In praise of the Gas Barbecue

Every time we visit one of our friends, we always end up with a friendly argument about charcoal barbecuing and gas barbecuing. My friend states quite adamantly, that there is no substitute for barbecuing over charcoal and you can never achieve the same quality of cooking on a gas barbecue.

I very strongly disagree with her on this. Provided you use the right cooking technique for each method of barbecue you are using, and the right BBQ rubs, marinades and sauces, you will end up with perfectly cooked food every time.

We have both types of barbecue. We have a large commercially built charcoal/wood burning barbecue which we use when entertaining large parties and we also have a three burner gas unit which we have located on the patio near to the serving area where I can both cook and be part of the party at the same time. (and not too far away from the bar)

The food we cook on the gas barbecue is on an equal par with that of the charcoal unit – only on a smaller scale. It makes a perfect slow cooker with the lid down and with only one burner on. We can cook just the same types of food as we can on the charcoal barbecue, but without the black charring that is so familiar with the charcoal unit. We can cook burgers either by the flame method or on the built-in grill plate which cooks them perfectly.

We find it much healthier because it has been proved that the black charring caused by charcoal cooking is carcinogenic – cancer forming.

The big advantage of gas-Fired barbecues is that they are ready for use only minutes after they have been lit, whereas a charcoal-burning barbecue has to heat up for 45 minutes. Another plus is the variable heat control.

In North America gas-fired barbecues are now 20 per cent, by volume, of all barbecue sales. Although some gas barbecues can be adapted fairly easily to run off natural gas very few are in fact plumbed in to the natural gas supply. The main advantage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) over mains gas is that it comes in containers which are easily stored and can be used anywhere. The majority of gas barbecues now sold in the UK are imported from the USA or Canada and are designed to be used with propane gas. Propane gas (supplied in cylinders painted red or orange) has one major advantage over butane gas (supplied in cylinders painted blue): it has a lower freezing temperature, thus enabling the barbecue to be used, if required, throughout the winter months without too much deterioration in performance.

People living at higher altitudes will also find they achieve better results from their barbecue when using propane. Probably because propane cylinders are less widely available in the UK, most people here use butane gas for their barbecues, even though the results, if the barbecue is designed for propane, are somewhat less satisfactory.

The fuel element in a gas barbecue is lava rock or, in some instances, man-made ceramic blocks or small nuggets. When exposed to a gas flame the rock emits a radiant heat, although there is no discernible change in its appearance. (it does not glow.) With both gas and charcoal-burning barbecues the food is cooked by radiant heat, not by contact with the flames. Indeed, when licked by flames from a charcoal or wood fire meat will quickly become charred on the outside while remaining somewhat raw on the inside — a highly undesirable combination for most meats but especially so for pork sausages and chicken.

There will always be traditionalists who pooh-pooh the idea that food can be barbecued over anything other than charcoal. No amount of argument will persuade them otherwise — even when reminded that charcoal is both odourless and flavourless. The magical ’outdoor’ flavour in barbecued meat is imparted to the meat by the smoke produced when the savoury juices hit the hot coals — or in the case of a gas barbecue, the hot lava rock.

Most gas barbecues on sale are, because of their bulk, destined to spend their lives on the patio ; there are, however, several fully portable models available. Our unit has wheels on which allow us to position it anywhere you want. When it is just Sheila and I having a barbecue meal, we simply move the barbecue to the end of the patio table and I don’t even have to leave my seat to cook the meal

But for groups of up to ten guests, the barbie has its own little niche where it is protected from the wind and elements, but is only a few feet away from the guests.

Tips

• Having purchased your gas barbecue the first thing to do is to sit down and read carefully all the information supplied by the manufacturer.

• After it has been used a few times the lava rocks will probably become grease-laden. They can be cleaned by subjecting them to high heat for approximately 10 minutes just after a cooking session, this is even more effective if you cover the rocks with two or three layers of heavy-duty aluminium foil and keep the barbecue lid in the closed position. Alternatively, boil the rocks in water to which a small amount of detergent has been added — it will of course be necessary to allow the rocks to dry thoroughly before reusing them.

• Gas cylinders should always be treated with respect. Never store or carry them upside down because this may result in the control valve being damaged, and leaks can be dangerous. Always use a cylinder upright, if you use it horizontally, liquid fuel could get into the supply pipes, with serious results. Keep the cylinders away from heat. NEVER store cylinders below ground level, e.g. in cellars, because if there is a leak the gas, being heavier than air, will collect at a low level and become dangerous in the presence of flame or a spark.

• Make sure you have the means of lighting the gas before turning on the supply.

• Never start up the lighting procedure with the lid of the barbecue in situ.

• LPG has a distinct smell to help in the detection of leaks; NEVER look for a leak with a naked light!

• When changing a cylinder make sure the appliance is switched OFF

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