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Français When cooking on the grill or barbecue there are different aspects to take into account if we want to obtain the best result and an exquisite finish. For example, you have to pay close attention to fire and temperature, take care of cooking techniques and have the right tools and accessories.
However, there are others factors that considerably influence the taste and result end of food such as choice of fuel. In fact, the success of our grilled dishes will be determined in the first place by the fuel we use.
And is that betting on the firewood, the vegetable coals waves aromatic woods It will not only affect the taste of the food but also the time it takes to turn on and prepare the grill, since while firewood can take about 40 minutes to become embers, good charcoal can be ready in about 20 minutes.
Similarly it is fundamental that the selected fuel, be it firewood or coal, be of hardwoods such as oak or holm oak. This is because softwoods like pine turn to embers very quickly and will therefore ignite much sooner than hardwoods, but they will also burn out much sooner which negatively affects the cooking process and the final finish of the food. the food.
It is also interesting to note that to cook on the grill or barbecue we can use a single fuel (wood or charcoal) or do a combination of both. Whichever option you choose, you should know that the taste of the products will change substantially. In other words, the same recipe will taste totally different depending on whether it has been cooked with firewood, with charcoal or with a combination of both.
In addition, each type of firewood and charcoal provide a different aroma and flavor. That's why, from Hornos Jumaco, manufacturers of barbecues Y grills, we want to share with you some advice and tips in order to that you can choose the best fuel based on your tastes and preferences and the food pairing.
Choosing the firewood
exist different types of firewood that we can use to cook on the grill or barbecue. each with a features and different aroma that make them especially suitable for cooking certain foods, but also with something in common: firewood should never be green or freshly cut, but in order for it to have a good calorific value and to be able to reach high temperatures, the wood must be hard and dry.
- Holm oak or oak: the firewood from these trees is ideal for cooking meat and fish since it has a great calorific value and generates very long-lasting embers.
- Sarmiento: the vine shoot and strain have the disadvantage that they are woods that burn very quickly and, therefore, although they burn very intensely, they are also consumed very quickly. However, they are very aromatic and provide a very characteristic flavor to food. They work great for cooking. rice and small pieces of meat such as lamb chops.
- Almond, orange and olive: these woods are characterized by generating good flames. Hence, they are especially suitable for cook rice, stews or stews, but contraindicated for cooking meats, as they can burn. As a curiosity, this fuel works great in wood fired ovens.
- Is: this wood with high calorific power and excellent flames is not very common in Spain, although in central Europe it is widely used, especially for preparing pizzas.
- Pine tree: if you are thinking of choosing pine firewood you should know that can only be used to light the fire, but never to generate embers. This is because it has a lot of resin which, when burned, gives off some vapors that they can become toxic if they come into contact with food.
Choosing the best charcoal
Charcoal is not charred firewood. That is, firewood that is heated without air in an oven at very high temperatures (between 400 and 700 orC) with other plant residues until it decomposes. Therefore, the Flavor and smell that will contribute each type of charcoal It will depend on the wood from which it has been manufactured.. And the choice of one coal or another will again have to do with the tastes and food pairing.
Between the most common types of charcoal we found the oak charcoal, the argentinian quebracho, the cuban marabou, the japanese binchotan, the briquetted coals and the coconut shell charcoal.
Also, there are several aspects fundamental in which we must look to choose a good charcoal:
- Weight: High quality coals weigh more than poor quality coals and also have less volume. That is, good quality coals occupy less.
- Taste: a good charcoal is characterized by leaving a pleasant and very characteristic smoky flavor impregnated in the food.
- calorific value: for a charcoal to be good it must have a high calorific value to ensure that the food seals and cooks quickly.
- Durability: the longer the charcoal lasts, the better it is. In addition, it will allow you to save money and work.
If you still do not have a grill or barbecue with which to put these tips into practice or you are thinking of getting a new one, do not hesitate to contact us. At Hornos Jumaco we put at your disposal a wide range of barbecues and grills both construction and industrial available in different models and they work with different fuels. In addition, we can also make you a barbecue or grill totally tailored so that it adapts perfectly to your needs or those of your business.
Source:
Benayas, JM, Celada, E., & Hernández, A. (2018). Between embers: the secrets of the fire kitchen. Planet.
