Nothing tastes better to me in the summer than a charcoal grill. Although I have heard many benefits for using gas grills, I like to stick to classic charcoal grills. But when my husband and I first bought charcoal grills there was one question at first; We have no idea how to shine.
Throw in some charcoal, make it lighter, lighter, and you’re ready to go right? That’s what we thought. When we were trying to light our grill, we discovered that it was not so easy. We endeavored to light the fire again and again, just so that the fire would burn for a moment, but it soon fell to nothing. He took some advice from the next co-grilling to get us on the track to lighting the grill right.
1. Stack briquettes, and don’t be cheap. We learned the best way to get a good fire is to use good coal. Tried the off-the-shelf varieties at grocery stores and Walmart, found that they did not shine as they are not readily available as quickly as they are used up. they burn so hot. Although my theory about the quality of the carbon is unwarranted, I have had much better luck with the Kingsford brand.
Stack the briquettes in a cone. Instead of throwing charcoal on your grill, you pile up about 20 pieces to start. Something about this arrangement encourages the fire to heat up quickly. After the fire is established and the briquettes start to brown, pour around and add as much charcoal as you need.
2. Bring the liquid. Some of the coals are already saturated with lighter moisture and some are not. If your type is liquid, you don’t need to start using it anymore. But if you use charcoal without moisture, you need to have some hand. If you have a cheap brand of carbon, you should use more liquid. The lighter fluid should be soaked for at least 3 minutes, preferably 5. If you don’t wait long enough, you will have the problem of the carbon glowing quickly and dying just as quickly. Charcoal needs time to absorb moisture.
4. Wait. After the fire is good, wait for it to go down and start consuming coals. Once the flames are gone, you can close the lid, leaving the lid open, to help the briquettes burn faster. Wait until the coals are completely gray or “ash” colored before turning to the grill, as by adding your food too soon, you will cook the unpleasant flavor of the lighter fluid in your burger. Also, if the fire is not well established, you may find you need to remove the food to re-ignite the grill.
5. Keep your grill away from the wind. Although this is an obvious end, it bears mentioning. On a windy day, place your grill out of the wind, or place it in a well-ventilated garage to raise a healthy flame.
Now that you have a plan to fool-proof your grill to prepare a good dinner, get going!
