Chef Mike’s Charcoal Grill

Chef Mike’s Charcoal Grill was a family restaurant in Indianapolis, IN that featured charcoal grilled burgers, steaks, chops, and seafood. It had a casual atmosphere where diners could enjoy gourmet food while watching a sporting event. The chefmikescharcoalgrill.com domain is now part of redbrickkitchen.com.

Cooking on a Charcoal Grill

How to Grill With Charcoal – 10 Tips from Red Brick Kitchen

Grilling with charcoal is a popular and flavorful method of cooking, but it requires some know-how to do it right. We’ve got 10 tips from our expert grillmasters to help you master cooking with charcoal:

Understanding Charcoal: Charcoal is made by burning cooking hardwood in a low-oxygen environment until it carbonizes. It produces steady, hot, and clean-burning energy.
Charcoal Types: There are two common types of charcoal: briquettes and hardwood lump charcoal. Briquettes are uniform and burn for a long time, while lump charcoal offers more flavor but burns hotter.
Use a Charcoal Chimney: To light the charcoal, avoid using lighter fluid for better flavor. Instead, use a charcoal chimney to get your charcoal lit evenly and quickly.
Don’t Overdo It with Charcoal: The amount of charcoal you use depends on your target cooking temperatures. High heat requires more charcoal, while low and slow cooking needs less.
Avoid Pre-Coated Briquettes: Skip briquettes coated in lighter fluid to protect the flavor of your food.
Wait for Charcoal to Heat Up: Let your charcoal turn gray-white hot in the chimney before adding it to the grill. This ensures better temperature control during cooking.
Enhance Flavor with Wood: Add dried wood chunks or chips to the charcoal for extra smoky flavors, especially during longer cooking sessions.
Set Up a Two-Zone Grill: Create two temperature zones on your grill – direct heat and indirect heat – to cook various foods at different temperatures and speeds.
Preheat Grill and Oil Grates: Preheat the grill with the charcoal in place for 5-10 minutes before adding food. Oil the grates to prevent sticking and achieve grill marks.
Control Temperatures with Vents: Use the grill vents to regulate airflow and control temperatures. Wider-open vents make the grill hotter, while partially closed vents lower the temperature.

Safely Handling Charcoal:

To put out the charcoal safely, close all air vents to snuff out the fire.
Wait for 24 hours before cleaning out charcoal ash to prevent unintended fires.
Leftover charcoal can be reused if stored properly in a sealed bag away from water in a cool, dry place.

By following these expert tips, you can become a master of cooking with charcoal and elevate your outdoor grilling game.