For that delicious, smoky flavour, is it best to grill your food over wood or charcoal? The answer isn’t straightforward, as both charcoal and wood are ideal for smoking some delicious meats or veggies over an open flame this summer.
So, to help you decide which is the best fuel for you, we introduce what you can expect from both fuels below and explain why it’s important to use a clean fuel source you can trust.
Grilling with charcoal
If you’ve ever been to a BBQ, the chances are that you’ve enjoyed food that has been smoked on BBQ charcoal (which includes various different varieties, including briquettes, lumpwood charcoal and restaurant grade charcoal). They’re neat and tidy as far as stocking your grill is concerned, and with the help of some firelighters, they can get your BBQ up and running in no time at all.
Grilling with charcoal also makes your barbie easy to maintain, as you can control spots of direct and indirect heat, meaning you can move some of your food across to different sections of the grill once it’s done. Charcoal also delivers a smoky but clean flavour, which is perfect for rustling up delicious summer favourites like burgers, steaks, and sausages, always giving you that authentic barbeque taste.
Grilling with wood
Wood-smoking food has become all the rage in recent times, with everything from chicken to pizza being grilled over an open flame. One of the best things about smoking your food over wood is that you can select the perfect wood to enhance the flavours. For instance, hickory wood imparts a mild, smoky flavour that is relatively subtle, while pecan is a great choice for cooking low and slow and produces much deeper, smokier flavours.
When you select a sustainable and chemical-free wood source - such as our kiln-dried firewood - you can rest assured that you’re cooking your food over pure wood that will deliver delightful, complex flavours. Perhaps the only downside to grilling with wood is that it’s a little more difficult to master than cooking over charcoal, and you might struggle to get it right the first time. Foods such as pork and chicken breast are just perfect for smoking over wood.
The verdict: Which is better - charcoal or wood?
The truth of the matter is that you can enjoy a delicious summer BBQ whether you smoke your food over wood or charcoal. But the key is to select the right source of fuel for your grill. At Homefire, all of our wood is completely natural, sustainable, and 100% chemical-free, making it the perfect choice for home cooking.
Our BBQ charcoal collection also provides you with that authentic BBQ taste and is ideal if you prefer the more traditional method of cooking your meat over coal this summer. Another option to consider is our innovative Ecoal smokeless coal, which is made from olive pits.
So, whether you decide to smoke your food over charcoal or wood this summer, make sure you have the right fuel to get your BBQ roaring.
