Cooking Outside

[Edie]

Originally Posted by silver suz

Edie, would you set up a poll on outdoor cooking? How many use. campfire, charcoal with fire starter fluid, charcoal with chimney starter, propane grill, electric grill (and solar oven? or would I be the only one?? and how often for each. I am trying to find out how prevelant the charcoal fire starter is used by campers as the smell of this fluid knocks me out cold -like running into a glass wall. But others might find the results interesting too. By the way, parts of CA have banned charcoal fire starter from use as it is too toxic.
Thanks very much, Silver suz.

I received this message, so here it is.

[Edie]

Now that I voted, I should explain the "Other" methods we use. We have used a wok, crock pot, hot plate, and Geo. Foreman grill to cook outside when using our MH.

Way in the past we used a campfire, but in Florida campfires are frequently prohibited.

[andyfuson]

I almost always cook outside at least once with Charcoal. I buy Match light so that I don't need the fluid. Usually. I keep a bottle on hand just in case. It makes campfires real easy to start as well. I just make sure nobody is looking.

[silver suz]

I use a little stove that has a 1 D cell battery and runs on anything-pine cones, leaves etc. I also use a solar oven on sunny days- nice to have the meal cooked and ready to eat when you get back at the end of the day. silver suz P.S. Andyfuson, nobody has to be "looking" to "smell" the charcoal fire starter. It's toxic stuff.

[andyfuson]

BUSTED

[norbert]

forty years ago was my initiation to charcoal starter..i learned the hardway to allow time for the starter to burn off...that steak tasted like ****....im sure today in this politically correct world, that our wonderful EPA has mandated what can be used in the formulation. i have used all the methods to start a charcoal fire...although i like the chimney method, its just another piece of stuff to drag along and take up room. i dont see any advantage to matchlight, other then lining the manufacturers pocket with my money.
norby

[j54mark]

The one thing I have when camping is time. So we use the grill rather a lot. And I like charcoal, which takes even more time. A chimney is too much to store, and lighter fluid is smelly, messy, and far to volatile to carry on board. So I use those compressed sawdust/wax fire starters. It takes longer, but hey, I've got the time!

Mark

[Over59]

You don't need to use charcoal starter. Use an ounce of corn oil on a piece of crumbed up newspaper or paper towel for the purist in a fire starter, which is easy to make from a coffee can. The best steaks are cooked right on the coals of a burnt down "wood" fire or real charcoal (not kingsford ) fire. The real stuff burns hotter and has real favor, no wax or limestone.
And grilling and B B Q are not the same thing.....

[maxandgeorgia]

Oh, boy! I can't wait to read the fall out (er, discussion) about that! So, who grills and who barbecues and what's the difference? I'm always ready to learn something new on this forum

[norbert]

yes psychy....i do know the difference, so.......

HUSH PUPPY

norby

[andyfuson]

I'm actually surprised to see that propane is winning the vote. We airsteamers are just too fancy I guess.

[wahoonc]

What no one uses an electric grill? I chose other, we use several different methods depending on what is being cooked. We cook with charcoal, started with a chimney, we cook on a campfire, using grills and dutch ovens. I also have a small propane grill that we will use under the awning if the weather is to crappy to cook over the open fire. We also use crockpots, electric griddles, microwaves and manifolds BTW barbque is hand pulled, vinger based rubbed spiced, pork. With hushpuppies!

Aaron

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by andyfuson

I almost always cook outside at least once with Charcoal. I buy Match light so that I don't need the fluid. Usually. I keep a bottle on hand just in case. It makes campfires real easy to start as well. I just make sure nobody is looking.

Mae West said she made a campfire by rubbing two boy scouts together...
Terry
(for those of you under 60, Mae West was a movie star in the mid twentieth century, whose physical attributes caused, among other things, the nicknaming of inflatable life jackets Mae West's)

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by argosy20

Mae West said she made a campfire by rubbing two boy scouts together...
Terry
(for those of you under 60, Mae West was a movie star in the mid twentieth century, whose physical attributes caused, among other things, the nicknaming of inflatable life jackets Mae West's)

Wasn't she done with her movie career before WWII? She was a very old lady who made cameo one-liner joke appearances on tv variety shows by the mid Twentieth century.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Davydd

Wasn't she done with her movie career before WWII? She was a very old lady who made cameo one-liner joke appearances on tv variety shows by the mid Twentieth century.

Okay, maybe the 1930's. See my signature line for my standard excuse for forgetting...
Terry

[eubank]

Originally Posted by andyfuson

I'm actually surprised to see that propane is winning the vote. ...

Oh, that's an easy one if you live in the west near almost any national forest: Propane grills are usually permitted, but just about everything else is not!

Lynn

[andyfuson]

Good point. I wasn't thinking of all the problems with wildfires.

Curious though, do you carry a seperate propane tank for the grill or do you just hook it to one of the trailer tanks?

Also, what brands are small and compact for easy storage, etc. Now I have a small Weber charcoal style, and I carry it in the bed of my pick up.

Andy

[eubank]

Originally Posted by andyfuson

Curious though, do you carry a seperate propane tank for the grill or do you just hook it to one of the trailer tanks?

Also, what brands are small and compact for easy storage, etc. Now I have a small Weber charcoal style, and I carry it in the bed of my pick up.
Andy

Oh, we just have a grill that uses one of the little "propane torch" tanks that you pick up at the hardware store. (The grill was cheap and relatively compact.)

Lynn

[mtpalms]

We use a tailgater pellet grill that we got for a wedding gift 8 years ago.

If they weren't so pricey, more people would get them, they are fantastic! Then the price would come down too. No lugging around wood and waiting for the coals, but all the flavor; you can grill, bar b que and smoke with them. The BBQ pellets are better quality than the heating type, and come in lots of flavors, like hickory, mesquite, and oak.
The company ours came from is out of business, but this is a good place to get one:
http://www.traegerindustries.com/

[KIMILI]

Grillin' and Chillin'!!

Experimenting them all from the classic Texan BBQ to an Oklahoma City BBQ, mmmmm all on a charcoal grill!

Real fire, bold flavors!

This is the best time of the year. Enjoy!!