In article , Steve Cutchen
wrote:

In article , Jeff
wrote:

As family and friends gather on decks and patios this holiday weekend
to eat grilled burgers and chicken, a debate may erupt - not about
politics or sports, but charcoal vs. gas.

"In order to accomplish the true, authentic barbecue smoke flavor,
you have to use a charcoal grill," says Steven Raichlen, author of
'The Barbecue! Bible' and other grilling cookbooks.

http://enquirer.com/editions/2004/07...c_grill03.html

Heat is heat.

But smoke is not smoke.

BBQ involves slow cooking over indirect heat at low temperatures and
the smkoe is important.

Typically BBQ involves a remove firebox.

...remote... sigh

So lets assume you mean grilling, not BBQing. And assume you mean
straight charcoal and no chips to give flavoring via the smoke.

Charcoal does not add to flavor. In fact, depending on how you light
it, you can get residual bad flavor from lighter fluid. This is why
starting charcoal in a chimneyt is a good idea. No fluid. But the
charcoal itself does not smoke nor contrubute to flavor.

So if charcoal does not add flavor, what does?

The vaporization of the drippings from the meat and the charring of the
meat from the heat.

Depending on the type of internals, a gas grill can do grilling the
same way as a charcoal grill. It needs to be a grill that properly
vaporizes the drippings.

The huge advantage to a charcoal grill is heat regulation. Douse coals
with water and heat stops. Controlling flareups on a gas grill can be
more difficult, again depending on the design.