Grilling is Good

Seems like it’s going to be a very manly week here on the old blog. Bear with me though, this is good stuff.

During the celebration of the 4th of July, we were able to enjoy much grilled food at a couple different venues. One of these places is a unique reserve plopped in the middle of farmland and suburban neighborhoods. It contains a man-made lake with a beach, hiking/XC-ski trails, playgrounds, a couple clubhouses and a busy summer camp. Near the lake are scattered picnic tables, each with its own grill.

There are certain smells to summer, but one I’d like to do away with is lighter fluid. It filled my nose this past weekend and I swear, it brought up a base instinct to run, like Bambi’s family in that forest fire. It just smells wrong. So, how do you start a smoking hot grill fire when you don’t have a propane grill without using an evil accelerant? Read on…

First, you need natural, hardwood charcoal. You don’t have to go anywhere special for this – we buy ours at the grocery store. Next, you will need a device to naturally get the charcoal to burn into coals. At your local hardware store, they should have something called a charcoal chimney starter, which is a tall cylinder with a handle and holes in its side. We actually use a homemade version of a chimney starter made from two coffee cans and it works just fine (instructions below.**) And finally, you’ll need a very small amount of newspaper and matches.

Put the newspaper on the bottom of your upright cylinder, then fill it with the charcoal. You need to leave room for air to circulate throughout the cylinder, so be careful not to pack the newspaper or the charcoal too tightly. There should be a hole near the paper to light it with your matches. Now here is the hard part – you wait. It’s not glitzy, like the big flames you get from lighter fluid that can set your hair on fire. This method is a slow burn, but you will notice that what you eat from your grill actually tastes better. And you’re shunning those non earth-friendly petroleum products that seep into your food.


**Homemade Chimney Starter Instructions:
(These couldn’t be more simple…)

Take two coffee cans, one large and one regular size.

Punch quarter-size holes near the bottom of the larger coffee can in whatever manly way suits you.

And you’re ready!

To celebrate these grilling days, here’s a card just listed in the Etsy shop. It’s the first time ever that we’re offering a single card, so get it while it’s hot. Har har har.