While becoming a BBQ pro at charcoal grilling might take some time when switching from gas to a new Weber charcoal grill, the time spent learning how to cook on smouldering embers is absolutely worth it once you taste the delicious flavour charcoal smoke lends to all of your dishes.
To create that beautiful crust and char on steaks and vegetables, choosing the right charcoal is one of the most important parts of grilling and depends not only on your vessel but also on the different foods you want to cook. Think of steak, fish, greens or flatbread; these food items only need a quick sear over very hot temperatures, while larger pieces like a whole chicken or rack of ribs will probably take an entire afternoon on the Weber charcoal grill until slowly cooked to perfection.
When going to the grocery store, there are usually two main types of charcoal to choose from: briquettes and hardwood lumps. While a Weber charcoal grill is very flexible and can create delicious BBQ dishes using either briquettes or lumps, the difference between the two charcoal types lies in their composition and the smokiness you would like to impart your grilled foods with.
Charcoal briquettes are probably the charcoal everyone knows. Usually found in any grocery store and cheaper than hardwood lumps, charcoal briquettes are nugget-shaped and compressed wood, sawdust and additives. Due to their uniform shape and density, they offer a long and even burn, perfect for grilling larger pieces of meat on your Weber charcoal grill. Due to the additive binders that hold their shape, charcoal briquettes are not 100% natural and may give off some chemicals that might permeate the food when burning. And yet, charcoal briquettes are a great solution when planning to grill all afternoon, as the nuggets are known for their long and consistent burn.
Lump charcoal is the other option to fuel your Weber charcoal grill. The lumps are made from nothing else but burnt hardwood, which vary in shape and size. Lump charcoal burns hotter, faster, and less evenly than briquettes but can infuse the food with a beautiful, smoky aroma. Commonly made from Iron Bark or Laban wood, avid grill masters use lumps on their Weber charcoal grill for quick and fast grilling like burgers, white meats or vegetables, and pick the hardwood lumps specifically for the certain foods they want to lend a smoky flavour to. Any stone-fruit wood, for instance, imparts a subtle but delicious aroma to poultry, while lumps made from Redgum and Iron Bark are better used for red meats like lamb and beef.
In summary, if you’re planning to put something on your Weber charcoal grill that’s supposed to cook quickly, like vegetables, bread or pork chops, you want the high heat of hardwood lumps. For low and slow cooking, such as a large piece of meat or a whole fish, the right charcoal to use would be briquettes.
