Char-Griller charcoal barbecue grills offer the even heat distribution of barrel-style grills with three options of live-fire cooking: direct-heat grilling, indirect-heat grilling and smoking. Direct-heat grilling means spreading lit charcoal across most of the coal grate and cooking smaller cuts of meat directly over the heat. Indirect heat, for cuts requiring longer cooking times, entails keeping lit coals to the sides of the grill and the meat above the coal-free zone. And smoking means building the charcoal fire in a side firebox, far removed from the meat, for much longer -- but more flavorful -- cooking.
Direct Grilling
Step 1
Open all grill and firebox vents wide for maximum airflow, and open the lid chimney about halfway. Open the grill lid and remove, and set aside the cooking grate.
Step 2
Build a charcoal fire inside the grill atop the charcoal grate. Use enough charcoal to cover two-thirds of the coal grate with live coals, leaving the final third of the grate coal-free. This is your safety zone above which food can be moved if cooking too quickly or in case of grease flareups.
Step 3
Place the cooking grate back into the grill, and allow it to heat for a few minutes. This burns off any impurities left behind by the last grilling session.
Step 4
Grill smaller cuts of meat -- such as steaks, burgers or skinless-boneless chicken breasts -- directly over the lit coals, cooking the cuts for between five and eight minutes on each side, depending out meat thickness, outdoor temperature and wind speed.
Indirect Grilling
Step 1
Open all grill and firebox vents wide for maximum airflow, and open the lid chimney about halfway. Open the grill lid, and remove and set aside the cooking grate.
Step 2
Build a charcoal fire with enough coal to cover the entire charcoal grate with a layer of lit coals. Manipulate the coals -- using long-handled grilling tongs or a spatula -- into two piles on either side of the coal grate once they're lit. Leave a coal-free zone in the center of the coal grate.
Step 3
Place the foil roasting pan in the center of the coal grate in the coal-free zone. Pour 3 or 4 cups of water in the pan to squelch any hot grease drippings during the cooking process. Place the cooking grate back into the grill and preheat it for a few minutes.
Step 4
Place the meat -- typically larger cuts such as 5-lb. and larger roasts or whole chickens -- in the center of the cooking grate directly above the roasting pan. Close the lid and cook the meat for one to one and a half hours, depending on the meat size and outdoor temperatures, which affect grilling chamber heat levels.
Smoking
Step 1
Open all grill and firebox vents wide for maximum airflow, and open the lid chimney about halfway. Open the grill lid and side firebox hatch.
Step 2
Build a small charcoal fire inside the firebox using five or six handfuls of charcoal. Maintain this size fire throughout the smoking process.
Step 3
Remove the cooking grate, place the foil roasting pan atop the coal grate in the main cooking chamber, and place the cooking grate back into position.
Step 4
Place the meat on the cooking grate in the main grilling chamber, and close the lid. Toss a handful of wet wood chips on the lit coals inside the firebox, and close the firebox hatch.
Step 5
Adjust the vents and chimneys, maintaining a consistent cooking temperature of between 250 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit inside the main cooking chamber. Add a handful or two of fresh charcoal every hour and a handful of wet wood chips every 30 minutes throughout the smoking process.
Tips and Warnings
- Always cook food thoroughly to proper internal temperatures. Large cuts of meat -- such as roasts, briskets, or whole chickens -- take between five and nine hours to smoke using this methoc, depending on size and thickness. Smaller, thinner cuts -- such as fish fillets, sausages or chicken legs -- take between one and four hours, again depending on size and thickness.
- Never handle hot grill handles or vents without protective grilling mitts or gloves.
Things You'll Need
- Meat of choice
- Char-Griller barrel grill with side firebox
- Natural hardwood charcoal
- Charcoal chimney starter or electric starter
- Foil roasting pan (for indirect grilling and smoking only)
- 2 lbs. hardwood chips, soaked in water for an hour (for smoking only)
- Long-handled grilling tongs and/or spatula
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