Chef Mike’s Charcoal Grill was a family restaurant in Indianapolis, IN that featured charcoal grilled burgers, steaks, chops, and seafood. It had a casual atmosphere where diners could enjoy gourmet food while watching a sporting event. The chefmikescharcoalgrill.com domain is now part of redbrickkitchen.com.
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How to Grill With Charcoal – 10 Tips from Red Brick Kitchen
Grilling with charcoal is a popular and flavorful method of cooking, but it requires some know-how to do it right. We’ve got 10 tips from our expert grillmasters to help you master cooking with charcoal:
- Understanding Charcoal: Charcoal is made by burning cooking hardwood in a low-oxygen environment until it carbonizes. It produces steady, hot, and clean-burning energy.
- Charcoal Types: There are two common types of charcoal: briquettes and hardwood lump charcoal. Briquettes are uniform and burn for a long time, while lump charcoal offers more flavor but burns hotter.
- Use a Charcoal Chimney: To light the charcoal, avoid using lighter fluid for better flavor. Instead, use a charcoal chimney to get your charcoal lit evenly and quickly.
- Don’t Overdo It with Charcoal: The amount of charcoal you use depends on your target cooking temperatures. High heat requires more charcoal, while low and slow cooking needs less.
- Avoid Pre-Coated Briquettes: Skip briquettes coated in lighter fluid to protect the flavor of your food.
- Wait for Charcoal to Heat Up: Let your charcoal turn gray-white hot in the chimney before adding it to the grill. This ensures better temperature control during cooking.
- Enhance Flavor with Wood: Add dried wood chunks or chips to the charcoal for extra smoky flavors, especially during longer cooking sessions.
- Set Up a Two-Zone Grill: Create two temperature zones on your grill – direct heat and indirect heat – to cook various foods at different temperatures and speeds.
- Preheat Grill and Oil Grates: Preheat the grill with the charcoal in place for 5-10 minutes before adding food. Oil the grates to prevent sticking and achieve grill marks.
- Control Temperatures with Vents: Use the grill vents to regulate airflow and control temperatures. Wider-open vents make the grill hotter, while partially closed vents lower the temperature.
Safely Handling Charcoal:
- To put out the charcoal safely, close all air vents to snuff out the fire.
- Wait for 24 hours before cleaning out charcoal ash to prevent unintended fires.
- Leftover charcoal can be reused if stored properly in a sealed bag away from water in a cool, dry place.
By following these expert tips, you can become a master of cooking with charcoal and elevate your outdoor grilling game.