The hotter, longer and cleaner burn
Contributor: Vic Clevenger
Posted: January 16, 2020
Recently I was out cooking an alligator (I live in FL, it’s what I do) and decided I needed to do one of my Facebook Live Friday’s. I started off wanting to show everyone what I was up to with this cook while plugging some of the rubs I was using (check out the B&B Rubs as well as the rubs from some of the B&B influencers). In the course of this theatrical masterpiece I recreate each Friday, I began to plug my go-to fuel for such a cook, B&B Charcoal Char-logs and kiln dried wood, when the tag-line hit me, as for the very first time (sounds like a line from a song). It wasn’t the actual first time I’d read it of course, as a matter of fact, I’d used this tag-line as a “selling” point to others when they ask why I use B&B.
Today I was about to load an alligator onto my smoker which can be daunting so you want something you know to be reliable in the fire box. For some added pressure on this cook, this was to be the main course for a dinner party I was having and was going to take somewhere between 10-12 hours at a steady 225 to 250 degrees. This is when I understood the B&B Charcoal tag-line was more than just a promotional tool, it was the “why” I rely on this for my cooks.
The Hotter Burn
Did you know you could cook a top 10 steak on a just a starter chimney and Grill Grates? You can when you have about 25 B&B Charcoal Briquettes in your chimney (this may vary depending on the weather) and yes I’ve counted them. I’ve gotten my cooking surface up to about 700 degrees doing this, which is a great cooking temperature for a perfect steak. Whether it’s hot and fast for a steak or low and slow for an alligator, a pitmaster knows it’s about fire control. This requires a hot set of coals which will form the base, especially for a long cook, which brings us to the next part of the tag-line.
The Longer Burn
I remember standing around a couple years ago at the National BBQ & Grilling Association’s celebrity steak cook-off when we marveled at how long the B&B Charcoal was burning. Four different cooks used the same set of coals and they were still hot after the awards. This alligator was going to need a charcoal that would stay hotter longer so B&B is the obvious choice. Having a longer burn tends to help on the attention given to the fire. Although a pitmaster knows to pay attention to the fire, having a coal with a longer burn allows for less feeding of the fire to keep the same temperature and with proper management, it saves money.
The Cleaner Burn
For most outdoor cooks the fire they use is more than just a cooking fuel, it’s another layer of flavor and the choice of what to use is crucial for success. Is it for color or sweetness or just a mild smoky flavor? Whatever the reason, it shouldn’t over power the meat (or veggies) on the cooker and this is where B&B comes in with the all-natural wood. Knowing this is a relief because as every live fire cook knows, whatever is in your fuel makes its way into your food. What this means for you is your food will taste better, be healthier because there’s no foreign substances and its good for the environment.
The next time you pick up a bag of B&B Charcoal and you read the tag-line hopefully you’ll read it again as more than just a promotional tool, but as a promise. A promise that your cook will have a hotter, longer and cleaner burn. Oh, but how it tastes will be up to you but I’m sure it’ll be terrific.
