propane - the battle never ends!

 

[Judge]

Whatever doesn't kill me via reflux.

 

[Mary Terry]

I prefer charcoal but will use a propane grill when it's more convenient that firing up the Big Green Egg charcoal grill. We also have a propane grill with a burner eye on the side which is very useful when our electricity goes out and its pouring rain outside. Charcoal seems to impart a smoky flavor that propane does not. I've tried putting wood chips in an aluminum packet with holes poked in it when I use the propane grill and it does help give some of the woodsy, smoky flavor to the food.

 

[Forest Cat]

Propane for grilling food? Is there not laws against that? Gotta have that charcoal, it's part of the ritual, firing up the charcoal and waiting for the grill to heat up. And the smoke and everything, that's an important part of the grilling experience. Propane is forklift fuel.

 

[Mary Terry]

One thing you didn't mention- smoking.

If there's one type of outdoor cooking that outshines the rest, it's smoking.

In the desert, we would smoke brisquet and chicken, using mostly walnut with a little sumac.

I don't know what people use up here in the NW.

We usually use oak, supplemented with various kinds of nut or fruit tree woods. I really like using oak for beef, pecan wood for chicken and fish, and apple wood for pork, but I'll eat anything with a nice woodsy, smoky flavor. Hickory (very southern USA) and mesquite (very southwestern USA) are quite strong flavors.

 

[Forest Cat]

You don't have propane grills in Norway? What are the barbecuing options where you come from?

We eat most of our meat raw. Vikings don't have time for grilling, we just wrestle a cow to the ground with our bare hands and eat it. Like our fathers did and their fathers before them.

No, but seriously, we have propane grills here but I don't have one. I like the old fashion smokey charcoal.

 

[Mary Terry]

We eat our meat raw. Vikings don't have time for grilling, we just wrestle a cow to the ground with our bare hands and eat it.

No, but seriously, we have propane grills here but I don't have one. I like the old fashion smokey charcoal.

I've seen a Norwegian chef use a blow torch to cook whole leeks. Does anyone ever cook anything on the fires in the saunas? Is birch used in the saunas?

 

[Mary Terry]

Mmmmm mesquite. Now you're talking

If we see things in our mind's eye, can we taste things in our mind's mouth? Just sayin.... I can taste mesquite-grilled food just thinking about it.

 

[Forest Cat]

I've seen a Norwegian chef use a blow torch to cook whole leeks. Does anyone ever cook anything on the fires in the saunas? Is birch used in the saunas?

When you see birch in saunas it usually looks like this:



That is a "bjørkeris", birch branches tied together, and it is used to whip your own back. Whip it good. It stimulates blood circulation and it's healthy. It also thoughens you up a little.

Making food in a sauna is a little like making food in a bathroom next to the shower. There's something unpleasant and weird about it. I don't do it but I'm sure someone does. You could fry eggs and cook steaks on the hot stones. But people are naked and sweating a lot, so...

 

[Aspychata]

I used birch leaves in the sauna in Finland. But we never grilled like s'mores or anything in between the slap our back time. Lol

 

[Nitro]

I use charcoal most of the time, but also did the natural gas conversion on my propane grille so it will never run out.
A #1 priority of mine is cast iron grille plates.

 

[Mary Terry]

When you see birch in saunas it usually looks like this:

View attachment 125305

That is a "bjørkeris", birch branches tied together, and it is used to whip your own back. Whip it good. It stimulates blood circulation and it's healthy. It also thoughens you up a little.

Making food in a sauna is a little like making food in a bathroom next to the shower. There's something unpleasant and weird about it. I don't do it but I'm sure someone does. You could fry eggs and cook steaks on the hot stones. But people are naked and sweating a lot, so...

LOL. Sweaty food.

How are the stones heated? Is wood used? What kind of wood?

 

[Aspychata]

It's hilarious where our conversations morph off to.

 

[Forest Cat]

How are the stones heated? Is wood used? What kind of wood?

The type of wood doesn't really matter but it is of course smart to use wood that has a high heat output. Like oak or birch. And not wood like for example grey alder.

There are different types of sauna heaters, wood, electric and infrared heaters. The wood stoves are the original old fashion way of heating it up, I like those. It's just a simple stove with a wood fire on the bottom and stones on top of it. It's very possible to cook food on that stove but the question is, do you want to cook food in a sauna? I don't.

 

[Cryptid]

Propane grill OR a smoker.

People put too much lighter fluid on charcoal, and it ruins the flavor of the food.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I enjoy cooking on my Traeger Smoker Grill. Now with cold weather that will need to wait. Last I did was some nice smoky ribs - I use rubs, I don't like sauces. Had a rack left over and I have made rib soup out of it.

 

[Mary Terry]

Propane grill OR a smoker.

People put too much lighter fluid on charcoal, and it ruins the flavor of the food.

We use a charcoal chimney to start the coals burning and then dump them into the smoker. I highly recommend you get a charcoal chimney and never use lighter fluid!

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

All of the saunas I've ever been in were little wood paneled rooms with benches at different heights along the walls. They were heated electrically. One would go get little buckets of water to pour on the stones every now and again.

And then when everyone gets too hot, they go and jump in the pool to cool off or take a cold shower. And then after a few minutes, they go right back to the sauna again.

My favorite when getting too hot was to jump in a snowbank. With long winters here we have a steam generator piped to our shower and a whirlpool tub in the bathroom.

 

[Toirtis]

I prefer charcoal, but propane and natural gas (common in Canada) are easier, so I have a small charcoal grill, and a really big, high btu-output stainless steel propane/NG grill.

 

[Nitro]

New Emeril Power Grill 360

Smokeless indoor unit that grills, bakes, air fries, roasts, toasts and dehydrates.
I did the additional purchase of a flat griddle for it.
This was bought for my tinyhouse up at the showgrounds.