Mastering BBQ Fuel: A Beginner’s Guide

BBQ Fuel

Mastering BBQ Fuel: A Beginner’s Guide with ArnieTex

Welcome to the first segment of our Culinary Chronicles series on BBQ! This week, Efren Salinas visits with BBQ expert Arnulfo Segovia, better known as ArnieTex on social media, to discuss everything you need to know about BBQ fuel. Whether you’re a novice griller or looking to refine your skills, ArnieTex offers invaluable insights on choosing the right fuel for your BBQ adventures.

Getting Started with BBQ Fuel

Efren Salinas: “All right. We’re here with Arnulfo Segovia, more popularly known as ArnieTex. On social media, you’re blowing up on Instagram and YouTube. We’re honored to have you here for this grilling series that we’re doing for Fox News. We’re going to start talking about all these important things that you need to know. If it’s your first time grilling and you’re trying to get in the game, we’re going to start with fuel. What can you tell us here?”

ArnieTex: “Well, there’s a lot of different types of fuel out there. Generally, when you’re starting out, you want to start with the basics. It’s like anything; you don’t jump in the swimming pool and go race with the professionals, right? You have to learn how to swim first. So, I always recommend starting with something simple like a Weber kettle. And to cook on those, you’re generally going to start with what we call briquettes. This type of briquette is the original. Once you get more proficient in your cooking skills, you might want to move up to lump charcoal. The advantage of the briquette is that it lights really quickly, is inexpensive, and is very consistent with your heat.”

Efren Salinas: “That’s great advice. Can you tell us more about the advantages of lump charcoal?”

ArnieTex: “The advantage of lump charcoal is that it’s real wood, so you get a little more of that authentic wood flavor. Nowadays, we also have pellet grills, which have become very popular because they’re like gas grills. There’s also gas grills, which are very popular as well. But the pellet grill is very convenient. You can set the temperature like the air conditioning in your house, go inside, watch movies, and then come out two hours later to find your food ready. All these fuels have their own benefits, and you’ll need some kind of fuel to start your fires.”

Tips for Lighting Your BBQ

ArnieTex: “If you don’t want to use lighter fluid, which I don’t recommend for beginners, you can use tumbleweeds. You light one end, place it on or next to your charcoal, give it about ten to fifteen minutes, and your fire is ready. Depending on the size of your fire, you might use one or a couple of tumbleweeds. That’s how you light your fire.”

Efren Salinas: “So, you mentioned you don’t recommend lighter fluid. Why is that?”

ArnieTex: “Particularly for novices, lighter fluid can be tricky. If you don’t let it burn off completely, you might close the lid too soon and end up with lighter fluid flavor on your food instead of the wood chips or charcoal flavor. It’s a very common mistake for beginners. Using natural starters like tumbleweeds eliminates this issue. Once they burn out, there’s no residual flavor affecting your food.”

Enhancing Flavor with Wood Chips

ArnieTex: “For added flavor, if you’re cooking with charcoal, you can also use wood chips. I like to soak these in bourbon sometimes, which adds another layer of flavor and a great aroma. Depending on your cooking method, different types of fuel can enhance your BBQ experience.”

Efren Salinas: “Thank you so much, Arnie. That is what you need to know to get started when it comes to BBQ fuels.”

Stay tuned for more tips and expert advice in our Culinary Chronicles series. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to perfect your BBQ game, we’ve got you covered every Friday on Fox News.

https://instagram.com/arnietex