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Summer is in full swing and traditional British etiquette means that we must all rush out and BBQ our food immediately – particularly as it’s likely to be raining again within 24 hours or so. But for those brief halcyon days, a BBQ is a great idea for a gathering with your friends and family, or simply something different to cook for dinner or a weekend lunch.
Once you’ve invested in one of the best BBQs, it’s time to get started. But before you gather the troops, it’s important to know how to light a charcoal BBQ safely and correctly. So, if you’re not sure how to light your BBQ without the risk of incinerating your food or, even worse, your garden, read on for our tips.
Safety first
Before you start barbecuing, it’s important to make sure you do so safely. Here are the tips I’d suggest following.
1. Don’t skimp on your charcoal
It’s important to buy good quality sustainably produced charcoal. Not only is this better for the environment but it will light far more easily and burn better. It also won’t taint the flavour of your food as it doesn’t contain any accelerants. Look for charcoal that’s Forestry Commission approved or is made from coppiced wood.
2. Choose the right location
A BBQ is a controlled fire, so you need to exercise caution. Make sure you set your BBQ up in an open space that’s well away from any trees, large plants or fences and keep a bucket of water or a hose nearby, just in case.
3. Use the right tools
Just as you shouldn’t skimp on charcoal, you shouldn’t buy cheap BBQ equipment either. Use long-handled tongs so you can handle what you’re grilling without risk of burns and make sure to invest in a meat thermometer to check your meat is safely cooked.
How to light your charcoal BBQ
1. Consider investing in a chimney starter
Also known as a charcoal chimney, this metal cylinder has a grate inside and helps to quickly light charcoal for grilling. You can simply put your charcoal inside and light it easily with a couple of sheets of newspaper. Chimney starters are also very useful in the UK, protecting the coals on a windy day (of which there are plenty, even in the summer). Once the coals are ready you can simply tip them into the BBQ.
2. No chimney starter? Stack your coals
Much like lighting a fire in your home, lighting a BBQ requires a little bit of precision.
- Firstly, stack your charcoal in the centre of the BBQ and push balls of newspaper or natural firelighters (such as wood shavings) in between them. You could also use paraffin cubes.
- Make sure the vents at the bottom of the BBQ are open as far as they can go. Now ignite the kindling and leave the lid off. The flames will catch and get going, but you need to leave those flames to die down again over 15-20 minutes. Once a few coals have caught, the others should follow suit.
- Use tongs to safely arrange the lit charcoal into the right areas for cooking and then replace the cooking grids. Avoid using lighter fluid as it will leave a nasty taste on your food.
3. Know when your charcoal is ready to cook on
As mentioned above, if your charcoal is black or grey with flames, it’s not ready to cook with. But if it’s glowing white hot with a red centre, it’s ready for direct heat (more on that in a minute). Ashy white but still very hot means it’s ready for indirect heat or cooking in the coals.
4. Choose whether to use direct or indirect heat
The way you arrange your coals on your BBQ will give you different heat zones as well as allowing more control over your cooking. An even layer of coal across the BBQ gives you direct heat, with everything being cooked at the highest heat. This is ideal for very thin cuts of meat that only need a very short amount of cooking time, but it’s going to cremate anything that needs time to cook through.
There are several ways to use indirect heat. The best is to stack your coals around the edge of the BBQ, leaving an empty circle in the middle. You can also put an old roasting tray in the middle for more delicate items, such as fillets of fish. The heat circulates around the BBQ, giving a smoker effect and is ideal for larger joints or meat on the bone. You can also use the coals around the edge to brown items. Alternatively, try sloping to coals to give you a gradient of heat – ideal if you’re barbecuing for a large group of people.
5. Add some wood chips for flavour
This last tip isn’t essential, but it can add a lovely smoky flavour to your meat or veg. You can only use wood chips that are specifically produced for cooking with, as some wood is treated with chemicals. Look for applewood, mesquite or hickory chips and add a few of these to your coals to really enhance your BBQ.
