Charcoal Grilling Tips

CHARCOAL GRILLING TIPS

Starting Your Charcoal Grill

Step 1 - Open the lid vent and the lower vent for maximum air flow before lighting briquets. Be sure the ash catcher is securely attached to the grill.
Step 2 - Flip back the hinged part of the cooking grate. Place a few sheets of crumpled newspaper on the bottom grate. Pour the required quantity of briquettes or charwood over the newspaper, and pile them into a mound. You can also use a chimney starter, with crumpled newspaper in the bottom.
Step 3 - Light the newspaper, and wait for briquettes or charwood to catch.
Step 4 - When briquettes or charwood are ashed over, use a long-handle tool to spread them in a single layer across the bottom grate.
Step 5 - Close the hinged cooking grate and begin grilling.

Cooking on Your Charcoal Grill

Direct method of cooking - For cooking foods such as hot dogs, hamburgers, and steaks, cook directly over the hot coals. Place the meat on the hinged cooking grate when the coals are mostly ashed over. Close the barbecue grill and begin cooking.

Indirect method of cooking - For cooking larger pieces of meat such as chicken, roasts, hams, or turkeys, use the indirect cooking method.

When coals are mostly ashed over, divide them into two equal mounds on the right and left sides of the lower charcoal grate. Place a drip pan (or aluminum foil) between the two mounds of charcoal.

Close the hinged grate and place the meat in the center of the grill so the meat is not directly above the charcoal. Close the barbecue grill cover and begin cooking.

Cooking Tips

1.   Use 25 to 30 charcoal briquets per pound of meat to be grilled for direct cooking.
2.   To prevent food from sticking, the cooking grate should be lightly oiled before grilling.
3.   To ensure best flavor, make sure briquets are ashed over before you begin grilling.
4.   Trim excess fat from meats. Your meals will be healthier and grill clean up will be easier.
5.   Keeping the lid closed during cooking will enhance flavor, reduce cooking time and minimize flare-ups. Close the grill cover only when cooking. Closing the cover before cooking can cause an accumulation of lighter fluid fumes.
6.   The vents should remain open while cooking, but if the fire gets too hot, vent openings may be reduced to control cooking temperature. Closing the vents all the way will gradually extinguish the fire.
7.   Use tongs or a spatula when grilling poultry and other foods. Flavorful juices are lost when poultry and meats are pierced by a fork.
8.   Always place grilled foods on a clean plate, not the one that has previously held raw meat, fish, or poultry. Bacteria from the raw food can migrate to the grilled food and cause food poisoning.
9.   Remember to store your charcoal in a dry area. Keep the bag tightly closed. If the charcoal is stored outdoors, it should be kept in a waterproof container.

When Cooking is Completed

1. Close upper and lower vents to extinguish fire. To save the most charcoal after cooking, slide charcoal with a long-handled device to the left and right sides of the charcoal grate, so less air will reach the coals through the lower vent.

2. To assure easy clean-up and optimize performance, empty the ash catcher each time before barbecuing. Do not dispose of ashes while they are still hot.

3. The cooking grate may be cleaned by rubbing cooking residue off with a grill brush and then rinsing with water. You can reduce food sticking to the cooking grate by rubbing the clean grate with vegetable oil before you start to barbecue.

4. To operate the ash sweep system (3000, 3500 and 6000 Series), simply raise the &loop handle& on the curved ash sweep until the sweep contacts the right charcoal grate support tabs. Then, lower the curved wire ash sweep back to the original position so the &loop handle& is just above the bowl and the sweep contacts the left charcoal grate support tabs. CAUTION: Do not touch the &loop handle& with bare hands unless the grill is cool. Operating the curved ash sweep is best done just before pouring the charcoal prior to grilling event.

Maintenance

It is recommended that you clean the grill's interior thoroughly at least once a year. To do so, spray oven cleaner inside the grill. Be sure to leave the oven cleaner on long enough to soften the dirt. Wearing rubber gloves, wipe the grill clean. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.

For 4000 and 6000 Series Grills - Wash the plastic shelves with warm, soapy water as needed. Do not use Abrasive cleaners. After cleaning, rinse shelves thoroughly with clean water.