Do you know when to use briquettes and when to use charcoal?

[mvcoller]

NEVER USE BRIQUETTES TO BRAAI!!

Charcoal is for braaing (open fire)

Briquettes are supposed to be used in a Weber or similar where you light them and when they are ready, put in a chicken or a roast, put the lid on and slowly roast the meal. It is also for potjies and Dutch Ovens (or flat bottomed pots) where you can put briquettes on the lid to slow cook the contents from the top and the bottom. Each briquette is supposed to have a specific and similar calorific value (I do not know exactly what this value is) and with this knowledge you can control the heat required to for instance; bake a bread to perfection in a flat bottomed pot.

Briquettes are made from pulverised charcoal mixed with a glue like substance and then compressed until the mixture has dried. When lit, as it burns, it covers itself in the white residue (dust) from this glue and charcoal mixture. This white dust actually inhibits the process of producing heat for a braai. It often contaminates the meat when used on an open fire, but not when left undisturbed inside a bell type device, covered with a lid as in the case with a weber used for roasting. The heat is a lot lower and the cooking process is slower.

For a braai you want high heat to sear the meat and capture the juices, which in turn captures the flavour. Steak and chops are a prime examples where you need to braai them fast to ensure succulent flavourful meat. Same with Boerewors. To braai this you need to use charcoal that burns fast, produces much higher temperatures than briquettes. Charcoal burns out much faster than briquettes.

So next time you go and buy fuel for your outside cooking, buy CHARCOAL to braai meat.

If you are going to roast something in a Weber, slow cook something in a potjie or bake a bread in a flat bottomed pot where you need slower controlled heat, then you buy BRIQUETTES.

West Pack also sells 3 bags of charcoal or briquettes for R100, but they are 4kg bags as opposed to most special offers being only 3kg bags. I normally buy 12 x 4kg bags at a time.....

[Alex Roux]

This white dust actually inhibits the process of producing heat for a braai. It often contaminates the meat when used on an open fire, but not when left undisturbed inside a bell type device, covered with a lid as in the case with a weber used for roasting. The heat is a lot lower and the cooking process is slower.

Malcolm
Are you saying that there is also a health concern when using briquettes to braai?
If that is the case, I would not use it in any application, incl. a Weber.

For Briquettes, the heat required can also be amended if you can adjust the height of the grill. If heat is the only issue.
The annoying thing with with charcoal is the uneven size of blocks and many small bits that burn out too quickly - Giving it a false value per kg sold compared to briquettes.

Then, what about braaiing with wood instead? I 'm suppose this more depend son the type of wood used, so opens up a much wider topic.

[mvcoller]

"Then, what about braaiing with wood instead?"

And once the wood has turned to coles, what do you get? - uneven size of blocks and many small bits

Ha, ha, ha - you just can't win, can you - that is what you get with charcoal. But using charcoal generally, uniform heat and a specific heat range is not really required..... unlike roasting in a Weber or baking in a flat bottomed cat iron pot.

[mvcoller]

"Are you saying that there is also a health concern when using briquettes to braai?"

I don't know and can't say

I just find it annoying and off-putting when I get this on the meat when there is even the slightest of a breeze...