To the Grilling Initiate

The reason there is a mastery to be obtained in grilling, is that there is the fearsome possibility of catastrophic failure.
This failure will be tasted by the grilling initiate, it is unavoidable. Mastery comes by getting back on your feet after failure with new determination to, "show them you can do it." If you are new to grilling, my advice is to allow plenty of time and charcoal and take it slow. Having the basic tools is essential, too. If your system is made up of parts, or "Frankenstein", don't worry. My system is definitely Frankenstein, but these were some delicious ribs. "They" don't make fun of me now.

Even though my grill looks crummy, it will turn out some good food. I did these ribs the other night. Brother-in-law did the finish work of the sauce slathering.

I have a good neighbor to thank for much of this grill. He loaned me the fire brick that line the fire box. He loaned me the cast iron grill and he loaned me the lid. Thanks Don!

The fire was just right, and even though it took more time than some of our dinner party wished, the ribs were some of my best work. Becky and I were not synchronized on the timing. Getting the fire right is really tricky. You have to consider such factors as atmospheric conditions; the temperature, humidity, wind, etc. Then you have to work out an equation to determine the correct time to start the coals and the amount of coals based on the cooking time. This is sort of like figuring out a car trip; your travel and arrival times, fuel consumption, etc.

I use a chimney type charcoal starter. That's the kind where you put the charcoal in the top and wadded newspaper in the bottom. My time line is no less than 45 minutes until the coals are ready from the time I light the paper. I don't like to be rushed, so I am more comfortable with an hour. My hibachi requires a full load of charcoal in the chimney. This grill requires that, plus about that much again, depending on what is being cooked.

I get the chimney fire going good, where the flame is just reaching over the top. Then I dump it and add enough charcoal to give a good base of about 2 coals deep. I leave it piled up until the added coals start to catch, then I rake them around to even them up. The coals are ready once they are all gray, so's I don't want one place still black while the rest of the coals are burning ready. So, once I rake them around evenly, I put the grill on to get it heating up, at the same time brushing it to get it clean. The grill will brush clean once it is hot enough. It is essential for the grill to be hot and brushed clean.

My grill adjustment consists of removing or adding bricks to raise or lower the grill above the coals. This is very tricky and something I try to avoid. So, I have to calculate the amount of coals to use and the grill height according to what's being cooked and the atmospheric conditions. Once you have everything going, you come to the point of no return, where failure may be inevitable before you realize it. If you don't have enough fire when it comes time to cook, the meal will be late. If the meal is late, the people will be upset. They will take turns coming to the door and asking you, "When is it going to be ready?" Too much fire and you end up with incinerated food. This will also catch the attention of the guests. When you fail, the friends who sit with you at table will re-live and reminisce over your failure till doomsday unless you find some way to redeem yourself.