Outdoor Cajun Cooking Fuels
Fuels are the key components for successful outdoor Cajun smoking. There are a variety of different types of fuels that can be used such as charcoal, wood, pellets, electricity, and gas.
Usage of each fuel depends upon the type of backyard or outdoor smoker/grill that you are going to use. These fuels can be used whether your Cajun smoking, barbecuing, or grilling. (1) Each type of fuel has its own uses, benefits, and drawbacks. Also, they have a different impact on flavor, cooking time, portability, usage, and cost.
Charcoal: Briquette and Lump
Charcoal is made by the carbonization of wood. Incomplete burning of charcoal during its manufacturing process makes it capable of burning at low or high temperatures. Using charcoal as a fuel adds a specific flavor and aroma. Charcoal is used in offset smokers, grills, kettle grills, and vertical grills. Its produced in two types of charcoal: briquettes and lump. Charcoal is the most commonly used fuel used for hot and hasty Cajun grilling.
Briquette Charcoal
Briquettes are a mixture of wood scraps, coal dust and various chemical additives. These are sold in sacks and is the most common of the two types. They are evenly uniformed, square shaped little black pillows. Their burn time is longer than lump and they burn much more consistently.
When you first light the briquettes, you’re going to want to let the initial nasty tasting smoke burn off. Why, because they have additive chemicals. Most of the time you must use lighter fluid which is a liquid fire starter to get them to light. In addition to this, when you add the liquid fire starter you are going to need to let it soak in for a good 15-30 minutes before you actually light them. Then, wait an additional 20 to 30 minutes to let them properly warm up. Basically, your prep time will be 30 minutes to an hour. They’ll turn a greyish white color when they’re ready; this is when they’re burning at their hottest.
If you don’t want the extra additive of lighter fluid, then simply use a chimney starter. This is a hollow metal cylinder with holes at both ends. You can crumple newspaper and place it in the bottom. Pile your briquettes into the cylinder then light the paper. Once it is lit pour them into your smoker or grill spreading them out and then close the lid. Caution: do not use your hands to spread the coals or hold this extremely hot cylinder.
This is the outdoor cooks mouth-watering favorite cooking method. It’s also the best way to cook your hot dogs, brats, burgers, steaks pork chops, etc. I recommend pairing this method with meats that are thinner cuts. Pre-cooked meats like hot dogs, brats and sausages flavors are enhanced to the extreme with a woodsy, smoky goodness. It’s a great way to sear in all the juices for a hot and hasty cooking time. For veggies, slice them lengthwise in thin strips like eggplants, onions, and tomatoes. You’ll want to cook the rounder veggies like corn, mushrooms, or cherry tomatoes whole. Shish kabobs are great way to skewer your whole, smaller or cut up veggies.
Briquettes generally are made from hickory therefore giving you a wonderful smoky flavor.
- Benefits: One of the main advantages is that fueling with charcoal adds a specific smoked flavor and a nice appealing aroma. Charcoal fueling is suitable for high-heat grilling. Smoking a Cajun with charcoal takes time, so there is no need to check frequently. Using charcoal is preferred because of its comparatively cheap, easy to use, portable, and accessible fuel.
- Drawbacks: There are some drawbacks to using charcoal fueling. It can be a source of unwanted additives. It causes a mess in terms of ash produced. Fueling with charcoal needs practice for maintaining a perfect heat.
Lump Charcoal
Lump charcoal is a hardwood charcoal. It is found in forms of irregular lumps, pieces, and sizes. It literally looks like chunks of charred wood, but it burns cleanly. However, it’s temperature will drop quickly after its initial burn and its burn time is usually short. You’ll definitely have to keep an eye on this fuel and add more when necessary.
Lump charcoal is used in offset smokers, vertical grills, and kettle grills. Its also best used for a quick cooking method of hot and hasty. Its paired best with meats such as burgers, sausages, fish, and chicken. For veggies, you’ll want to use cut them in thin slices such as squash, zucchini, bell peppers and onions.
Flavors include but are not limited to hickory, mesquite, maple, and beech. It has good qualities and is generally a favorite fuel source for social events or just a quick outside meal.
