Charcoal Grilling

Charcoal grilling can be a lot of fun and provide a host of tasty foods for a wide range of occasions, including major holidays. Unfortunately, each year many people are injured or become ill by not following the proper basics of charcoal grilling. Charcoal grilling need not be difficult, but there are a few basic steps that should be taken into consideration in order to ensure that food turns out tasty as well as safe to eat. In addition, there are some basics of charcoal grilling safety steps that should be considered in order to prevent accidents and injuries.

One of the first basic steps when you are grilling with charcoal is to make sure that you arrange the charcoal on the grill in a pyramid shape. The pyramid shape will allow air to flow properly, providing the ventilation that is critical for coals to burn properly. Simply spread the coals out will not provide good ventilation.

Another of the basic principles of charcoal grilling, which many people overlook, is that the coals should be started at least 20 minutes before starting to cook. Do not wait to start the coals at the same time as when you put the food on to start cooking.

Other important basics of charcoal grilling include making sure that you use lighter fluid to soak the coals. Use approximately half of a cup and then wait a minute or so for the lighter fluid to soak into the coals. Next, light the coals with a match.

NEVER, ever, use anything like gasoline or kerosene to start your charcoal fire. This can cause an explosion and result in serious injury. Every year, people who ignore this basic rule are seriously injured.

Be sure that you have a reliable meat thermometer nearby When you are grilling food. You should check the temperature of the meat as it cooks and never serve meat that is done under the minimum temperature guidelines for the type of meat that you are cooking. Eating meat that is not cooked well enough can lead to serious illness.

Keep in mind that an outdoor grill should only be used outside. You should never use an outdoor grill inside or any place where there is not proper ventilation. This can result in serious illness and injury and potentially lead to death.

When the proper steps for charcoal grilling are followed, the result can be delicious and moist food that will win rave reviews without running the risk of illness or injury.

Larry Roach is considered by many to have a lot of good advice regarding grill cooking. You can find more of his tips, including answers to questions about good grilling you may not even know you have, at http://www.grillcooking.info/grilling.