Hardwood cooking

[Ipostbulls**t]

Ok , not sure where to put this thread here or frugal living. Hardwood cooking what I'm talking about is supplementing hardwood for an alternate use of charcole I do this quiet frequently seeing I do outdoor work and landscaping ,tree removal trimming.ect each year I accumulate apple, cherry (wild as well) hickory, mulberry, walnut, oak (I don't like using oak and walnut much, very tannic) small doeses taste great. But I start off splitting all my wood and drying for about 6 months to reach low moisture content, I do this in my shop/ furshed.
Now I start my fire with kindling just a small amount of paper/ newspaper and add chunks of hardwood cut too size for the grill till I reach what I think works for coals and adjust my damper seeing that it runs real hot when starting out once my grill drops too 400* to 350* I start adding my meat or vegetables, and add more dry wood and some soaked wood if I want more of a smoked flavor.
This method does take longer, but I have tested it many times hardwood vs. charcol and all people I have served hands down hardwood against charcol the flavor is unbelievable better than grills ran with propane, charcol lighter fluid and charcol. The meat is a lot more tender with a cleaner taste.

[ninedeer]

I do a lot of hardwood cooking.just the other day I started me a fire in my pit.spent about 2 hours feeding the fire with wood let it burn down till I had a nice bed of coals.ad some hickory chips soaking in water.put some T-bones over the coals.now them are some good vittles.

[determinator]

I have a friend that does that very same thing. He doesn't use charcoal. I had never considered that until he told me that's what he does. I would have to find a source of the wood to do that. I imagine the flavor would be superior to charcoal. I've been "conditioned" to just buy a bag of charcoal, since that was what I grew up with all my life (so far).

[mrchicken]

I started making my own natural lump charcoal a while back. No comparison to the store bought formed lumps. And at $11.50 a bag....

Much cleaner taste, starts and burns hot, and its free!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHtj-dcOFjE
Here is how to make a charcoal retort out of scrounged materials.

Lately it has been too wet to make any so I have been burning hardwood and cooking over the open flames. Excellent chargrilled taste. Have to be careful it doesn't get TOO hot and burn your stuff.

If it does and you snuff it down by putting the lid on the grill, it can get a strong greasy smoked taste so you have to watch it.

[Ipostbulls**t]

Yea it sure likes to get hot fast that's like what ninedeer said you have to build a bed of coals before then keep soaked chips on hand for a smoke flavor! I'll definetly check out your link to home made charcol Mrchicken. I like to keep my meat at inderct heat till I'm ready for a slight char at the end of cooking before serving depends on what I'm cooking! ;D

[stickbowhntr]

I wet my wood chips I use for smoking with a salt water solution, IT does seem to make for more smoke and better taste to me. Had an OLD TIMER TELL ME TO TRY IT...

[Jack]

I've got a gas grill but wouldn't think about cooking on it without a few mesquite chunks, soaked for an hour or two, before adding meat/poultry/brats or whatever else we might be tossing on the grill.

Good Stuff! ;D ;D