- Benefits: It is easy to adjust the temperature. It lights quickly and produces a genuinely nice orange glow and less smoky as compared to charcoal briquettes.
- Drawbacks: Charcoal lumps are comparatively expensive. These burns faster, thus more fuel is required in this case.
Wood: Wood, Chips or Chunks
Wood, wood chips or wood chunks are quite possibly the oldest method and fuel used for all of time. This method is just as easy and remarkably similar to using briquette or lump charcoal. You’ll need some sort of fire starter to get this fire roaring. Setting the right temperature and choosing the right wood flavor and type is necessary to have perfect Cajun smoked food. Wood is used as a fuel in offset firebox smokers and grills.
If you choose to use wood chips, you can pre-soak them in water before using. Honestly, expert smokers say that soaking them doesn’t make much of a difference anyways. Wood chunks do not absorb much water; they do not need to be soaked.
You can light your chips or chunks much like you would briquette or lump charcoal. Again, if you choose to use a lighter fluid you will want to wait until the initial nasty tasting smoke burns off. You can also use a chimney starter for this method as well in the same way. Wood chunks will burn longer than wood chips, therefore aiding in your fire lasting longer.
Using wood like logs or sticks that you can pick up off the ground will not require any other form of fuel. However, you may want to consider using a liquid fire starter, unless you know how to use dried leaves which you can gather with your wood. Wood is extremely popular when camping. People mostly use this for campfires to roast a simple meal like chicken, hot dogs or dessert such as marshmallows for smore’s over the open flame. There’s nothing cozier than a good old campfire to help you stay warm on your camping trip.
Using wood chips and/or chunks are a popular additive to a bed of charcoal which lends to flavoring our meat. As an additive, you’ll only want to use about a handful of chips or chunks, not much at all.
Wood flavor(s) pair well with most meats and veggies especially larger cuts like briskets or ribs. You can purchase your wood chips or chunks in a variety of flavors. Each flavor will pair differently depending on your protein that you are cooking. Flavors come in alder, apple, cherry, hickory, lilac, maple, mesquite, mulberry, oak, orange, peach, pear, pecan, plum and walnut. Do not use cedar, cypress, elm, eucalyptus, fir, liquid amber, pine, redwood, spruce, or sycamore.
You can use wood chips or chunks with other fuels as long as you have the right setup. With electric or gas, you’ll need to have a separate smoke box or chamber. A smoke box is a small metal box that you place your wood chips or chunks in. This lies just under your cooking grate that you place your food on to cook. A chamber is a totally different section or added place on your cooking device to burn your wood. Again, you’ll want to only use a handful as these because they are simply used to add a smoky flavor to your food; too many would be too overwhelming and unnecessary.
- Benefits: Fueling with wood creates a versatile smoky flavor. Wood is natural and accessible fuel. One can experience taste changes when changing the type of wood.
- Drawbacks: Smoking with wood takes a longer time. Choosing the wrong type of wood can ruin the process. Must have a close check on temperature while using wood.
Barbeque Pellets:
Barbeque pellets are mostly made up of 100% dry hardwood having no moisture. They are finely ground hardwood or sawdust and have been pressed and formed into a cylinder shape. Pellets are used as fuel in several different types of smokers such as smoker generating smoke, electric, gas, charcoal smokers, and smoke boxes.
One should be careful while choosing pellets as fuel for smoking. A cheaply made pellet can ruin your meal and your grill by giving it a horrifically awful flavor. When using pellets as a fuel one should be cautious because they burn hotter. However, they do burn more evenly and consistently than any type of wood, wood chips or wood chunks. They also make for an easy clean-up because they don’t leave a lot of ashes behind. Experts advise against purchasing brands that have any extra additives, fillers, or binders. These can taint the flavor and cause them to burn inconsistently.
Barbeque pellets should not be confused with heating pellets. Heating pellets are just that, heating pellets that heat your home. They contain paint residue and other chemicals that may be harmful to your health. Do not use them as a fuel for cooking; make sure you purchase barbeque pellets.
