I Thought Rockwood was Supposed to be Neutral???

Carolina Q

Did a meatloaf last night with RW lump and no smoke wood. It was fine. Didn't really notice a smokey taste or smell, but then, I usually don't right off the grill. Had a sandwich for lunch today and it was quite smokey, taste and smell. I liked it, but it was NOT neutral! Especially noticed the smell when I took it out of the fridge and opened the bag... just like with every other lump I've ever used. 

Myth...BUSTED! If you want neutral, use your oven.

However, the meatloaf, collards (Instant Pot) and my first cornbread (oven) in about 5 years were outstanding! Finally found baking powder with zero sodium! Baking soda too! So I can again make scratch cornbread or biscuits! Now if I could just find lo sodium ham! hahaha

Tonight, a rerun but with added fresh Instant Pot pinto beans! EXCELLENT!!!

If anyone knows how to keep meatloaf from crumbling, I'd love to know. 2 lb of meat, 1 cup of bread crumbs and 2 large eggs. Came off the egg in 4 pieces, impossible to slice!

Wolfpack

Well I guess if you compare it to your electric oven it would have a smokey flavor.

But then again likely why we all use a charcoal grill and not gas. 

The better measure would be what did you think compared to your normal charcoal RO?

Lit

Heavy cream and oh **** no you didn’t. 

Wolfpack

I remember someone on here had a really cool meatloaf wire mesh basket. What was the fat content of the beef? I’m guessing lit may have “lit” on the right answer- needed more moisture?

Carolina Q

Wolfpack said:

Well I guess if you compare it to your electric oven it would have a smokey flavor.

But then again likely why we all use a charcoal grill and not gas. 

The better measure would be what did you think compared to your normal charcoal RO?

My point was, every charcoal I have used, gives a smokey flavor. RW is no better or worse than any other I have tried, whether RO or WG, the two I usually use.

GrillSgt

Nothing that burns is 100% neutral. It is neutral compared to other lumps. 

Carolina Q

Wolfpack said:

I remember someone on here had a really cool meatloaf wire mesh basket. What was the fat content of the beef? I’m guessing lit may have “lit” on the right answer- needed more moisture?

A mesh basket wouldn't have accomplished anything except allow me to get it off the grid in one piece. It still would have fallen apart when sliced. And in any case, the mesh basket was made by Brinkmann, filed for bankruptcy.

Fat content was 80/20.

Carolina Q

GrillSgt said:

It is neutral compared to other lumps. 

But it ISN'T! It's just as smokey as RO. Fanboys notwithstanding.

Legume

Hyperbole, it’s the internet.

Carolina Q

Legume said:

Hyperbole, it’s the internet.

Wait. RW is NOT God's gift to grillers?!

GaBGE

I find that almost everything has a more smokey taste when reheated as leftovers for some reason. 

Legume

Carolina Q said:

Legume said:

Hyperbole, it’s the internet.

Wait. RW is NOT God's gift to grillers?!

I meant your comparison to RO 

I actually meant all of it.  You’re on a mission to disprove something some people are enthusiastic about.  Just take it all with a big grain of sal...ugh, never mind.  Just divide everything on here by 10 and that’s about right.

Hans61

GaBGE said:

I find that almost everything has a more smokey taste when reheated as leftovers for some reason. 

The reason is when you stand by the grill you desensitize yourself to the smoke flavor. 

Carolina Q

Legume said:

Carolina Q said:

Legume said:

Hyperbole, it’s the internet.

Wait. RW is NOT God's gift to grillers?!

I meant your comparison to RO 

I actually meant all of it.  You’re on a mission to disprove something some people are enthusiastic about.  Just take it all with a big grain of sal...ugh, never mind.  Just divide everything on here by 10 and that’s about right.

Look, I'm not on any mission. I don't care what lump anyone uses. Or how much they pay for it. I just think the folks who haven't yet succumbed to the perfect lump myth, deserve to know it ain't perfect. It's just charcoal. Buy what you want. Believe what you want. I bought four bags of the stuff. It's no worse than other lump, but it's no better either, and it costs more. Mine'll be gone soon.

Carolina Q

Hans61 said:

GaBGE said:

I find that almost everything has a more smokey taste when reheated as leftovers for some reason. 

The reason is when you stand by the grill you desensitize yourself to the smoke flavor. 

I know that. Point is, all the "RW is neutral" hype is BS.

Legume

Yikes.  Didn’t mean to pee in the Cheerios.

GrillSgt

I can’t help it if you have pedestrian taste buds.

Carolina Q

GrillSgt said:

I can’t help it if you have pedestrian taste buds.

What does that have to do with what I said? I said the food tasted smokey without the use of smoke wood. If you can't tell that, it would appear that YOU are the one with pedestrian taste buds. hahaha. Nice try though.

Focker

Pediatric taste buds has a better ring, and is more appropriate.

Hey, some sit at their work desk, looking out the window, faced with the difficult decision of what wood they're going to pair with their Rockwood and ribs for the upcoming weekend.  Lol
Choose wisely.
It really does matter.

ryantt

@Carolina Q I can’t figure out why your getting so much hate!!!   Honestly I like Rockwood and find it to be a better product than royal oak or others I’ve tried.  At no point did I read anything that stated it was a bad product or that you were calling it subpar.  You like every other individual who participates on this site you have the right to your own opinion.  People need to lighten up and stop the bs.   Why would your feeling it isn’t as smoke neutral as I do have any bearing on my view of the product..... it doesn’t.  

i like @stlcharcoal product and he’s a heck of a nice guy.   Which I think most everyone would agree with.  

