If using charcoal, when do you put your meat on the grill?

I'm not a big BBQ'er, I live in the UK , but are you saying that the carcoal we buy is coated in lighter fluid or do you use it to get it started?

Also I'm thinking of buying this little beauty, anyone used them?
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Never saw that before.

The charcoal comes two ways;

Coated with charcoal starter or plain, that I know of. the reason behind messed food comes when people are just too impatient to wait for the coals to turn white.
:headshake::stop:
 
We use what my dear old mum, bless her, used to call "paper chips". Newspaper rolled up and then "tied in a knot". Loosely rolled for the bottom layer and tighter rolled for the top layer. Lay the charcoal on top and light from underneath. Then await the charcoal becoming white (in daylight) or red (at dusk/night).

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While I love them smell of lighter fluid, and the magic tricks you can do with it once the coals are lit (like making my eyebrows and forearm hair disappear), I haven't used lighter fluid for years. Even if you wait until the coals are ash white, there is definitely a different taste to to food cooked over them.

Ever since I started using a chimney and balled up newspaper, I'll never use lighter fluid again.

Unless I need a trim.
 
I place non-glossy newsprint under the grate that holds the charcoal. I pour used cooking oil onto the paper, leaving a bit of it without oil so as to ignite easily. I then place the grate of charcoal over the paper, and light the paper from the bottom vent holes. I put the cooking grate on as the paper lights. The resultant fire is hot enough to quickly light the charcoal without producing any petroleum flavor.

While the charcoal is getting hot, I prepare the food that will be cooked on the grill/barbecue. by the time the prep work is done, the charcoal is hot and I start cooking. This works with a solid bed of coals, a divided bed of coals, or whatever other configuration you might want to use. This method also disposed of used cooking oil so that I don't have to worry about how to get rid of it.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the north
 
I never use any form of charcoal starter, whether fluid, lite the bag or other petroleum based product. I use a chimney and the free ads that come in the mail (not the glossy kind). When grilling on the grate, I usually set the coals to one side so that I have a hot side and a cooler side.
 
Karalyne said:
I agree with you, Shermie. We barbecue often in the summer and we never, ever put the meat on the grill until the charcoal is completely white. I thought that was common knowledge when you are doing charcoal grilling.
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Absolutely the most important part of having success with charcoal.
 
I don't have a grill now, but when I did, I prepped the food and my ex did most of the grilling. We rarely used lighter fluid though opting for sticks, twigs (my mother made finding them our tasks as kids), old newspapers or the charcoal that already has something in it which helps them not go out. Like you, I've had my fair share of food ruined by heavy-handed fire starters.
 
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