The first step towards achieving 'master grillmanship' is to understand the difference between direct grilling, indirect grilling, and smoking. Recognising these methods can inspire confidence and motivate you to experiment and improve your grilling skills. Below, we explain the differences, pros and cons, and how to approach each type of barbecue setup.
This is what most of the world means when it talks of grilling: cooking small or thin pieces quickly over direct heat, using high temperatures.
Building a three-zone fire with a hot, medium, and cool zone enhances heat control, making it easier to manage cooking and prevent burning.
Use the hot (double coal) zone for searing, then move the food to the medium or cool zones for finishing cooking, helping you manage timing and prevent burning.
Indirect grilling is designed to cook larger or tougher foods that would burn if direct-grilled. As the name suggests, the food is placed next to, not directly over, the fire. The grill lid is closed to hold in the heat, turning the grill into a sort of outdoor oven. It’s used to cook big cuts of meat, like brisket and ribs, that require long, slow cooking at a low or moderate heat. Indirect grilling allows you to work over a more moderate temperature (275 to 350 degrees) and makes it easy to introduce the flavour of wood smoke. Typically used to cook ribs, pork shoulders, briskets, whole chickens and turkeys, and other large pieces of food.
To indirect grill on a charcoal grill, light the charcoal in a chimney starter (pictured, left) using fire lighters or paper.
When the coals glow red, dump or rake them into two piles at opposite sides of the grill. (Some grills come with special side baskets for this purpose.) Place a foil drip pan in the centre of the grill, between the mounds of embers.
Place the grate on the grill and cook the chicken in the centre of the grate over the drip pan. If using wood chips for smoking, toss 1/2 cup soaked wood chips on each pile of coals to generate smoke.
Keep the grill covered, adjusting the top and bottom vents to obtain the desired temperature (usually medium, 230F/105C). Proper airflow management can help you feel confident in maintaining consistent heat, making your grilling experience more reliable and satisfying.