How to light a charcoal barbecue and cook indirectly

A charcoal barbecue gives food a flavor that gas can’t match. Lighting it well, and knowing when to start cooking, is half the work. This guide uses the charcoal barbecue 45 cm with lid.

What you need

• charcoal or briquettes,
• natural firelighters, like wood wool cubes,
• matches or a long lighter,
• the barbecue tools, 3 pieces,
• oven gloves,
• a bucket of water or sand nearby.

Safety first

Place the barbecue on a flat, stable surface, away from fences, hedges, parasols and the house. Never use gasoline or alcohol to light it. Keep children and pets at a safe distance.

Step 1: open the vents

Open the vents at the bottom fully. Fire needs air. Empty old ash from the ash catcher, because ash blocks the airflow.

Step 2: build and light

Place two or three firelighters on the bottom grate. Stack the charcoal loosely over them in a small pyramid, with gaps for air. Light the firelighters. Leave the lid off.

Step 3: wait

This is where most people go wrong. Don’t start cooking while there are flames. Wait 20 to 30 minutes, until the coals are covered in a layer of gray-white ash. That is when they give an even, steady heat. Hold your hand about 10 centimeters above the grate. If you can keep it there for only two or three seconds, it is hot.

Step 4: direct or indirect

For direct grilling, spread the coals evenly. Use this for sausages, burgers, steaks, thin vegetables and anything that cooks in less than twenty minutes.

For indirect cooking, push all the coals to one side with the tongs. Put the food on the other side, not above the coals. Close the lid. Now the barbecue works like an oven. Hot air circulates around the food and cooks it evenly, without burning the outside. Use this for a whole chicken, thick pieces of meat, whole fish and potatoes.

Step 5: control the heat

The vents control the temperature. More air means more heat. Less air means less heat. Open the vents for a hotter fire, close them halfway to lower it. Closing all vents puts the fire out.

A whole chicken

1. Push the coals to one side.
2. Rub the chicken with oil, salt, pepper and herbs.
3. Place it on the side without coals, breast up.
4. Close the lid, with the lid vent above the chicken, so heat flows over it.
5. Cook for about 75 to 90 minutes, until the juices run clear.

Afterward

Close all vents and the lid to put out the fire. Let everything cool completely, at least until the next day, before you empty the ash. Brush the grate while it is still warm.

In a hurry? The tabletop gas barbecue is ready in five minutes.