For people who bought a charcoal BBQ Weber Kettle Premium or Master-Touch 22.5'' this summer and look at him in his box, intimidated to meet him:
If you've recently started with coal or have purchased the lovely beast and are waiting for the right time to get started, tonight is the night.
Let's get out of fear and face this first cooking to take back your power over the grill, whether you are inexperienced with BBQ or intimidated by charcoal because you are used to gas, the time has come to get started.
Because you have a little pride and consider that asking for advice on cooking hot dogs will make you look bad, this little beginner's guide is for you.
Don't worry, we all start somewhere.
And who wants to miss out on a magnificent piece of meat when our accessible, friendly friend the hot dog is there to sacrifice our learning.
Control the fire
These principles are the most simplistic basis for meeting the needs of beginners.
If you have a charcoal BBQ purchased this summer, this is for you.
The following explanations are simplified to quickly understand basic concepts.
An expert on our team would find 1000 nuances to struggle with, the goal is to make it simple to start your learning.
It all depends on your amount of charcoal, lighting and many other factors. The goal is to make you confident enough to do your first cooking and for the pleasure to take over the hesitation.
Let's go!
On the bottom grill, place the charcoal in one half of the barbecue (we make 2 zones, one with charcoal which will be the direct heat zone, the other without anything at all which will be an indirect heat zone for lower cooking)
Light the coal with your fireplace or your Allumax always keeping one side of the grid free.
When your charcoal is lit, put the top grill back (the cooking grill where you will place your food) and pay attention to the lid thermometer (which does not indicate the internal temperature of your cooking that is often referred to in BBQ books, but rather that of the ambient air in the BBQ). In the context of cooking hot dogs, this external thermometer meets your needs.
*Quickly you will want to take the internal temperature of your food with a thermometer but this will be a second step, after the hot dog.
Next, look at the air vent on the lid, which serves as a draft to circulate air. You can leave it open at all times and control the heat from below.
Then, look at the basket under your barbecue.
In the photo below this article (that of a 22.5'' kettle, your BBQ may be different) I put some small reference points to show the use of the bottom air trap. From A to D, we represent 0 to 100% opening for the example below.
Position A : Left oval, when closed it is not possible to light the coal because the air is cut off
Position B : At 25% and less opening, this is ideal for smoking depending on the protein, this gives around 275°F and less.
Between B and C : From 25 to 75% (BBQ temperatures will be 300 to 500°F) what you will use for your regular cooking.
Position C : 75% and more opening, perfect for searing meat.
Position D : Maximum opening, perfect if you plan on making steaks tomorrow. Also, the right oval, the point from which the cleaning system is manually engaged to lower the ash into the basket below which contains the remaining ash.
If you have mastered the fire, keep the bottom air hatch open to 25% (Position B) and you're ready to cook your sausages.
If you have lost control of the fire, (you wouldn't put your hand 4 seconds above the grill) it's not a problem, put your hot dogs on indirect, life is beautiful, it's just BBQ and it will be good anyways . We're not going to go crazy with cooking a sausage. The BBQ at around 350°F is perfectly OK for this first mission.
Imagine your sausage has 4 sides (yes, it's round, just imagine for now). Make sure it's grilled to your liking on all sides and then put them away from the heat to take care of your buns.
Easy breads for beginners = think toaster (direct and rapid cooking).
Mistake not to make: thinking that the top grill is made for that (in a Master-touch just like in a gas bbq, with a Premium, a Silver, or a Jumbo Joe do not have a top grill, you cannot make this mistake)
If I'm to believe what I was told when I was young, I'd still be eating dry bread at 35. (Thanks Max for teaching me that was wrong before I entered this decade.) Keep your eyes on the bread, this is not the time to get lost on Facebook with your cell phone in your hand.
Let's not forget; BBQ is a game. A culinary game, a game of passion, a game of delights, but what we do is play in the fire. Like at the cottage when we were little, where even the sausage burnt on the stick was delicious because we were the ones who decided how to cook it and the pleasure of cooking it ourselves.
At the age of 4, I was allowed to make my first sausages under the watchful eye of my mother, one evening during the family corn shucking.
Let's keep the fun of gathering around the fire, the food is a bonus. 😉
