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Simulating Charcoal Grilling at Home

Wall Advent Calendar 2023 Day 5

8 years since the first Wall Advent Calendar.
“A creative life lasts only 10 years.”
A quote that comes to mind with every returning Advent Calendar.

(This intro is completely unrelated to the rest of the post.)

Context: I want to eat charcoal-grilled food at home.
Problem: Lighting real charcoal indoors is inconvenient and dangerous.

Preparation

Purchase the following items:

  1. Gas Torch / Culinary Blowtorch
  2. Edible Bamboo Charcoal Powder
  3. Spice shaker / condiment dispenser (from a 100-yen shop)

Fill the spice dispenser with the edible bamboo charcoal powder.

Cooking

Here, we use chicken as an example, but this technique applies to any ingredient.

1. Cook the Meat Normally First

Raw chicken pieces

Cook thoroughly in a pan or grill. Ensure it is fully cooked at this stage.

2. Sprinkle Bamboo Charcoal Powder

Keep these crucial points in mind:

  • Lightly coat the meat surface with rendered cooking oil/fat before dusting.
  • Do not over-apply charcoal.

Too much charcoal makes it aggressively black and gives an unpleasant gritty texture. Start with a light dusting.

Coated lightly with meat juices and oil.

Dusting lightly with the shaker. A subtle amount is plenty.

3. Torching

Torch the charcoal-dusted meat with the gas burner. Keep the following physical mechanism in mind for best results:

Charcoal powder resting on top of the thin oil layer is key.

Torching with the flame. The oil layer prevents the meat from drying out excessively.

The smoky charcoal aroma infuses into the meat through the heated fat layer.

4. Results & Comparison

Here is a side-by-side comparison: moderate charcoal, excessive charcoal, and untreated grilled chicken.

From left: Simulated charcoal-grilled (moderate), Simulated charcoal-grilled (excessive), Untreated control

Control vs. Simulated Charcoal Grill (Moderate)

Surprisingly, the simulated charcoal grill tastes remarkably delicious. Despite being a straightforward hack, the smoky flavor faithfully replicates authentic charcoal grilling (sumibiyaki).

Moderate vs. Excessive Charcoal

The one with excessive charcoal looks like squid ink pasta. However, the texture feels distinctly gritty like eating actual embers. Moderation is key.

Summary

We successfully simulated authentic charcoal grilling at home without needing a messy charcoal hearth. With a bit of creative thinking, domestic culinary “walls” can easily be overcome.