I am always amazed when I find out where things come from and
how they are made. For example, I had a chance to visit a chocolate
factory a few years ago. Everyone on the tour learned how chocolate
starts as beans and is processed into the finished bar. One day,
when I was preparing the charcoal briquettes for the grill, I
started to think: What are these briquettes made from?
I am always amazed when I find out where things come from and how they are made. For example, I had a chance to visit a chocolate factory a few years ago. Everyone on the tour learned how chocolate starts as beans and is processed into the finished bar. One day, when I was preparing the charcoal briquettes for the grill, I started to think: What are these briquettes made from?
My curiosity grew, and after a few moments of snooping, the secret was revealed. There it was, on the back of the Kingsford charcoal briquettes bag. Who knew that the intelligent individual who adapted the process was the same person credited with revolutionizing factory production?
Henry Ford, the American industrialist who gave us the assembly-line method in manufacturing, came up with the idea of charcoal briquettes in the mid 1920s, according to the Kingsford Web site. It was a stroke of genius, and a fantastic business venture, too – the primary material used to make his charcoal briquettes was free. A production byproduct of Ford’s Model T automobile was wood scraps, which were recycled into the charcoal briquettes, thereby limiting waste and creating a profitable new product.
Another interesting fact I found on the Kingsford Web site is that Kingsford Charcoal was originally called Ford Charcoal. As the story goes, Ford wanted to open a new charcoal manufacturing plant. A relative named E.G. Kingsford helped him select the site for the factory, and the company was renamed in his honor. As the No. 1 producer of charcoal products in the country, the Kingsford company uses more than 1 million tons of wood scrap to create its charcoal briquettes.
In a survey conducted by Kingsford, two out of three people said they preferred the taste of charcoal-grilled food such as chicken, steak and hamburgers to gas-grilled food. One of the people surveyed said the food grilled over the charcoal “tastes like it was grilled over a real wood fire.” I anticipate a charcoal grilling vs. gas grilling debate soon, and I’ll follow up with some pros and cons of each.
I discovered something else about Kingsford this week. After making charcoal briquettes the same way for more than 80 years, the company recently redesigned its product to be quicker-lighting and longer-burning. The briquettes now have grooves on them, which increases the lighting area and helps air circulation.
There are many ways to start a charcoal fire. My two favorite methods are the charcoal chimney and hot iron. Use caution, these devices will be very hot.
The charcoal chimney is a tall and cylinder object that is filled with newspaper on the bottom and has briquettes stacked on top. When the newspaper is lit, the heat and flame rise to the bottom layer of briquettes and spread up the ventilated chimney. After they are lit, the hot briquettes are poured onto the fire grill and spread in a single layer.
The hot iron is an electrical device where an oval piece of metal is heated and starts the charcoal briquettes through contact heat. Place the oval part of the hot iron on the bottom of the fire grill and arrange the charcoal briquettes in a pyramid pattern on top of the hot iron. After the briquettes have started to take on enough flame, remove the hot iron from the pile of briquettes.
For those who like to use lighter fluid, construct the same pyramid shape, pour on fluid from top to bottom and allow the lighter fluid to saturate the charcoal briquettes. Light the soaked briquettes on opposite sides of the pile for quicker burning.
My recipe this week is a variation on a sports-fan favorite. Many diehard football fans need to have hot wings. If you plan to grill some hamburgers or sausage for Sunday’s big game, consider a little space on the grill for spicy chicken tenders. Because they don’t have bones, chicken tenders cook quicker. This way, you don’t have to worry about missing the turning point in the game when you get up to throw away the bones.
Sweet & Spicy Chicken Tenders
From Mitch Mariani
Serves 8-10
2 pounds of chicken tenders, washed and dried
1 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Step 1: Place chicken tenders in a disposable plastic bag.
Step 2: Wisk remaining ingredients together, and pour into the plastic bag. Press out any excess air and seal. Make sure the mixture is evenly distributed among the chicken tenders.
Step 3: Marinade the chicken for at least 4 hours, turning occasionally. (It’s better to marinate the chicken overnight. This will help the flavor penetrate more and create less work on the day you serve it.)
Step 4: Grill the chicken tenders for 7 minutes on each side, depending upon thickness of the chicken tender and level of heat.
Step 5: Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.