Carolina Q

@ryantt,  Just stating my opinion. It's okay lump. No more, no less. And IMO, it's not neutral. Can you imagine the reaction if I said something negative about CGS stuff? Or Thermoworks?

StillH2OEgger

I think "more neutral" is probably a better description going forward.

drumdudeguy

The breadcrumbs make it crumble.

GrillSgt

Just stating your opinion?

Myth
Busted
Fanboy
God's gift
Succumbed to the perfect lump myth 

Ohhhhhkkkkaaaayyyy

GrateEggspectations

In my experience, leftovers always impart smokier flavour than freshly-cooked grub - even when I use fairly smoke-neutral lump, like Maple Leaf or Basque Sugar Maple.

Carolina Q

GrillSgt said:

Just stating your opinion?

Myth
Busted
Fanboy
God's gift
Succumbed to the perfect lump myth 

Ohhhhhkkkkaaaayyyy

Yes, my opinion. Your point? 

Never mind.

GrateEggspectations said:

In my experience, leftovers always impart smokier flavour than freshly-cooked grub - even when I use fairly smoke-neutral lump, like Maple Leaf or Basque Sugar Maple.

Umm, that's what I said. Right off the grill, same as other lump. Next day, smokey.

Theophan

I think that you're right in a rather strict, limited sense:  No, you can't cook with ANY charcoal and have it taste like it was cooked indoors in the oven.  If that's what you want for the definition of "neutral," then you're right.

But I think when people talk about Rockwood being "neutral: they mean something less black-or-white and more relative.  In my own experience, there is a very noticeable difference between the BGE lump that I used exclusively for many years and the Rockwood that I've been using for the last year or so.  BGE lump was noticeably smokier tasting than Rockwood.  (AND there's drastically less bad white smoke on lighting.)  So no, RW is not "neutral" in that it doesn't taste like it was broiled or cooked in an oven indoors, but it's relatively much more neutral than BGE/RO.

And I've never had meatloaf crumble.  I'd have to compare recipes to see if there is a big difference compared to your recipe.  I've done it a few different ways, too.  I've cooked it part way in a loaf pan and then carefully taken it out of the pan and onto a grid, and I've also formed it in a loaf pan and left it overnight in the fridge to get set in that shape, and then taken it out and just put it uncooked on the grid.  I really think making the loaf and refrigerating it overnight (wrapped in plastic wrap in a loaf pan) did help it keep its shape when I put it on the Egg and smoked it.  Both ways it turned out fine, and didn't crumble.

FWIW, here's a recipe for "Ain't Momma's Meat Loaf" from the Smoke & Spice book that I've Egged a number of times -- you can see whether you think the proportions are any different (you saute the veggies first):

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/2 cup onion, minced 

1/2 Sweet Pepper (Green or Red), chopped fine

3 Garlic Cloves

1 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper 

1 teaspoon Kosher salt 

1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin 

1-1/4 lb. Ground Beef 

3/4 lbs. Ground Pork 

1-1/2 cups dry Bread Crumbs or panko

3 tablespoons Sour Cream 

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce 

1 Egg 

1/4 cup Beef Stock 

1 teaspoon Tabasco 

Dizzy Pig Cow Lick 

Your Favorite Barbecue Sauce

buzd504

Carolina Q said:

Legume said:

Carolina Q said:

Legume said:

Hyperbole, it’s the internet.

Wait. RW is NOT God's gift to grillers?!

I meant your comparison to RO 

I actually meant all of it.  You’re on a mission to disprove something some people are enthusiastic about.  Just take it all with a big grain of sal...ugh, never mind.  Just divide everything on here by 10 and that’s about right.

Look, I'm not on any mission. I don't care what lump anyone uses. Or how much they pay for it. I just think the folks who haven't yet succumbed to the perfect lump myth, deserve to know it ain't perfect. It's just charcoal. Buy what you want. Believe what you want. I bought four bags of the stuff. It's no worse than other lump, but it's no better either, and it costs more. Mine'll be gone soon.

It's perfect.

Teefus

Hans61 said:

GaBGE said:

I find that almost everything has a more smokey taste when reheated as leftovers for some reason. 

The reason is when you stand by the grill you desensitize yourself to the smoke flavor. 

Or, you sip bourbon when you’re cooking (guilty). 

caliking

Opinions are like a-holes. Most people have one

Re: the meatloaf not staying together -  one of the things I learned in the course of our hog rearing venture, is that when making sausage, you have to knead the ground meat until its tacky to the touch. Releases myosin or something. A golf-ball size wad of meat should stick to your palm and not fall off. 

So maybe knead the mix more before putting the formed loaf on the egg?

Ozzie_Isaac

caliking said:

Opinions are like a-holes. Most people have one

Re: the meatloaf not staying together -  one of the things I learned in the course of our hog rearing venture, is that when making sausage, you have to knead the ground meat until its tacky to the touch. Releases myosin or something. A golf-ball size wad of meat should stick to your palm and not fall off. 

So maybe knead the mix more before putting the formed loaf on the egg?

What!?  You guys have been saying not to over handle meat, now you are saying deliberately manhandle meat?