r/charcoal

Normally my daughter hates burgers & cheeseburgers in any way & cooking style. Well, tonight we put charcoal to the test and proud to say she "LOVED" them.

I seasoned only with Salt & Pepper to let charcoal do it's thing. Side note, what a beautiful sight & amazing smell. Cooked to a perfect medium rare/ rare as which she loves now. 😂

THANK YOU Everyone here in this community for sharing your knowledge and advice on how to best use charcoal!! Kiddo, is becoming a Charcoal Girl with each use. Oh and she wants burgers again tomorrow. 😂😂

My take on Korean bbq chicken. I have been using Frontier lump for a few cooks now. Pretty good.

Edit:
Since some people asked for a recipe

I really didn’t have one but here is my best guesstimate
Chicken thighs
1 small onion
Few cloves of garlic
Few scallions
1 apple
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2tbsp gochijang (Korean red pepper paste)

Use blender for marinade. Reserve 1/4 for mop sauce.

I did a quick marinade but I’m sure overnight would be better.
Grill indirect and then a quick sear color.
Then go back to indirect and mop sauce and let set for a few minutes.

Not available at every store, but many have it on clearance. Check online and it will show you the in-store clearance price if it’s available.

Just wanted to share my high quality (small production) lump charcoal in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. 🪵🔥

🪵 What is Ayin Wood Charcoal?
Ayin charcoal is a premium-grade natural lump hardwood charcoal produced from the dense Anogeissus leiocarpa (Ayin) tree native to West Africa, primarily sourced from Nigeria. It is widely considered a top-tier "restaurant-grade" fuel worldwide.

🔥 Key Performance Stats
Carbon Content: Extremely high (75% to 86% fixed carbon), meaning fewer impurities and a cleaner burn.
Burn Time: Lasts incredibly long (roughly 3 to 5 hours depending on ventilation).
Heat Output: Burns exceptionally hot, steady, and predictably without random temperature spikes.

💎 Major Benefits for Pitmasters & Shisha Users
No Smoke, No Smell: Offers fully odorless, clean combustion that won't taint the natural flavor of food or shisha tobacco.
Zero Sparks: Very high mechanical density means it doesn't pop, crackle, or throw dangerous sparks when lighting or cooking.
Low Ash Residue: Leaves behind minimal ash, preventing airflow blockages in ceramic grills (like Kamados) and making cleanup easy.
Durable Chunks: Because the wood is so dense, the lumps don't easily shatter into useless dust during shipping, giving you large, usable chunks right out of the bag.

💡 Best Used For
Low & Slow BBQ: Excellent for long smoking sessions due to its longevity.
High-Heat Searing: Perfect for professional restaurant kitchens and wood-fired grilling.
Premium Hookah/Shisha: Highly favored in Middle Eastern and global markets as a natural, chemical-free alternative to quick-light coals.

I marinated these chicken thighs in a mix of red wine, red wine vinegar, lots of garlic, serrano peppers, fish sauce, olive oil, honey, brown sugar, fresh cracked black peppercorns, parsley & lovage (celery leaf can be a substitute). Then I made a red wine reduction with crushed garlic, whole peppercorns & a little balsamic added. I used the reduction to make a bbq sauce by straining out the peppercorns & garlic, then adding ketchup, molasses, honey, red wine vinegar, fish sauce & salt as well as using the reduction in a compound butter for the rice & corn I’m making as side dishes. I cooked the thighs bone side down the whole cook right up until the end to help crisp up the skin. I glazed the chicken in the bbq sauce right at the end with the chicken directly over the fire so I could achieve the desired char. The compound butter was great on the corn/rice & this was a fun way to use up some red wine that was sitting in my fridge, would definitely recommend.

Biggest lump ive ever seen

How to clean up the grill. The char is aamzing. But there is black stuff. How to clean it ? I have used soap, metal scrubber and stuff. But there is aways some carbon on the grill.

Decided to take a chance on posting my first real attempt at using charcoal. Here I did chicken thighs finished with a kiss of hickory smoke, grilled romaine lettuce and sautéed zucchini & summer squash for my wife.

Dinner was so good my daughter went for 2nds & wanted 3rds on chicken. 😂

Did some STL style ribs this afternoon. Five hours, not much pullback from the bone but very tender and tasty!

Hello, got this very dusty old Charcoal Grill in the back garden from before I moved in but I know nothing about grilling and can’t seem to find the model. Also looks like some parts might be missing. Any advice on whether its saveable/how to get it up and running be greatly appreciated!