Understanding Charcoal
As we get ready for the big holiday cookout this weekend, I am debating if I should buy some “lump” charcoal or use my usual charcoal “briquettes”. Until a few years ago, I never realized that charcoal is just cooked wood. I never really thought about it, but it makes sense that wood is involved in cooking over an open fire.
The way I understand it is….wood is burned in a state with very little oxygen and burns for a while. This allows all the harmful vapors to burn off and the remaining charred wood is charcoal. After it is cooled of course, this “lump” charcoal is ready to light and burn hotter and longer than regular plain wood and even briquettes.
I have always used briquettes; which are made with wood scraps or sawdust and held together with binders into that familiar cube shape. I have read that some folks say the binders that are added detract from the perfect fire. I have no idea, but as I get ready to prepare the pork butt for the 4th, I am sure the meat or my family won’t care what kind of charcoal is doing the grilling!
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