The Coal Wars:Weekend Warrior Blend!

A few weekends ago I promised a few interested souls I would test different brands and types of lump charcoal. My plan was and still is to use a different manufacture’s product each weekend and write a series of lump charcoal reviews. The recent biblical rains drenched my initial intentions, but last night I set my plan in motion once again. I don’t know how long my research will last (probably until my bride begins notice all the bags in the garage or I realize how much money I’m burning) or even what brands I can get my hands on locally. If anyone has any suggestion or wants to join in the fun, please feel free (contact me). Maybe between us we can come up with a fairly extensive amateur guide to charcoal (check out the Naked Whiz’s Lump Charcoal Database for professional reviews) one that’s from the perspective of the world’s backyard gourmets. Presently I am going to see how many different brands I can find in local or reasonably local brick-and-mortar stores. I know that I will ultimately end up buying from the internet, but I want to see what’s available to the few folks out there that are not obsessed with BBQ.

Most every store in my backyard sells Cowboy brand lump charcoal. Personally, I have been using it off and on for about 2 years. It is not the greatest blend of wood as it made from mainly scrape lumber. It is reasonably priced and easy to get. Recently however I came across an older product review done by, you guessed it the Naked Whiz, and have since decide to stop using it. Admittedly, I haven’t encountered any of the problems mentioned in the review, but until now I haven’t really been looking. I have notice a few unrecognizable coals among the obvious hardwood flooring chunks (my family is in the hardwood floor business if anyone cares) and that combine with the prior has made me uncomfortable with the product. Enough about that, on to this weekend’s first lump charcoal product test.

Wicked Good Charcoal: Weekend Warrior Blend will provide the embers of choice. I gave it a test run last night and grilled up some homemade sausages with grilled turnips and redskin potatoes. I don’t have much to report right now except to say that it definitely burns hotter than the Cowboy or any briquette product on the market. The real test is slated for Saturday when I see how well it barbecues. On the menu is a small 9 pound boneless Boston butt [don’t get me started on why it’s boneless and wimpy, let’s just say I am in the market for a new meatmonger; who refuses to sell a whole pork shoulder to someone because they think the person (customer) is silly? Especially when that someone owns two BBQ websites and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He told me, “you don’t know what you are talking about, only those guys who compete in BBQ cook offs use entire shoulders” if he only knew (I’m all talk-- I will never write poorly of a person’s business based on one incident, hence no mention of the stores name. I just needed to rant)] and possibly, if my bride isn’t looking, a couple/few racks of ribs, and maybe a chicken. I don’t want to waste good smoke and this bag of lump is expensive.

Wish me luck; I will post this weekends findings early next week… Eat Ugly—