I don’t know about y’all, but here in Oklahoma barbecue and grilling reign supreme in our back yards, patios, balconies, and parks. I want to make my yearly rant against charcoal and liquid charcoal starters. Those things are nasty. They spew chemicals into the air and stink up the neighborhood, especially when too much starter fluid is used. I’ve seen men catch their beards and head hair on fire from being too enthusiastic with the charcoal starter fluids.
Do yourself and all your neighbors a favor and never, ever use liquid charcoal starter.
If you want to green up your grilling, there are a lot of things you can do to make it greener and healthier and tastier. Oddly most of the suggestions to make your outdoor cooking a greener event also make it much yummier.
So, onward. If you have a gas or propane grill, these save time, are hot instantly, ignite quickly, and put fewer chemicals into the air. They can also be used when your city is under a fire ban, unlike wood and charcoal grilling. Since I live where we get lots of fire bans in the summer, having a propane grill to cook outside is a lifesaver. It’s actually greener to cook on my grill than my stove.
If you insist on charcoal, get charcoal that hasn’t been imbued with any chemicals the way quick-starting charcoal has. Cowboy Charcoal, Wicked Good, and GreenLink make good chemical-free charcoals. I think Royal Oak has a chemical-free charcoal, too. Use hardwood lump charcoal and a chimney firestarter. If you prefer wood, use hardwoods like maple, pecan, mesquite, and oak. Avoid cedar for its sparks and pine for its “pinesol” flavor. I have mulberry, maple, pecan, and elm trees in my back yard and I use their prunings and trimmings to flavor my grilling.
Dryer lint from cotton towels and sheets help start charcoal and wood fires better than the liquid stuff, in my opinion and experience. Old newspapers, rolled into “cigars”, and paper egg cartons also do well. Old pine cones that are starting to fall apart are a favorite of mine. Your food will love you for using chemical-free charcoal and wood because the chemical flavor of those quick-start charcoal briquettes coats the food as you cook with it.
Invite your guests via email or word of mouth rather than sending paper invitations.
Compost your veggie peels and corn husks. If you don’t have a compost, why not? The BioBag composting system is inexpensive and can be used even by apartment dwellers, and a worm bin doesn’t take up much space or (done right) cause odors. I just got a new infusion of worms from an apartment dwelling friend in Kansas who came down to visit. I gave her the spawn of Penelope (one of my more vigorous and user-friendly Yeast Beasties) in exchange. If you don’t compost, consider freezing these for a friend who does compost (freezing prevents it from rotting and when it’s thawed and added to the friend’s compost, breaks down quicker – the worms like food that’s been frozen and thawed, they eat it quicker so there’s less time for an odor to build up and avoids problems with fruit flies).
Grow your own vegetables if you have space for it. Nothing is yummier than harvesting the food you’ll be eating just before you cook it. If you live in an apartment where there’s no gardening space, consider shopping at a farmer’s market or buying shares in a CSA. If you compost, you’ll have food for your garden.
Don’t use disposables at your barbecue. Use metal utensils, cloth napkins or bandanas and tablecloths, and reuseable dishes. I like using wood and bamboo because they last practically forever, rarely break, and are sturdy enough to handle any grilled concoction I make. You may prefer using ceramics like Fiesta Ware. I have a basket in which I keep all my outdoor party dishes (plates, bowls, cutlery, serving dishes, glasses, pitchers, cloth napkins, cloth tablecloth) so I can haul it all outside in one go. I also have a cabinet that's filled with party dishes for indoor parties. I rarely use disposables any more.
If you do use disposables, consider VerTerra, VegWare or disposables made from cane sugar or cornstarch that compost quickly.
Make pitchers of lemonade, tea, and punch instead of canned sodas. Consider brewing your own beer or making your own wine if you go that way. A homebrew is often the perfect accompaniment to a barbecue.
Light your patio or outdoor space with solar lights, candles in hurricane glasses, or tiki torches. I live in a high wind area, so I use the solar lights. Even with the hurricane glasses, the wind is often strong enough to blow out candles and torches.
Use safer cleaners. If you scrape the grill while it’s still hot, clean-up is fast and easy. Before you grill, make a paste of baking soda and scrub that on. It makes for safer, tastier food with no chemical tang.
When you shop, use re-usable shopping bags. You can get decentish cheap ones at Wal-Mart, Sam’s, CostCo, and Target. Home Depot has an exceedingly nice one. You can buy sturdy canvas tote bags and use them for shopping. I have some net shopping bags I got in Germany back in the 70’s that I still use. Good shopping bags can last a lifetime.
When you’re shopping, consider buying your meats from a local butcher or rancher. Some food co-ops carry meat from locally raised free-range, range-fed animals. The meat is superior to supermarket meat and thus something to be treasured for your grilling expertise. There are ranch CSAs where you can buy shares in a cow or pig or flock of chickens or turkeys or even ostrich (I have no clue why ostrich isn’t on the menu more often, ostrich tastes the way beef is supposed to taste – rich, beefy, moist, tender, with a mouthgasm that’s swoonworthy). They’ll butcher and package your meat up for you and you know you’ll always have great meat to eat and offer your guests.
Grill local fish. In a landlocked state like Oklahoma, the best fish are the ones that live in our lakes and streams – bass, catfish, perch, trout, crappie, saugeye, walleye, sunfish, and bluegill. This doesn’t mean we can’t grill shrimp or swordfish, just that we need to be aware of what it takes to get those ocean fish to us and the fact that we’re getting frozen, not fresh, seafood for our grills. Grilling local fish means fresher fish and it supports the local economy.
Trim fat off the meat before grilling it and cook slowly. Slow cooking makes for a more tender and flavorful dish, and avoids the carbonizing that can detract from the flavor and healthiness of the food. Trimming the fat means an easier clean-up and fewer fire flare-ups.
And there you have it – a green grill. Enjoy your summer and have some good eats!