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    Why You Should Ditch Your Gas Grill for Hardwood Charcoal

    By | Shine Food – Thu, Jun 21, 2012 9:58 AM EDT

    By Adam Rapoport, Bon Appétit

    I know, I know--Americans love their gas grills. But I grew up watching my dad douse pyramids of briquettes with lighter fluid back in the '70s, and I've been a charcoal lover ever since. These days, I buy hardwood lump charcoal, which is increasingly easy to find. The irregular hunks of carbonized wood burn clean, fast, and remarkably hot, creating a 600-degree wall of heat that produces the kind of crisp char on a porterhouse you thought only high-priced steakhouses could achieve. Grilling with it is like discovering authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano after a lifetime of using canned "Parmesan." So strike a match and watch as the charcoal catches a flame and then mellows. That's my time to stand by the grill with a drink, admiring the glow and taking a moment in my packed schedule to appreciate my friends, my family, my life. I'd say that's time well spent.

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    Here are four brands of hardwood charcoal that we'll be grilling with all summer long:


    Photo by Matt DuckorPhoto by Matt Duckor





    Royal Oak Ultra 100 Charcoal Briquets: If you want to cook with briquettes, look to these 100% natural hardwood beauties. They will impart their smoky goodness without any of the nasty additives. $10/11.5-lb. bag; tvisupply.com






    Photo by Matt DuckorPhoto by Matt Duckor



    ONO Charcoal: Made from the wood of the kiawe tree (say it with us: KEE-AY-VAY), this additive-free charcoal has been fueling luaus for years. $20/20-lb. bag; bbqguys.com









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    Photo by Matt DuckorPhoto by Matt Duckor




    Groveland Orange Tree Lump Charcoal: Like other natural lump charcoal, Groveland burns long and hot with little ash, but it's the hint of citrus that puts this one over the top. $22/28-lb bag; bbqguys.com









    Photo by Matt DuckorPhoto by Matt Duckor


    Lazzari Mesquite Lump Charcoal: Hailing from Mexico by way of San Francisco, Lazzari has been producing flavorful and slow-burning mesquite charcoal since the '40s. $10/20-lb bag; osh.com












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