DOWN WITH THE KING

Up until recently, I had been naive about the importance of good charcoal. I had somehow been programmed to believe that Kingsford was the only way to go, but I had no idea how wrong I was!!!

There is an entire world of charcoal out there, and it seems that Kingsford is probably the least good of them all (unless you're allergic to flavor).

Kingsford charcoal seems to be made to burn very cleanly, which I think is its downfall. The briquettes I've been getting lately pop and smoke and sizzle, which adds up to lots of that delicious smoky flavor I'm looking for when I'm barbecuing. If I wanted clean burning, I'd get propane and not bother with the coals. The other thing I've noticed is that the Kingsford doesn't get nearly as hot as the other stuff. I think this is because they add corn starch and other fillers to get cleaner burning coals.

I plan to write an entire post about all the different types of charcoal you can buy, but for now, just try straying from the Kingsford world, by buying all natural hardwood briquettes. (I've been getting mine at Trader Joe's) I guarantee the new charcoal will give you that extra bit of flavor that has been missing with the old standby.