STOCKTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--“Throw a pizza in the oven” takes on new meaning with the growing popularity of natural lump charcoal for grilling. Amateurs and aficionados alike can use lump charcoal to turn an outdoor grill into a year-round backyard kitchen for the preparation of amazing dinners from teriyaki salmon steaks and stuffed loin of pork to homemade pizza and even Thanksgiving turkeys.
Although it has long been the choice for grilling gurus who favor a crisp crust, moist interior, and seared-in flavor, everyday grillers and emerging newbies are discovering that natural lump charcoal – like Cowboy Charcoal products – can cook food at higher heats for longer periods than standard grilling while infusing an authentic, smoky flavor. As a result, summer barbecue standards – burgers and hot dogs – become mouthwatering experiences and the menu options for everyday dinners and special occasion meals grows.
The expanded barbecue menu is a good thing as year-round grilling trends up. According to the recent Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) Consumer Research Study, 62 percent of grill and smoker owners in the U.S. grill year round. Even grilling experts are firing up more frequently on chilly days to prepare fruit, fish, dessert and shellfish.
Cowboy Charcoal Company fulfills the demand with a complete selection of natural products, including the popular Cowboy®Hardwood Lump Charcoal. The newest introduction is Cowboy Gold Premium Natural Lump Charcoal, a superior charcoal manufactured using kiln-dried southern hardwoods. The offering complements the southwestern flavors of Cowboy’s Vaquero Mesquite Lump Charcoal and other natural wood smoking products available in Pecan and Apple, among other flavors. Cowboy distributes All Natural Hardwood Briquets under the Stubb’s® brand name. The natural briquets are 95 percent hardwood and five percent natural vegetable starch, providing authentic wood flavor in an even-burning briquet. All Cowboy lump charcoal is carbonized Hickory, Oak and Mesquite carefully cooked at a high heat. The outcome is a 100 percent natural, renewable and chemical free grilling experience.
According to Don Crace, president of Cowboy Charcoal, he and his team enjoy demonstrating the benefits of their products because they know knowledge inspires the pursuit of grilling perfection. While restaurants and gourmet chefs have relied on it for decades, the Cowboy team is pioneering the education of everyday backyard grillers about the flavor enhancement opportunities of cooking with natural lump charcoal.
“We want everyone to be as passionate as we are about barbecue, so we are working hard to educate people about the fuel,” noted Crace.
The natural lump charcoal burns hotter, faster and cleaner than standard composite briquets, which are generally comprised of borax, limestone, sodium nitrate, starch, anthracite coal or lignite coal, sawdust and wood char. In general, the average searing temperature of Cowboy lump charcoal - at an average grill-grate level of three to four inches - is 650 to 750 degrees, much hotter than standard charcoal briquets.
Ace Hardware Stores, Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Safeway and several other home centers, grocery stores and outdoor shops retail the charcoal. The company employs 65 people in three facilities in Kentucky and Tennessee. Recipes, tips and information about “Cowboy cuisine” are available at www.cowboycharcoal.com.
About Cowboy Charcoal
Cowboy Charcoal Company is the best known brand of natural lump hardwood charcoal. Cowboy’s premium products guarantee an authentic wood flavor and tender, juicy results with every grilling experience. Now a subsidiary of Duraflame, Inc., Cowboy Charcoal is introducing new grilling products to help fuel the passion for barbecue and grilling enthusiasts around the country. www.cowboycharcoal.com
