Charcoal grills are popular because, in addition to giving a thorough grill and producing juicy cuts of meat, they also employ smoke in their cooking process. Smoke adds colour and flavour to your meat, but it’s also a crucial part of slow cooking.
Many barbeque novices don’t put much thought into how they use their grills. They just light them and throw the meat on. One of the essential tips is to start with the right equipment. Here at Home Heat & Barbeque, we have a wide range of Weber charcoal grills.
Cooking temperature matters. Charcoal grilling works best with medium to low heat, so when you light the grill, let the coals or briquettes burn until they have a light coating of grey ash. In the first 5 to 10 minutes, the heat will be high. After about half an hour, the heat will have gone down to medium.
When you’re lighting your charcoal grill, it’s best to begin in the chimney. Not all BBQ’s have chimneys though, so some barbeque enthusiasts use lighter fluid to get their grills started. This isn’t the best idea because the liquid will evaporate and affect the flavour of the meat.
If you’d like a lighting aid and you don’t have a chimney starter, you can use a lighter cube instead. It gives a cleaner burn and is easier to use. Once the fire has heated up, don’t add the meat immediately. Instead, use the heat to clean out the inside of your charcoal grill.
Keep the lid down so that the heat builds up. The heat will loosen any food residue on the lid and the cooking tray. Brush the dirt off so that its old rancid flavour doesn’t affect your fresh food. Once you’ve brushed off all the food, you can start to cook. Since the grill is already hot, the food can sear without sticking to the cooking surface.
If food does stick, clean it off with a stainless steel brush before you continue cooking. Oiling and basting is a big part of barbequing, but most people oil the cooking surfaces. To fully enhance the flavour of your food, baste the meat instead of the grills. As the oil evaporates, it moistens and seasons the meat while preventing it from sticking to the grate.
Weber BBQs are more popular than other brands because they have additional features like thermometers inside their lids and heat control systems. Controlling temperature is one of the secrets of charcoal barbequing, so be sure to use the full range of heat functions.
It also helps to pick the right position for your food. Soft, tender meat sections can be placed directly on the flames. Tougher cuts take a longer time to cook, so place them on the sides of the flame, allowing them to grill slowly through the smoke and indirect heat.
For a wide selection of genuine charcoal barbeques, contact Home Heat & Barbeque or call us on 02 9838 1300.
