The Smell Of Charcoal In The Summer

I anticipate a few things as much as the start of summer. Sure, I am a man that loves all the seasons, but none give me the thrill that summer inevitably does every year. When I think about summer, I get excited because there are countless things to be excited about. I get excited about being outside without freezing, I get excited about camping trips with my family, I get excited about long days at the beach soaking up the water and the sun, and I get excited about charcoal.

Yes, you read that right. I get excited about charcoal. I love everything about charcoal: its texture, smell when burning, and the fantastic way that charcoal makes my food smell before I eat it. The truth is that I love charcoal because it means grilling, and grilling is one of my absolute favorite things to do.

Some say that all men love to grill, but I am yet to meet many men (although I have met a few) who share my undying passion for the grill. My wife never has to ask me twice if I want to grill out for an evening meal. Even after the longest day of work, I am energized and happy to go outside and spend time creating the perfect fire. Charcoal is my partner in crime when it comes to cooking the perfect steak or grilling vegetables.

Most people I know have switched over to gas grills. I have refused because I enjoy working with charcoal so much. A gas grill doesn't produce the same results as an old grill that requires charcoal. So, much to my wife's dismay, I am stuck in the past where grilling food just right is a matter of using the proper amount of charcoal and then heating it just directly.

My love for charcoal and grilling has become a bit of a joke among my family and friends in the past few years. They love to mock the very thing I love. I have received countless photographs, cards, and gag gifts, copying my love for charcoal. I don't mind it because it means I have successfully gotten my point across: I love charcoal, and I believe there is no better way to grill.

So grab a bag of charcoal, get an old-fashioned grill, and enjoy the first days of summer with meat and foods you cooked to perfection the right way. The only way. With a charcoal grill.