Pellets may be used in any type of smoking device where you would use charcoal or wood. You can also purchase a pellet smoker that is specifically designed for the use of pellets. These are called offset smokers or pellet smokers.
Barbeque pellets give off a smoky flavor that pairs well with most meats, veggies, or casseroles. Like wood chips and chunks, each flavor of barbeque pellets will enhance your food.
Barbeque pellets can be purchased in a variety of flavors. These flavors include alder, cherry, apple, oak, maple, hickory, and mesquite.
- Benefits: Using barbeque pellets saves space and avoids a mess of using large wood logs and pieces.
- Drawbacks: High temperature is not easy to achieve when using pellets. Because they are small and takes too long to set a perfect temperature for having a Cajun.
Electricity:
Electricity is a fuel that is specifically used in electric smokers. In this, electricity is used to cook at any heat temperature. Electric fueling has no use with the combustion process, so there is no smoky flavor. Using an electric smoker is much like cooking in an oven. There is no added flavor. It’s simple, safe, and convenient. There are no dangerous flames or gas emissions.
There is no way to add any extra flavors to the electric fuel with out some sort of added fuel that creates smoke. Smokiness can be added by putting wood chips into the smoker providing your electric smoker has the proper setup. Most electric smokers are designed with a tray where you can use wood chips, chunks, or barbeque pellets.
You can cook any food in an electric smoker that you can cook in your kitchen’s electric oven. It’s just that easy.
- Benefits: Electric smokers and electric fueling are convenient to use in residential areas where smoking is not permitted. using electric smokers in such cases is a good option. Temperature can be manipulated in such electronic smokers. Electric fueling is convenient to use as there is no need to set fire. Electricity is also an efficient fuel.
- Drawbacks: True smoked flavor cannot be achieved using this electric smoking. But this problem can be solved by placing wood chips in smoker. Traditional style grilling can’t be achieved using this method.
Gas:
Gas is also used as a fuel in Cajun smoking. This type of fuel is only used in gas smokers. Gas is convenient if your home is equipped for gas as a heating source. All you would need to do is tap into the main gas line (please do not attempt this on your own). A gas alternative is propane; it’s usually used as a fuel in gas smokers. You’ve seen those large white tanks that sit beside or under the smoker, right? That’s a propane bottle. Keep the propane bottle away from your open flame based on the expert’s proper instructions.
Gas or propane is one of the scariest forms of fuel. It will do you well to have it on concrete and a level surface. Please keep your gas or propane smoker at least ten feet from your house and definitely not close to anything that is combustible. You do not need a liquid fire starter what-so-ever. If you have stored your smoker please resort to the instruction manual to double check that everything is in proper working order before you fire it up.
When using gas, it’s no different than cooking in your gas oven inside. If you want that awesome smoky goodness then you are going to have to use an additive source the same as you would with an electric smoker.
Just like the electric smoker, you can cook any food in a gas smoker. Using gas as the fuel for a smoker should not be confused with using gas for grilling. Grilling with a gas as a fuel creates a divine searing on your meat. This is generally a preferred method especially if one is craving a tender, juicy, seared steak. However, grilling is not smoking. Hanging meat over an open fire is not the same as placing meat over a grate above an open flame.
Gas does not aid in the flavors while smoking. You will need to use an additive much like what’s been discussed above with the electric and pellet fuels.
- Benefits: Using a gas fuel in Cajun smoking is quite easy as it just needs a gas cylinder and gas smoker. Temperature setting can be done easily by adjusting gas pressure with a control knob that’s attached right in the very front of your flame.
- Drawbacks: Auto-adjusting is not quite feasible in this case and pressure should be adjusted manually.
Conclusion:
These are different types of fuels that are used in Cajun smoking. But each fuel is specific to the type of smoker used. Fuel in Cajun smoke depends upon the type of smokers. There are some other factors like affordability, ease of usage, etc., that should help you decide what fuel type suits your wants and needs. Charcoal is the fuel that can be used in many smokers mainly grill smokers due to its accessibility, affordability, and above all its specific aroma and taste that it adds to food. Wood is the most traditional style of fuel in Cajun smoking.