When you’re first getting into Grilling, it may be difficult to go “low and slow” – leave the lid on too long, the fire goes out, and before you know it, you have barely cooked meat sitting on a cold metal surface.
The first step to good grilling is a good, stable heat source. On a gas grill, there’s a knob to determine the amount of gas released, and… you’re done. It’s no more difficult than operating an oven.
On a charcoal grill, you’re not so lucky. But the flavor makes up for the inconvenience. Plus it’s just fun.
Every time I use my charcoal grill, I use a chimney starter.
A chimney starter is an invaluable tool that, with just a small piece of paper and a flame can heat more than enough coals to white hot temperatures.
It works by taking in air and building a fire from below, forcing the heat and flames upward and out of the chimney.
This means the coals at the bottom will be scorching hot, and they will transfer that heat upwards until they start to turn the coals at the top of the chimney grey. That’s when you’re ready to get started. Keep in mind, this might take around 20 minutes, but this is a great time to do your last minute prep.
I often put some wood chips or pieces of wood at the top of the chimney.
Once your chimney starter is hot enough. You’re ready to get started.
Now is a great time to add some extra, fresh coals to the bottom of the grill so they can keep the heat going as the others start to turn to ash. If you’re only grilling a few items or for a short amount of time, you probably don’t have to add any additional coals.
Dump your chimney starter into the center of the grill if you want to use the entire thing and have everything be hot.
Alternatively, dump your chimney starter into either side if you want to have a hot and cold section (Perfect for searing/Indirect heat cooking).
Either way you do it, keep your coals in a nice pile, like they’re huddled together for warmth.
Feel free to add coals throughout, depending on the length you’ll be cooking. A handful every 20-30 minutes should suffice.
Now’s the time to put the food on the grill, and depending on what you’re cooking and how you’re cooking it. Closing that big cauldron lid can really extinguish the flames.
When cooking fatty cuts of meat, or things with oil, the drippings will likely cause flames to lick up – perhaps a result you won’t want. This is a fast way to make something well done. If you notice the fire getting out of control, just close the lid and let it die down.
Oxygen is key to any fire. At the base of your grill, there will be a mechanism to open the air vents. This is probably in the same place your ash falls. Make sure you clean your ash regularly to prevent blockage. If these is blocked, your grill won’t stay hot with the lid open.
Use this mechanism to your advantage – if you want to barely keep the fire alive, keep the vents partially open. If you want a real rip roaring fire, keep ’em wide open.
There’s also vents at the top – close them and the smoke inside the grill will build up, open them it and has a place to escape.
If you feed the fire from below and restrict the amount of smoke that can escape, your grill will stay hot, temporarily. And your meat will get a more smokey flavor. This is improved greatly by delicious wood chips like hickory.
The hottest method is to leave the top and bottom grill vents open, allowing for a breeze to pass through the grill. The heat will be rise, but alas, so will the smoke and your smokey flavor may be diminished.
Two elements that will help keep your fire going is the same principals as a campfire.
Using thick pieces of wood to dissipate heat slowly over time is great. If you’re in for an all day grill session, you’ll need several pieces to add in intermittently.
Any cook knows, a grease fire is a dangerous situation. It’s virtually inextinguishable – but, that’s great for us.
Many times I’ve used a sacrificial piece of bacon to keep a stubborn fire going in less than ideal conditions.
The spillover of hamburger grease does this as well, so be careful not to burn anything!
The way to let the most air into your fire is to open the lid – this lets all the smokey goodness out, but it may salvage a fire on the brink.
If you’re going to be opening the lid, make sure you’re applying some kind of sauce/marinade to the meat as its cooking. This should give the flames enough time to build back up and increase the heat when you close the lid again.
That’s really it – there’s a few methods that you can follow. The most important thing is to remember to be proactive. If you’re not – it’s basically impossible to rescue a dying fire.
If you keep the fire and heat healthy, your meat will be cooked perfectly.
If you don’t prepare correctly, your fire will go out, and you’ll have a bunch of semi-cooked food that you’ll have to finish in the oven, or restart your grill.
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