Good Fire Is the Key to Great Barbecue Success

For the experienced grill-side chef as well as the beginner, here are some barbecuing basics to brush up on.

Whether cooking hamburgers or frankfurters, steaks or chops, ribs or roasts, the secret to success is a good fire, says the National Livestock and Meat Board. Meat should be cooked at a low to moderate temperature. Higher temperatures could lead to burning, excessive shrinkage and loss of juiciness and flavor.

The fire has reached the right temperature when the coals are covered with a gray ash and glowing in the center. The briquets should be piled in a pyramid when the fire is started, then spread into a single layer when it is time for the cooking to begin.

It’s important that the low to moderate temperature be maintained throughout the cooking period. Adjusting the grid, rearranging, adding or removing coals, adjusting dampers or draft doors and using windbreaks are all ways of controlling the temperature.