How To Grill With Charcoal: 6 Charcoal Grill Techniques You Should Know

There’s more to grilling than merely throwing food on and flipping it. Our extensive experience with charcoal grilling has allowed us to gather the most useful techniques into this short guide.

You may improve your grilling skills and create tastier food by following these simple charcoal grilling guidelines, which can be broken down into straightforward steps. The most well-liked approaches to charcoal grilling are discussed here.

HOW TO GRILL WITH CHARCOAL: 6 CHARCOAL GRILLING TIPS

Some of these techniques for charcoal grilling may be familiar to you, but reading this will ensure that you put them to good use at your next barbecue.

Direct grilling/ Indirect grilling

The point of direct and indirect grilling is to arrange the charcoal when starting the charcoal grill and the food in a way that produces the desired outcome, whether it’s a quick sear or a slow and even cook.

When using direct grilling, the food is placed directly over the heat source, which generates high heat that quickly cooks the outside of the food and browns it. 

Read more: How to make your charcoal grill hotter 

Indirect grilling, on the other hand, is when the food is placed on a part of the grill, not straight away over the heat source. Indirect grilling is ideal for cooking larger or tougher foods that take longer than 20-25 minutes to cook. Placing like this induces a more gentle heat that cooks the food more slowly and evenly without browning on the outside.

Overall, direct grilling creates a crispy, charred surface and a juicy, soft inside, while indirect grilling gives a more even and completely cooked finish.

Two-zone grilling

The two-zone method separates the grill into a hotter and a cooler zone. A crust is formed over the hot zone, and the food is finished cooking in the colder zone. This is perfect for pork chops and steaks, which have a thicker cut and need a more consistent cooking temperature throughout.

When using a two-zone grill, thicker cuts of meat that need to be seared to a higher temperature inside but may brown on the outside benefit the most. Using a two-zone fire makes it possible for you to cook the meat thoroughly without burning its outer layer by first searing it over high heat to form a tasty crust and then moving it to the cooler zone to complete cooking more slowly and evenly.

Two-zone grilling is different from indirect grilling in that it allows for the use of both direct and indirect heat zones on one cooking surface for greater versatility and control over the cooking process. On the other hand, indirect grilling is mainly placing food away from the heat source, with the lid closed to trap heat and create an oven-like environment.

Reverse searing

Reverse searing technique is somewhat similar to two-zone grilling, except for the reversal of the heat source distribution order.

The method involves cooking the food at a low temperature over indirect heat, then searing it over direct heat to create a crust. This is ideal for larger cuts of meat, like roasts or prime rib, that need to cook slowly and evenly.

For reverse searing, it is best suited for larger cuts of meat that are thicker and require more even cooking throughout the meat. By using the cooler zone of the grill first to cook the meat slowly and evenly, you help ensure that the inside of the meat is cooked to the desired temperature without overcooking the outside. Then, by finishing with high heat, you can create a flavorful crust on the outside of the meat.

Smoking 

You probably already know that smoking is another type of grilling that needs practice to perfect. And smoking meat and other food is a great way to utilize your charcoal grill. 

To smoke on a charcoal grill, just add wood chips or chunks to the coals and let the smoke get throughout the food as it cooks.

Even though charcoal can give your grill a rich taste, it fails to match the taste you get from real wood or pellets. Add wood chips or bits to your charcoal setting to really step it up a notch.

Believe us, your taste buds will be glad you did. The type of wood you use will affect how the meat tastes, so it’s necessary that you select a wood that goes well with the meat you’re cooking.

Once the wood is burning, you’ll put the meat on the grill and use indirect heat to cook it slowly. This lets the meat take on the taste of the smoke without cooking too quickly or getting burned on the outside.

Adding smoke to your grill can be an entertaining and tasty way to try something new. Just keep a close eye on both the temperature of your grill and the temperature of the meat inside to make sure it’s cooked to an appropriate temperature.

Rotisserie

Sometimes you want to cook large portions of meat, such as whole chickens or roasts. These kinds of huge meat are not easily ‌cooked quickly, uniformly. They require much effort to grill on a charcoal grill. This is where you need a rotisserie attachment.

Rotisserie grilling involves attaching the food to a rotisserie, a spit rod or skewers that gently spin above the heat source. This technique enables foods to cook precisely on all sides.

The food nourishes itself with its own juices as it spins. After the long cooking section, the food will turn moist, crispy, and wonderful.

Check out the top-rated rotisserie grills that our staff has tested and approved. 

