A Beginners Guide to Charcoal Cooking

• Posted on 3 April 2023
• By Dustin Wieske
• Posted in Charcoal, Grilling, Live Fire Cooking, Outdoor Cooking, outdoor living, Smoking
• 0

This beginner's guide to charcoal cooking provides essential tips for getting started with charcoal cooking. It covers choosing the right charcoal, setting up the grill, lighting the charcoal, controlling the temperature, adding wood chips for flavor, and cleaning the grill. By following these simple steps, beginners can enjoy the unique smoky flavor that charcoal cooking provides.

Charcoal cooking has been a popular cooking method for centuries, and for good reason. It imparts a unique smoky flavor to food that simply cannot be achieved with other cooking methods. If you're new to charcoal cooking, here's everything you need to know to get started:

1. Choose the Right Charcoal There are two main types of charcoal: lump charcoal and briquettes. Lump charcoal is made by burning wood in the absence of oxygen, resulting in charred wood that is then packaged and sold. Briquettes, on the other hand, are made from charcoal dust and sawdust that is mixed with a binder and shaped into uniform pieces. While briquettes can be more affordable, lump charcoal burns hotter and faster, and doesn't contain any chemicals or additives. If you want the best flavor, go with lump charcoal.
2. Set Up Your Grill Before you start cooking, you need to set up your grill. If you're using a charcoal grill, start by removing the grates and placing a layer of charcoal at the bottom of the grill. If you're using a gas grill with a charcoal tray, place the charcoal in the tray and light it using a chimney starter.
3. Light the Charcoal! The best way to light charcoal is with a chimney starter. Simply fill the chimney starter with charcoal, place it on the grill, and light a piece of newspaper or firestarter underneath. The charcoal should be ready in about 15-20 minutes, once the coals have turned gray and are glowing.
4. Control the Temperature Once the charcoal is ready, it's time to cook your food. The key to successful charcoal cooking is controlling the temperature. If you want to cook your food at a low temperature, spread the coals out evenly and place the food on the cooler side of the grill. If you want to cook at a high temperature, pile the coals together in the center of the grill and place the food directly over the coals.
5. Add Wood Chips for Flavor If you want to add even more flavor to your food, you can add wood chips to the charcoal. Soak the wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes, then place them on top of the charcoal just before you add your food.
6. Keep an Eye on the Food Charcoal cooking requires a bit more attention than other cooking methods, so make sure you keep an eye on your food while it's cooking. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the food, and flip it regularly to ensure even cooking.
7. Clean Your Grill After you're done cooking, make sure you clean your grill. This will help prevent any leftover food from sticking to the grates and will extend the life of your grill.

Charcoal cooking can be a bit intimidating at first, but with a little practice, you'll be able to master this delicious and rewarding cooking method. Just remember to choose the right charcoal, set up your grill properly, control the temperature, and keep an eye on your food, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a charcoal cooking pro!