The charcoal grill is one of the most popular cooking equipment today. It brings out the natural flavor of food without the oily feel that is usually associated with the process of frying. It can be used to cook almost everything including pork, beef and seafood. Furthermore, it consumes less energy compared to electric appliances. To make the most out of this device, it is good to learn how to use a charcoal grill.
Materials Needed
Before you can make full use of the charcoal grill, there are three basic things you need. These are long-handled tongs, lighter fluid and charcoal briquettes. Once you have these, you can start right away with the grilling process.
Preparation
It is best to grill outdoors, away from furniture, appliances and houses. Grilling inside is indeed a bad thing because inhaling carbon dioxide fumes can be bad for your health. It is better to grill outside the house instead. However, you must also watch out for trees, bushes and other things that may easily catch fire. Place it within a level surface. Never grill in windy places because it can cause the fire to spread rapidly and beyond control.
Check the grill for parts. Be sure that everything is okay and all the parts are tightly in place. Likewise, check if the grill and the ash kettle are still attached to one another. When the grill is set, arrange the briquettes in pyramid form. Be sure that you have enough briquettes to cook everything. Pour about half cup of lighter fluid. Allow it to soak well into the coal. Instead of lighter fluid, it is also good to use crumpled newspapers as alternative fire starter. In addition, be sure that the vent at the bottom part of the grill is opened properly.
The Cooking Process
After the briquettes are lighted, wait for about 10 minutes for them to heat up. Once the flame dies down, set the coals in a single layer for a proper distribution of heat. Put the unlighted coals next to the lighted ones in order for the fire to spread. Wait for about 20 minutes and then check if all the coals are flamed. Once white ash starts to cover the coals, it shows that the grill is ready for use.
If you wish to check the temperature level, simply run your hand on top of the flame, but limit your hand to chest level only. If you can hold your hand for up to 5 seconds, it means that the heat is low. In case you can only endure the heat for about a couple of seconds of less, the heat is high. You can now start grilling your dish.
