Cooking Outdoors with a Charcoal Grill

Does your client want you to cook food on a charcoal grill? Here are a few tips!

PREHEATING THE GRILL:

Before preheating the grill, look for dampers on the bottom of the kettle and in the lid. If you see dampers, make sure they are completely open.
Remove the top cooking grate.
Scrub the grate with a long-handled wire brush. This keeps it clean—and ensures neat grill marks.
Pile the coals into a mound or pyramid to help spread the fire evenly.
Carefully squirt lighter fluid on the top and sides of the charcoal mound, following lighter fluid directions. Light soon after applying the fluid. SAFETY TIPS:Never squirt lighter fluid onto flaming or hot coals. Cap lighter fluid immediately and place a safe distance from grill. And, never use gasoline, kerosene, or other highly volatile fluids as a starter. They can explode.
After the fluid burns off, the edges of the coals will turn gray. As the coals continue to burn, the ash spreads to cover each briquette. Once mostly covered in ash, the coals are ready to spread out and use. The entire process takes approximately 15 minutes. SAFETY TIP: Once the grill is lit, do not touch the charcoal to see if it is hot. Keep grill uncovered until ready to cook.

ONCE THE GRILL IS PREHEATED:

Once your coals are distributed in your grill, throw the lid on and let it sit for five to 10 minutes.
Oil the top cooking grate to ensure that the food doesn't stick to the grill. For safety, oil the grate before you set it over the hot coals.
When you put food on the grate, listen for a light sizzle. If the grill seems too hot, you can control how hot the coals burn by controlling the flow of oxygen--and you do that by opening and closing the vents. Opening the vents allows more oxygen, which produces a hotter grill. Trimming the vents slows the oxygen, which cools the grill. But don't close them all the way or your fire will suffocate. SAFETY TIP: And make sure your grill isn't full of ash, which can obstruct the vents.
Keep the lid of your grill down as long as necessary. While it's tempting to keep checking the food, opening the grill lets the heat escape, which could lead to dry meats.
If flames flare up while cooking food, put the lid back on the grill. This will suffocate the flame in the quickest and safest way possible. SAFETY TIP: Whatever you do, don't try to use water to put out the fire. It will only make it worse!
Food continues to cook after it comes off the grill, so it's best to remove it just before it has reached the desired doneness. A good rule of thumb is to let your food rest for about 20-30% of the total cook time. For example, if it took 8 minutes to cook a small steak, you should let it rest for about 2 minutes before cutting into it.

AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED COOKING:

Allow coals to burn out completely and let ashes cool at least 48 hours before disposing.
Dispose of cold ashes by wrapping in heavy-duty aluminum foil and placing in non-combustible container. Be sure no other combustible materials are nearby.
If you must dispose of ashes before completely cooled, place them in heavy duty foil and soak with water completely before disposing in non-combustible container.