BBQ Grill

Where can I buy a charcoal grill?

I've looked at 2 grills at Walmart. The Weber is too expensive for the few times I'll use it. The second one is much cheaper, but too small and only has short legs for use on a table.

Soriana in Chapala usually has a variety. Near the veg section as you enter the east door. A better selection of outdoor stuff, too.

ComputerGuy wrote:Soriana in Chapala usually has a variety. Near the veg section as you enter the east door. A better selection of outdoor stuff, too.

Totally agree, family member just got a nice one there,  a few weeks ago.

ComputerGuy wrote:Soriana in Chapala usually has a variety. Near the veg section as you enter the east door. A better selection of outdoor stuff, too.

I have the Weber Baby Q 100 (for over 15 years). It is worth every peso, this is from someone who BBQ in Canada during snow storms...

A snowstorm in Ottawa is just another BBQ day...

Also look into the Thai Bucket Stove. Galvanized bucket with a high temperature ceramic insert. It uses very little charcoal and is designed to hold a 13" wok or a flat grill or metal plate on top. This is great for healthy stir fries without smelling up your house. I bought one from Seattle, it cost $14 to ship to Laredo. It generates heat up to 700 f, the temperature preferred by professional Asian chefs. I wish we had a lid for the wok, would make it more versatile. Also, like the Gremlins, do not allow it to get wet.

Lots of cheap wok lids online, although they rarely come with the wok. I always have one for steaming in the wok.

I have two large burners on my gas stove, and years ago had repair guys put in bigger jets, but they are still not big enough for really good wok heat. I asked for yet larger again and they said "too dangerous". Not sure what they were basing that on.

All my life I've used a standard two-handled wok, but I'm thinking it is time to try a male or long-handled wok, for shaking and stirring at the same time.

A professional Asian chef stove has four burners. The back two have water and another for chicken stock. The noodle or vegetables are blanched in the water. The stock is added when needed. The front two burners are for Woks, they are big burners for rounded bottom woks. They have a normal setting, then a turbo blasting switch controlled by their knees. This makes a high heat of over 70,000 btu. A high quality, home gas stove has a high of about 15,000 btu. These stir fry burners sound like a hot air balloon heater when they are on max.

I bought a Thai street food wok when purchasing the bucket stove. This is tilted out a little bit so customers can see the food as they pass buy, and also thinner steel to make up for the lower temperature bucket stove. Asian street food is the best.
wok burner
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KoPclRe66pw

I forgot to add. You can put a twelve volt air blower, inexpensive, on the air vent to turbo a bucket stove. These are used to inflate air mattreses and toys. I have not tried this yet. You could probably use oxygen too, but that is going into the danger zone.

fwiw, we bought a dual gas and charcoal grill, with a side burner at the local Walmart in 2017.  It was around 3,500 pesos, best I recall.  It's brand is Expert Grill.  It looks very similar to the one pictured below (I could not find an image of my exact grill).

It is our 4rd gas grill over many years with a side burner.  

For some reason side burners on gas grills are super hot!  Hotter than what I get on my indoor 6 burner gas stove (not top of line, but not entry-level either).  And the side burner on this and my former Mexican gas grill always run hotter than the side burners on my US gas grills.  

But the BEST reason to have a side burner is that I can do a hard sear, blacken, char, or pan fry with no concern for splatter and clean-up (we do not have a house cleaner).  This weekend I will be searing and crisping duck breast---that's a splatter-fest if doing indoors.  

I have an American gas grille, not expensive, and I use the side burner as a shelf. That's how weak the gas output is. Some years back, in Canada, I bought a gas grille with a burner at the back specifically for spit-roasting. Another waste of a burner and of gas. I don't know how much one would have to spend to get something that really works. The average consumer gas grille puts out a fairly measly 10,000 BTU per burner. And the gas or bricks are most often too far away from the grille itself to get that real sizzle going.

You can see   wide selection at Baja Grills in Riberas.

https://bajagrills.com/

Be aware the prices are in U.S. $ dollars.

The charcoal and good quality hardwood can get plenty hot. It can turn a carbon steel wok to cherry red hot. Here is a video as to how they are made. I think a Mexican village could make a whole industry from this. I think Park Service people in the US and Canada would love it. Chained to a cement base of course. Also great for the beach, whereever when ever.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i208a7FaM6Q

Soriana has all of their BBQ's on sale today with 20% off.

