Follow My Journey From “good Chef” to “grill Boss”
I am what most people would call a “good cook,” but I am by no means a good grill . Up until two weeks ago, I had never fried anything other than a gas grill, and to be honest, I didn’t really know much about that either. As you probably know, charcoal cooking takes some training, but after weeks of experimentation, I still wonder how complex the combination of fuel, fire and airflow can be.
I’ve always been wary of “getting addicted” to the grill because it seems like a lot of men are screaming about the “right” way to do it. But men enjoy yelling about everything and denying themselves the thrill of charcoal food because of my discreet avoidance of conflict is silly. (Another factor is that this is the first time in a long time that I have a backyard and having an open space where a grill can live is a must.)
Ideally, I could master the cooking method overnight and impart my wisdom to all of you, but that’s not how experience works. So in the coming months, I invite you to join me on an educational journey as I grow from grill kid to (hopefully) #grillboss. This column is mainly for grill kids like me, but I welcome BBQ fathers and avid grill lovers to share their favorite tips, tricks and recipes with us so we can all learn. This is the first thing I was taught to own and use my 22 ”Weber Kettle, in no particular order.
Do you need a coal chimney
Unlike my ex-husband’s gas grill, there is no switch on my Weber Kettle. You have to light a fire under coal or in some other way near it and hope that it gets hot enough to make the coals nice and “creep”. There are many ways to do this, and it didn’t take me long to identify my favorite.
Lighter fluid is not it. While ideally it should burn before the food reaches the wire rack, most people pour too much over the charcoal and any leftover liquid may end up seasoning your food. Plus, you just don’t need it if you are getting a chimney that is much more cost effective and much more consistently efficient, and something that you absolutely must purchase. If you’ve never seen one before, the chimney is a metal pipe with a handle on the side and a tapered grill at the bottom with many openings for air flow. (Air flow – aka access to oxygen – is a very important aspect of keeping the combustion reaction going.)
To use a charcoal chimney, you fill it with charcoal and then place it on the charcoal grates (the lower grates that are closer to the base of the grill) over something flammable. You can use a newspaper, but as a millennial I never had one, so I bought these little lighters and am very happy with them. Once everyone is in place, simply light the flammable object with a long match or grill lighter and let the chimney do its thing. Depending on how much charcoal you have, your coals should be hot and it will take 15 minutes for the ash to start.
Pour the charcoal over a grate and move it around to form an even layer on one side of the grill. (There are many other charcoal configurations and configurations, but a dual-zone setup with charcoal on one side is a good way to start.) Once about 2/3 of your charcoals are white and quit smoking, you are “ready” to start your recipe.
Chimneys come in different sizes!
Honestly, who knew? After reading dozens of manuals that said “a whole chimney” would be “enough” charcoal for an entire meal, I filled a small chimney the size of my boyfriend’s picnic grill with charcoal, lit them, threw them away, and then wondered why the grill wasn’t hot enough to light my steak on fire.
I am very vulnerable when I share this infamous photo with you, but just look how silly this steak (which has obviously never been roasted properly) looks on this tiny pile of sad coals.
It was an easy problem to solve. Had to buy a normal sized chimney. (And cook a new steak to redeem yourself; I ended up using it on my blog on cardboard sauces .)
Air flow is very important
As I mentioned earlier, there are no switches or convenient temperature controls on the charcoal grill. Instead, you have vents. My Weber Kettle has two vents – one under the grill and one on the lid. Fully opening the vents allows more air to pass through the grate, which supplies oxygen and heats the coals. Closing them negates the combustion reaction in which it craves oxygen, which cools things down. Placing them somewhere in between open and closed allows you to control how hot it gets there.
In terms of location, placing the top vent on the side opposite to your pile of coals will ensure that hot air does indeed flow to that side, creating an indirect heating zone. If you’ve ever cooked a steak or thick pork with the reverse-fry method, this is the area that takes the place of your oven when grilling.
Grill lid thermometer – trash
Most grills come with a small thermometer at the top that supposedly indicates the ambient temperature inside the grill. In fact, they are not that accurate. These little guys sit at the very top of your grill and can be affected by the temperature in your yard. I have not yet used a recipe that required me to know the exact internal temperature of the grill, but I already bought a digital thermometer with two sensors – one to measure the temperature of the food and the other to measure the (accurate) temperature of the grill.
You don’t need fancy charcoal
To grill well, you need to stick to the grill mode at all times . If you change charcoal every time you grill, you are introducing a whole new set of variables. Briquettes and lump charcoal burn differently and there are even differences between brands in each category. AmazingRibs.com has a great detailed explanation of the differences between briquettes, lump charcoal and even fancy burners like Dan Barber’s animal charcoal, but as a result, the main briquettes are produced and formed most consistently, which is a great benefit when you first start trying to figure out how to control temperature with airflow. (If you are tempted by the promise of “better flavor” charcoal lumps, just throw some wood chips onto the briquettes; this way you can precisely control the temperature and the amount of flavor.)
There are many different ways to stack coal
The most common charcoal grill setting is a pile of hot coals on one side of the grill and nothing on the other side. This two-zone setting creates a direct radiant heat zone (for roasting) and an oven-like indirect convection heat zone (for more gentle cooking). This is the only setup I’ve screwed up with so far. It’s great for burgers and side steaks, and I plan on using it later this evening to cook chicken thighs. If you’re just starting out, I recommend getting familiar with this pattern before moving on to the snake, vortex, or anything that involves baskets or additional metal parts. (However, I’ll probably buy Slow ‘N Sear very soon, as it promises to turn my kettle “into a smoker and hot fryer – ALL IN ONE DEVICE!” Damn. )
Clean Before Cooking, Not After
If you’re used to cooking in the kitchen, you’re probably also used to cleaning up after you’re done cooking, but the best time to clean your grill is right before your next meal when the grates are nice and hot and the burger pieces are carbonated last night. There are many different tools for this, but I used one of these Safe Scrape wooden spatulas as I heard and read that the metal bristles on regular grill brushes can break off and potentially get into food. which would be bad. (I also looked closely at one of them , but I really liked the paddle.)
What else do I need?
Aside from Slow ‘N Sear, I am planning to buy a few things soon that will make my grill setup safer and more enjoyable. Heat Resistant Grill Gloves tops this list as I just used a regular cloth oven mitt and covered my hands with the (flammable) sleeves of an old hunting sweatshirt. I would also like to get a small bedside table for preparation and something to hang my tools on. Speaking of tools, I just used the tongs and spatulas that I already had, although I think I need a spatula with a longer handle. If you have any other suggestions or judgments, please leave them in the comments. After all, I am very much a kid (but only when it comes to grilling).