when things are cooking way too fast on the grill, what do you do to slow the cooking down.?

Question

I'm talking about a charcoal grill not gas of course

Answer 1

move the charcoal to one side and cook on other side, if you can't raise the grill surface.

Answer 2

you always want to start up your grill in advance atleast 30 minutes or so, so that the charcoal has a chance to burn down a bit before you start cooking..

The difference between grilling and cooking on the stove or in the oven is that grilling is a combination of both. You have direct heat from the charcoal and you have indirect heat that fills the grill when the lid is down. Also, grills have more heat and less control. With your oven you can set the temperature precisely. With a grill you turn on or light the fire and the heat just keeps rising. An average gas grill can reach 500 degrees in a matter of minutes. This is why you can't throw the food on the grill and watch TV until the timer goes off. You must remain ever vigilant. Vigilance is the key.
Thehigh heat, both direct and indirect is the foundation of grilling.


You will want to use this heat to cook food, quickly. But, because foods cook fast on a grill you have to turn them in order to cook them evenly, without burning. However, if you turn things too often you will slow the process of cooking and this can lead to food that is tough and dry. The secret is turning only when necessary. When cooking a steak or a hamburger, get down low, by the edge of the grill, careful not to burn yourself. Gently lift up the corner of the meat. When the lines from the cooking grate start to turn black it's time to turn the food

Knowing when to turn and when things are cooked is the whole art of grilling. Everything else is recipes and tricks. This art is also the hardest thing to teach, especially in a print format. Ideally, a steak will be turned once. If the steak is very thick (more than about 1 1/2 inches) you might need to do it three times to get it cooked through to the center.

Like with all things in life, start simple on the grill. Keep those steaks a little on the thin side. Make your hamburgers in the 3/4 inch range. This will help you get the hang of grilling and allow you to properly cook food without a lot of trouble. As you grow more experienced you can work up to more difficult dishes.

Answer 3

Many recipes for things like steak, boneless chicken breast, burgers, etc. recommend grilling over a direct-medium fire (350°F to 375°F) on a covered grill. On a charcoal grill, this should be about a 2 second hand count - the number of seconds you can hold your hand 1-2 inches from grilling surface.

On most charcoal grills, this temperature can be achieved by building a fire with enough coals to create a single layer on the charcoal grate. You can also create zones as described by others so that you can move items to a cooler spot, if necessary, or you can simply close the air vent on the lid slightly to lower the temperature.

We've found that building a sufficient fire, and grilling with the cover down (and all air vents open) is an effective way to get consistent results with a charcoal grill. We also use the cookout calculator at charcoalbob.com to calculate grilling times. It also has grilling tips.

Answer 4

When you pile in the charcoal, put it all to one side. Once the coals are ready, you can place the food on the grill opposite the charcoal. This allows cooking, without burning the food. You do still need ot watch it, of course, and things can still burn, but you'll be much less likely to get the overcooked outside and raw inside. Use the lid to keep the heat in. You can also shoot down the flames with a water spray bottle if the fire gets too high.

Answer 5

Wait for the coals to ash over before you put anything on and make sure there isnt to much air,the air will feed the flame so keep the vent closed. If its a gas grill turn it down

Answer 6

Just reduce the air supply around it.
It will make the charcoal to burn less than normal and hence slows down the cooking.

Answer 7

1--fire on one side.--2--choke air supply.--3--raise grill.--4--stack meat after brazing so only pieces on bottom are exposed.This is probably most simple method to slow BBQ.Flip stack and re-arrange as needed.--5--liquid-beer,soda,water.-6--use sauce AFTER meat is cooked.Sugar burns and turns black.I learned this reading the instructions on a bottle of BBQ sauce!I sauce the slow-cooking stack now,instead of the meat on or near the fire.---7--Combine all the above for some good 'ol BBQ!

Answer 8

Move the rack with the food on it up, so it's not so close to the coals, or if your grill doesn't have adjustable racks, move the food off to the sides.

Answer 9

Move coals to inside meat to outside. Try to smother it a bit(cut of Oxegen with lid and closed vents)

Answer 10

turn the heat down 2pts