Adding ingredients directly to charcoal is a taste game-changer.
Adding ingredients directly to charcoal allows home cooks to experiment with more flavor
When it’s time to throw some meat on the charcoal grill, there are plenty of opportunities to add serious flavor.
The meat can be injected or bagged overnight with a marinade, sauced, brined, coated with a layer of dry rub or subjected to any other sort of Frankenstein experimentation. You can even use two or three of these steps if you are feeling frisky.
But there is another way to add a little bit more flavor by adding ingredients directly to the charcoal itself. Consider it a game-changing twist that allows the home cook to experiment and have some fun.
“I would encourage everybody to do it,” said Seguin pitmaster Adrian Davila of Davila’s BBQ. “I like to put rosemary on the fire and let it burn all up; it’s very potent. When I cook lamb, rosemary is a good flavor to add to it, and you can do that through the smoke.”
I’ll give credit where credit is due. The idea to do this stemmed from the recent introduction of H-E-B Grand Champion charcoal briquettes that come with pieces of dried onion and garlic ($4.98 for about 7 pounds) infused into them. Curiosity got the best of me, and once the bag was opened, the scent of the onion and garlic was unmistakable, and it gained power as it was ignited in the chimney starter.
There are a couple of other things to keep in mind with this process. Because you are applying these items to charcoal that’s burning at scorching temperatures, the ingredients you apply prior to putting the meat on the grill will burn through quickly enough that you should be prepared to reload with another handful every time you open the lid.
Also, keep the expectations in check because this is flavor that can’t match any marinade, dry rub or sauce but is a nice, subtle boost to the flavor of your meat.
Here are six other ways to add flavor to those flames:
Citrus peels: Whether you opt for grapefruit, orange, lemon or lime, there is a reason a strip of citrus is so often used as a garnish to your favorite cocktail. Peel the fruit and tear the peel into small pieces, letting them sit out overnight in a small bowl so they can dry out a little. The tang will fill the air after the peels are applied to the coals (they burn quickly), and as an added benefit, it’s rumored that it naturally repels mosquitoes.
Garlic: Those stray pieces and half bulbs that are probably stowed away in the butter shelf of the fridge are perfect additions to the hot charcoal. The unmistakable heavy scent of garlic ranks right up there with onions and rosemary, and will keep
the cooking area free of vampires.
Jalapeños: Slice the peppers in half to expose the seeds and toss them on the coals. It produces a noticeable spicy heat element that will make your eyes water, and I can see that boosting some skirt steak or marinated fajita chicken. Or
you can wrap whole peppers in some foil, pop them on the coals and eat ’em with your meal as a tasty side.
Rosemary: As Davila stated, this is a game changer that can produce spectacular results with pork chops, chicken, lamb or a whole fish on the grill. The rosemary crackles and burns immediately after sprigs are placed on the grill. The piney scent from the needles can quickly blanket the entire backyard, so you better believe it gets into the meat.
Onions: Owner/pitmaster Margaret Medina of San Antonio’s Medieval Grille tosses a couple of onions on her smoker at the start of every cook, and she said the smell signals to the entire neighborhood that she’s open for business. “It does add flavor to the meats, and as they cook, they get soft and brown and are so good, I’m thinking about adding them to the menu,” Medina said. Quarter the onions, and as they sizzle, the aroma will get the crowd antsy to eat.
Wood chips: These bags exist in a wide range of wood selection and can be found in any department store with an aisle dedicated to grilling products for about $3. Adding wood chips to the charcoal is the gateway trick to charcoal infusion, and it does, indeed, add a smoky twist to the food. Some will suggest soaking them in water in advance, but it’s not needed.