| Ever been to a barbecue party where the | | | | A further mistake was to overfill the grill. Completely |
| ‘chef' placed as much food as he could | | | | filling it leaves no room to manoeuvre the food. |
| possibly fit onto the barbecue grill, every so often | | | | You're not able to turn it for even cooking and |
| stabbing the food with a fork and juggling it around | | | | you've no space to move the food to a lower heat. |
| so that it cooks evenly? Ever noticed how, within a | | | | Assuming that you're using the rule of thirds as |
| few minutes, the flames start gently flickering under | | | | described above, , when you first start cooking, |
| the food, the chef proudly standing back admiring the | | | | leave empty the area of the grill above where |
| char grill effect that he's creating? Ever notice the | | | | you've placed no coals. You've then space to move |
| panic that sets in when the flames suddenly leap up | | | | the cooked food into. Secondly, don't pack the |
| and around the food burning it black on the outside | | | | cooking part of the grill with food. Leave room to |
| and leaving it raw on the inside? | | | | comfortably turn your food. |
| The difference between great char grilled barbecue | | | | A second problem caused when over filling the grill is |
| food and burnt offerings lies in a few small | | | | to use foods that require different cooking times. |
| precautions. The chef that we've just described | | | | When the coals are first ready to use, they're at |
| made a few fatal errors that could easily have been | | | | their hottest. This is the time to cook small, thin |
| avoided. Before discussing the errors though, lets | | | | items of food that can be cooked in a short time |
| consider the equipment that we're talking about. | | | | with a high heat. These include items like sausages, |
| Although the same can happen with gas as with | | | | burgers, kebabs and small pieces of meat off the |
| charcoal, gas grills can be turned lower, or off, when | | | | bone. Don't forget that food, such as burgers and |
| the flames start getting out of control. The flames | | | | sausages, drip fat and juices onto the charcoal during |
| can also be controlled if the barbecue grill has a tight | | | | cooking and it's this that causes flare-ups. So you'll |
| fitting lid, as with a Weber kettle grill. However most | | | | need to constantly watch the items of food and |
| people seem to cook on an open top barbecue grill | | | | move them to an area of lower heat if necessary |
| with the lid, if it has one, open. Note that we're | | | | (did I mention the rule of thirds? ). After the heat |
| talking about a barbecue grill here, where the food is | | | | has died down somewhat, start grilling food that |
| cooked directly over the hot coals. True barbecue | | | | takes a little longer to grill like chops and steaks and |
| uses indirect heat with the food fully enclosed as | | | | meat on the bone. Finally when the heat is even |
| though in an oven. So, the barbecue grill that our | | | | lower, grill food like fruit kebabs that really only need |
| imaginary chef is using is an open top, charcoal, | | | | heating through. |
| barbecue grill. | | | | Last, but not least, our imaginary chef stabs his food |
| Now lets have a look at our imaginary chef's errors. | | | | with a barbecue fork to turn it over. During the |
| First, he filled the grate with charcoal along its entire | | | | initially few minutes of grilling, the heat seals the |
| length, providing a constant heat source, with no | | | | surface of the meat, sealing in the juices. When the |
| area of lower heat to place food if it started to burn. | | | | meat is stabbed the juices flow out onto the coals, |
| A simple solution is to use the rule of thirds. Imagine | | | | causing the meat to dry out and become tough, and |
| the grate of your barbecue being in thirds. Fill two | | | | producing a flare up which burns the food. When |
| thirds of the grill with charcoal and leave the | | | | turning food, always use barbecue tongs. |
| remaining third empty. Cook your food over the hot | | | | With a charcoal barbecue controlling the heat is |
| coals and when your food is ready, or starts to burn, | | | | difficult. Instead you need to ensure that you cook |
| or creates out of control flames, move it over to the | | | | your individual items of food at the most appropriate |
| section above the empty grate. The food will stay | | | | time and that you have separate areas of heat. Use |
| warm but won't cook any more (or possibly it will but | | | | the rule of thirds to provide separate areas of heat. |
| much more slowly), and wont cause any flare-ups. A | | | | When cooking your food, first grill quick cook food |
| further refinement can be had, if you've a large | | | | when the coals are at their hottest. Second, cook |
| enough grill, by placing a double level of coals in one | | | | food that requires cooking at a mid temperature for |
| third of the grate, a single level of coals in the middle, | | | | a longer time. Thirdly, cook food that needs a low |
| and no coals in the final third. You now have three | | | | heat. Another rule of thirds! |
| levels of heat! | | | | |