CHILLIN wrote:The charcoal and good quality hardwood can get plenty hot. It can turn a carbon steel wok to cherry red hot. Here is a video as to how they are made. I think a Mexican village could make a whole industry from this. I think Park Service people in the US and Canada would love it. Chained to a cement base of course. Also great for the beach, whereever when ever.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i208a7FaM6Q

A couple of weeks ago I went to BBQ at a friend's. No matter what I did, I could not get the (real charcoal, bagged, not briquets) to start. No matter how much lighter fluid I used or how little or long I soaked it. And I still can't find a "method" online. Seems only a very few people actually use charcoal these days. But tons of Mexican places use it. Any ideas?

Sometimes charcoal can get damp. I usually build a small wood fire, with kindling and wood chips. Let it burn down to near coals, then add the charcoal, but don't choke out the fire. If you are still having problems you might to use a fan, electric blowdryer. or a BBQ blower to fan the flames and charcoal.
With the Thai Bucket I found lighting an under fire was too much trouble. I just use it as an ash catcher, but it is important to keep it cleaned out for a good upward draft.

These Aussies will show you how. They make their own charcoal. Hardcore.
http://bruceteakle.blogspot.com/p/cooking-on-thai-charcoal-stove.html?m=1

ComputerGuy wrote:

A couple of weeks ago I went to BBQ at a friend's. No matter what I did, I could not get the (real charcoal, bagged, not briquets) to start. No matter how much lighter fluid I used or how little or long I soaked it. And I still can't find a "method" online. Seems only a very few people actually use charcoal these days. But tons of Mexican places use it. Any ideas?

The best way to start charcoal is in a charcoal starter chimney. You fill it up, put a sheet of newspaper in the bottom, light it, and in 10-15 minutes you've got hot coals. I *never* use lighter fluid.

Yeah, well, it's not like this was an available option. And the best way isn't the only way. I'm going to have to assume the charcoal was damp in the bag. Being a Canadian BBQr (we don't call it grilling), it's not like I've never done this before. I've never had to use a charcoal starter chimney. I don't do it often enough anyway, and I have really only used a gas BBQ for decades now, with the odd hibachi cookout thrown in.

I had an outside kitchen built when I first came down. I use both gas and charcoal for grilling and barbequing.
I use a charcoal starter chimney mostly when I want lots of heat. To keep my charcoal dry I purchase one of those 30 gal plastic barrels that you see for sale along the airport road to store the charcoal in. Works great, always dry when I need it.

Your setup looks pretty cool, but I don't entertain anymore, so it would be overkill for me. The charcoal in question was stored inside my friend's house; the bag was dry, no damp smell, so it will always be a mystery. What I should do is buy a new bag and try again. Because the thought of me, a BBQr for 50 years or so, not being able to get a fire going, just takes away my whole claim to being a real Canuck, eh? Even though I don't have to wear a toque anymore...

So this Canuck distinguishes between grilling, which used direct heat and is relatively quick, and BBQing which is low and slow with indirect heat. Inn Toronto Our grill was right outside our patio door, and we grilled all through the winter. I'd also fire up my smoker a couple times each winter to make ribs and pulled pork. 

Here's a couple pics - wrong season!

[img][/img]
[img][/img]

fyi, if you haven't watched this series, bbq fanatics may be interested.  Chef's Table: BBQ

Canada_Mike wrote:So this Canuck distinguishes between grilling, which used direct heat and is relatively quick, and BBQing which is low and slow with indirect heat. Inn Toronto Our grill was right outside our patio door, and we grilled all through the winter. I'd also fire up my smoker a couple times each winter to make ribs and pulled pork. 

Here's a couple pics - wrong season!/>

Well, maybe I'll change my ways. Or maybe not, I don't know. Pretty hard since I spent my first 50 years in Canada and we BBQd the whole time, whether it was slow cooking or flame broiling. We still don't call it grilling. As in "We're heading over to Bill's for a BBQ", or "We're going to the park for a BBQ". Not "We're heading over to Bill's for a grilling." Or "We're going to the park to grille". But that's just us. You can call it Bonfire of the Vanities, if you like. But like you, my BBQ was right outside my kitchen door in all my homes, and I BBQd all winter long.

Admittedly, it us Q smokers who pay attention. Enjoy your linguistic license without aspersions from me.