Charcoal Grilling! It’s the way to go! You can’t beat the smoky flavor that a charcoal grill gives your food. So, no gas grill. No one wants to eat propane! There are some very basic, but necessary steps to follow when grilling with charcoal. Here they are:
You’ll need some pieces of paper (4 or so) rolled up into a log shape. Put these under the charcoal grate at the bottom of your grill (make sure you leave some sticking out far enough so you’ll be able to actually light it after you put your coals down. Now, dowse the paper logs with lighter fluid. Oh, and make sure your vents are open, otherwise…no fire.
GRILLING WITH DIRECT HEAT:
- Stack about 3 layers of briquettes in a pyramid form as big as the surface of your grill, making sure that you have some gaps for air….fire breathes, dammit.
- Light the paper on fire!
- Now here’s the “genius” part: you HAVE to let the charcoal burn for 20-30 minutes. Why? Because if you don’t burn off the lighter fluid (that’s not only in the paper but also in the coals), your food will taste like shit…I mean- lighter fluid. You’ll know when your coals are ready when there’s no black left on the coals. They will be gray and glowing. Also, you should be able to hold your hand 3” over the food grate for about 3 seconds. Don’t be a tough guy, it should only feel hot, not burn you. This results in medium heat. So, if your recipe calls for medium heat (most do), you are good to go.
- A good tip is to have on hand a spray bottle with water in it to spray the fire when it flares up. Fatty yet delicious ribeye tend to catch fire and that’ll ruin your $25 steak!
GRILLING FOR INDIRECT HEAT- There’s two types of “indirect heat”:
- Stack the 3 layers of briquettes to one side you the grill. Have no coals on the other side of the grill. This lets you to get direct heat on one side and indirect heat on the other. If your recipe calls for cooking on indirect heat, cook on the side where there are no coals. Your grill will also be closed.
- Use the steps in #1 (above) EXCEPT use a drip pan on the side with no coals. Put it underneath the food grate. The reason? Any food that’s going to drip (like a chicken thigh)
Will cause flare ups, so having the drip pan will prevent this.
HIGH HEAT VS. MEDIUM HEAT:
High Heat– Remember when we talked about getting your coals to gray and glowing? High heat will usually happen when the coals have been burning for about 20 minutes. They’ll also be a little bit of flame going…no black though. Gray and a little flame.
Medium Heat– Burn the coals down a little longer (about 30 minutes versus 20 minutes). The coals should look gray and glowing…no fire, and you should be able to also do the 3 second hand routine.
“These rules are for run the mill, cheapo charcoal grills. You don’t have a smoker or a lighter basket. It’s just you and the coals and your meat”. ~The Hubby
Okay, so now that you have your grilling skills, it’s time to grill! Prepare your ribs:
Dry Rub ‘Em:
Mix together the ingredients into a small bowl. Salt and pepper the ribs on both sides, rub the spices on the meat side of the ribs and place into the fridge. Let sit for at least 4 hours to overnight.
3 Tbsp. mustard
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup paprika
1 tsp.. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. cumin
Wrap in a foil pouch and cook over indirect heat for an hour and a half. Then, take the ribs out of the foil, discard the juices, and put them back on the indirect heat for another 30-40 minutes, and while they are on the grill use the mop sauce with a mopping brush or pastry brush several times over the course of the cooking process.
Mop Sauce:
¼ apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. hot sauce
1 Tbsp. ketchup
