To get the most out of your charcoal BBQ, learning how to light your BBQ, how to arrange the coals, and when to get started cooking are all important facets of the experience.
Pulling out a charcoal grill will be more of a temptation as we get into the summer. For yourself, or if you’re cooking for friends and family, here is everything you need to know about what to do with your grill. It starts with firing it up.
Here is how to get a charcoal grill going.
Have Your Grill in an Open Area
Your charcoal grill should not be inside or anywhere that isn’t an open space. Ensure it’s away from trees and fences as well.
No playing around with the charcoal grill. Kids and pets should be kept far away to prevent accidentally bumping into them.
Have a Fire Extinguisher or Water Nearby
In case of fire, have a fire extinguisher ready to be put into action. If you don’t have a fire extinguisher, have water in a bucket ready. Charcoal is very easy to put out if the heat or flames somehow grow out of control, but if anything else catches fire, you will need a proper fire extinguisher or lots of water.
Buy High-Quality Charcoal
To get a charcoal grill going properly, ensure you buy high-quality charcoal. Look for the best charcoal you can, which will burn better, light easier, and, most importantly, won’t taint the flavour of your food. The charcoal that contains accelerants is not necessarily a good choice for a grill.
To get as many of your charcoals touching each other as possible, arrange them in a stack. As you’re doing this, put balls of newspaper, wool, wood shavings, or similar materials between them. Light the paper; that flame will spread throughout your stack, touching coals and getting that temperature going.
Consider a Chimney Starter
A chimney starter is a tubular starter that allows you to light charcoal with as little as a few sheets of newspaper. The coals catch, and the glow spreads all in, thanks to the chimney starter keeping everything together.
Especially on a windy day, a chimney starter can help prevent wind conditions from knocking out your flame. When things are ready, you can tip the coals into the barbecue, and your grill is ready.
Let the Coals Light a Bit
Don’t rush to your food as soon as the coals are lit. Give them a little time. A few coals lit will spread to the rest in due time. You shouldn’t need to add more paper or firestarters. The beautiful thing about charcoal grilling is that once the coals are lit, they won’t stop going, and you won’t have to worry about it.
You don’t want to overcook or burn your food. The colour of your charcoal will tell you everything you need to know about when your coals are ready. Black or grey charcoal with flames are coals that are not ready yet. When they become glowing white hot with red centers, they’re ready for direct heat and just right. They’re ready for indirect heat or cooking in the coals when they’re ashy white but still hot.
Keep Your Charcoal Grill Lit
If you are ever struggling to keep your charcoal grill lit, the likely reason it’s not happening is because there’s not enough air. Every type of grill needs adequate ventilation, so if your charcoal grill’s vents are obstructed, insufficient air will feed the flames. Ensure those vents are open and that enough air is getting to your charcoal.
Direct Heat vs Indirect Heat
It’s time to arrange your charcoal grill coals for direct or indirect heat. Direct heat will require an even layer of coal. This cooks your food at the highest heat. It’s what to do with thin cuts of meat that cook quickly. You will need indirect heat for things that take time to cook through.
Push your charcoal to one side of the BBQ for indirect heat and keep the other free. Use the coal-free side to cook with indirect heat, while the coal-covered side can be used for direct heat. This will ensure your food is cooked through and kept warm.
Always Use a Thermometer for Food
When cooking meat, to prevent disasters, always use a thermometer to make sure the internal temperature has risen to where it needs to be. When you’re BBQing on a grill, it is very easy for the outside of a piece of meat to look cooked. But when you pull it off the grill and cut it open, you will find it’s not cooked all through. The safe way to cook meat and similar food is to use a thermometer.