Grilling in foil

Wrapping food with aluminum foil before placing it on a charcoal grill is a common way to prepare it. Rather than risk things sticking or coming apart on the grill, you can roast delicate things like fish and vegetables in their own juices by grilling them in foil.

Wrap your meal securely in aluminum foil before placing it on the charcoal grill, and close the package to keep in the juices and steam. Next, you’ll transfer the foil packet to the barbecue over indirect heat to ensure a slow and even cooking process.

These are only a handful of the many ways in which a charcoal grill may be used for cooking. You may find your own voice and taste with some effort and exploration.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT CHARCOAL GRILL TECHNIQUE?

It is important to think about which kinds of food you are cooking, the outcome like taste and texture, the type of grill, then you know which grilling method works for you. 

Food category

Some foods benefit more from certain grilling methods than others. Indirect grilling is better for bigger pieces of meat that need slower and more consistent cooking, while direct grilling is best for thinner slices.

Food outcome

The amount of cooking and preferred flavor that you want to achieve might also influence your choice of grilling method. Direct grilling, for example, may provide a crispy outside while keeping the meat soft on the inside. If you want a more delightful and juicy end result, indirect grilling or smoking may be the way to go.

Type of Charcoal grill

The type of charcoal grill may also influence which method you should use at that grilling section. Different models of charcoal grills give different levels of smoky flavor.

Kamado grill is the most effective in doing the smoking, whereas a yakitori grill will be optimal when you want to grill skewers. Check if the grill can be filled with wood to enhance the smoky flavor. Pay more attention to the specific grill you have so that you can determine which technique to choose from.

The Amount of Time

Some methods, such as smoking or using a rotisserie grill, may require more time to cook food than others.

Some grilling techniques necessitate more knowledge or practice than others.

The cooking speed will depend on the specific recipes and the cooking method you used.

Searing is generally considered a fast cooking method, while smoking and rotisserie cooking tend to be longer, slower cooking methods.

However, the actual cooking time will depend on the specific food being cooked and the method used. For example, smoking chicken wings can be a relatively quick process, while rotisserie cooking a large turkey can take several hours.

TYPICAL FALSEHOODS AND MISTAKES

The following responses are supplied in the hopes that they may help clear up any confusion that may have been caused by the possible overlap in definitions or explanations.

What is the difference between Searing vs. Direct Grilling?

Direct grilling distinguishes itself from searing on a grill because the goal of searing is to make a skin on the top of the food, while the goal of direct grilling is to cook food faster.

When you brown food on a grill, you put it over high temperatures for a short time to make a tasty crust on the outside. This is usually done with thick cuts of meat, such as steaks or pork chops, that taste better with a crispy outside. After the food has been seared, it can be transferred to a cooler part of the grill to complete cooking.

On the opposing hand, direct barbecuing is a way to cook where the food is always put directly over the flame of the grill. Thin pieces of meat or meals that cook rapidly, like burgers, hot dogs, or shrimp, are ideal for this technique. There’s no need to sear the meal first because it cooks quickly and evenly on all sides.

Is it possible to smoke food using direct heat?

Direct heat is not usually required for smoky grilling.

However, direct heating can still allow smoke to permeate the meal, although the amount of smoke may be less intense than with indirect heat. Because the cooking time is usually shorter and the food is placed closer to the heat source when using direct heat for smoky grilling, the smoke flavor might not have as much time to permeate the food. 

As a result, the technique is typically used for items that need to be cooked quickly at high heat, like burgers or hot dogs.

However, when using direct heat for smoky grilling, there are additional ways to achieve an adequate amount of smoke flavor. Soaking the wood chips or pieces in water or another substance before using them will produce more smoke and a richer taste.

Is there a taste difference between two-zone grilling and reverse-sear grilling?

While both techniques involve moving food between two heat zones, the order in which this is done varies, which may result in different cooking results.

Reverse-searing produces more tender and delicious meat throughout than two-zone grilling.

This is because exposing meat to high heat initially might cause the proteins on the surface to denature and coagulate quickly, generating a crust. 

This can form a barrier that prevents heat transfer from the outer layer to the inside of the meat, resulting in an unevenly cooked inside.

Beginning with a low heat and gradually elevating the temperature allows the heat to enter the meat more evenly and thoroughly from the inside out. This can result in more consistently cooked and tender meat throughout. 

CONCLUSION

Overall, there are several factors to consider when deciding which grilling method is appropriate for a certain cuisine. By using the right method, you can make something tasty every time you cook.

If you’re new to grilling, start with the basic skills and work your way up to more advanced techniques!