I use a charcoal grill several times each week. I enjoy using the grill because it adds a flavor that cannot be obtained using the oven or pan on the stovetop.

As with any alternative method of cooking (or communicating), grilling has a few nuances that make it different. Some people may think that it is a bit of trouble to start a charcoal grill, but I have found this is not the case. I use a ‘chimney’ to start the charcoal using newspaper crunched into small balls on the bottom side of the chimney. Withing 5 minutes, the charcoals are glowing orange and ready to spread out under the grill grates for grilling to begin.

After spreading the hot coals on the bottom of the holding tray, place the grill grates above the hot coals to get the grates hot. Give the grates about 3 – 5 minutes to reach grilling temperature, then add the meat you intend to grill onto the grates.

Grilling cooks at a high temperature so the food must be monitored closely to prevent overcooking and burning. Both of these are very undesirable and ruin the food, in my opinion. (Overcooking can be accomplished in the oven)

My preference is to sear the meat for about 2 minutes, then turn it over to sear the other side. This helps to lock in the natural juices and helps to keep the meat moist. However, if the meat is not monitored closely, no amount of searing can prevent drying out the meat.

The total time for cooking depends on the type of meat, the cut of meat and the thickness. This is where the art comes in, which is often learned by experience. My advice is to spend some time watching the food during the initial cooking stage to gain some sense of how fast the meat will cook given the heat given off from the hot coals. Many grills include a thermometer on the grill lids, which is a helpful gauge, but should not be relied upon exclusively for true grilling temperature or accuracy. I have found that a digital thermometer is an essential tool for measuring food temperature during grilling. They give a rapid readout of the internal temperature of the food.

A good rule of thumb for grilling steaks is 3 minutes on each side. Of course, this depends on the heat of the coals and the thickness of the cut of meat. This also depends on the taste preference of the diners. Some people like their steaks medium rare while some people prefer a steak with more doneness.

You already know that different types of meats will be done cooking at different times. The difference densities of meats affect the cooking times. Steaks are a more dense cut of meat, but still do not take much more than 3-5 minutes each side. Chicken is slightly less dense than steak, but can often require longer cooking times because the meat next to the bones will take a little longer for full doneness. Fish is less dense and can be grilled to the preferred doneness quickly, depending on the thickness of the cut.