How to start a good fire for grilling?

Question

I want to have a bbq this weekend but don't really know what it takes to have a good fire for grilling. I have a small grill, and what I did before I used charcoal and lighting fluid, but there was not enough heat and my meat was barely cooking. I kept adding the lighting fluid to keep the fire going, but then my meat ended up smelling and tasting like the lighter fluid. What should I do to keep the fire going for a long time and make it hot enough so that my meat cooks fast?

Answer 1

When you're using charcoal, you need to start the fire quite a while before you start cooking your meat.  With charcoal you don't need to have the fire playing over the coals as you're cooking.  That was probably your mistake.  The goal is to heat up the charcoal really well and then let the fire die down and have hot, glowing coals to cook the meat over.  The charcoal should be well-heated and ashy looking with a glowing red center before you begin cooking over it.  Beginners often make the mistake of lighting the charcoal just before they want to cook and then the meat takes forever to get done.  You should light it about 30-45 minutes before you're ready to put your meat on the grill.

Answer 2

flame thrower

:)

♥

- Rianna™

Answer 3

sounds like you didn't use enough lighter fluid last time.  really soak the coals.  i let it sit for a minute before i light (oh and remember to put the food grate back on before you light as well...i sometimes forget). the flame has to have oxygen in order to burn  so do not put the lid down when it's flaming.  when the coals quit flaming and turn grey, you're grill is ready.

btw, you should never add more lighter fluid to hot coals.  i had a friend seriously burned by doing that. the flame travelled up the stream of lighter fluid and caught him on fire.

Answer 4

I always use a charcoal chimney and natural hardwood charcoal. You can get both at Wal-mart. For the chimney, you stuff some newspaper in the bottom and pour the charcoal on top. Light the paper and the fire works it way up the charcoal. You don't need lighter fluid at all. I've never had the fire go out since I got a chimney. Natural hardwood charcoal doesn't have the chemicals added that briquettes do so you don't taste chemicals.