Prepare your grill
- Pre-heat the grill. Pre-heat your grill. This will ensure that the meat is cooked evenly.
- Clean the grates. You should clean the grates of your grill after pre-heating it. If you haven’t done so already, you can do it once you’ve finished grilling. You should invest in a grill brush to scrub off any food leftovers. After cleaning the grill, use tongs and a kitchen towel dipped into oil to wipe oil on the grates.
- Prepare all the tools and materials you need. Be sure to have all the tools you will need, such as spatulas and tongs. You may need lighter fluid and charcoal briquettes, as well as a chimney or starter for your grill.
How to light a charcoal barbecue
- Prepare your charcoal. Arrange it in a pyramid-shaped pattern at the center. If you are using lighter fluid, sprinkle it on the briquettes. You can also use a fireplace starter to ignite the charcoal.
- Light up the charcoal. Wait a few moments to allow the lighter fluid to soak into the coal if you are using it. Light the charcoal carefully with a long match, or grill lighter. Use a chimney starter to light the charcoal. Place crumpled paper or a starter cube of paraffin underneath. The charcoal should be allowed to burn until the ash is gray.
- Spread the coals. When the charcoal is red and has begun to ash, spread it evenly with long-handled tongs.
Create heat zones
When you are learning to BBQ, creating heat zones on your barbecue is a great idea. You will have greater control over your grill’s temperature and can use indirect heat to cook more foods.
- For the kettle grill: Bank the coals so that the center of the grill is hotter. Then you can sear your food or brown it in the middle and move to the side to finish cooking.
- For a gas barbecue: Turn one or two burners to high temperature on the half of grill, and set another to medium or lower heat to create a warm and cool zone.
