bbq: Hi, I'm a beginner and I want to have some BBQ's this summer. It's pathetic. I'm a man and don't know how to bbq. Some tips would be greatly appreciated!|||the term barbeque means different things in different parts of the country. Many simply consider any cooking of meat on a grill to be a barbeque. Others (especially in the southern or rural areas) think that it involves slow cooking or smoking over a fire. This is the true meaning, but since its often used as a general term, its hard to know what you are looking for. If you're just interested in cooking, its pretty simple. Put your charcoal in, add lighter fluid and light it. Let the charcoal get hot to where its no longer flaming, but rather the coals are red/white and hot. The add your meat on the rack above. The main thing is to let the heat from the charcoals cook the food, not the flames (which would be more grilling rather than BBQing).|||You need to let the coals burn until the coals are glowing red and most of the flames are gone. Then you cook the food.|||put the charcoal in. Light it. Let it turn grey. Put meat on the grill. Turn the meat.|||Are you talking about barbecuing which is low temperatures, indirect heat and long cooking times? or Grilling which is cooking over the coals at high heat for a short time, about an hour or less? This is the BEST and Most USEFUL advice I can give and it applies to both. 1. USE THE LID to control the heat and any flare-ups. If your charcoal grill does not have a lid, then sell it/give it away or throw it out and buy one with a lid... preferably a Kettle Grill (Weber is a brand name). When I first started grilling, my food was always charred on the outside, but raw on the inside, especially cooking chicken. I thought this was normal since a friend claimed that it was. After many attempts, another more experienced friend suggested I use the lid. THE LIGHT CAME ON! The lid controls the oxygen flow so the flames died down. Adjusting the top's vent allowed just enough oxygen to keep the coals hot. Afterward, my chicken came out cooked just right and the skin was nicely roasted and golden. That one piece of advide... "Use the lid" brought my grilling technique up a couple notches. I went from burning food to people wanting me to cook at their parties. Serious. Also, I read that you can use a spray bottle with water to knock down the flame-ups. This is BOGUS. The lid works a lot better without having to spray water. Spraying water just kicks up ash which then sticks to your food. Yummm! Gritty food.|||start simple, use inexpensive cuts of meats. also you can try watching some bbq shows or videos. you can also go to the library and look at some books on bbqing. good luck|||The Weber Grill: http://www.redcarpetshopping.com/Images/250x400/Weber_One-Touch_reg_Silver_Charcoal_Grill_II.jpg The Charcoal Starter: http://www.apptrav.com/charcoal-starter.jpg Put a little paper in the bottom of the starter then fill with charcoal. The starter must be in the grill itself when you light the paper. When the charcoal at the top starts to turn gray dump charcoal as close to the middle as possible. Place grate or grill cooking surface back on grill and wait about 5 minutes.|||go to the meat market and pick out some good steaks and or pork ribs, don't forget the bb-q sauce and rub for the ribs get charcoal and charcoal lighter fluid read the charcoal bag for starting your fire, soak the coals for 10-20 minutes before lighting after the charcoals turn grey put your meat on and cook try to put a lid on top and cook for a long time about 1/2 for the steaks(if thick) ands ribs for about 1-11/2 hrs make potato salad and pork and beans and a green salad i love doing this- grilling is my fav thing to do in the summer|||One word for you:: Beer butt chicken|||Start the coal in a pile when lighting it, let it heat up and then spread the coals around inside the grill (you want the coals to be 3-4 inches below the grill. What I like to do is put tin foil down on top of the grill and poke holes in it with a fork, this allows the juices from whatever you are cooking to mix together better. You could go simple first and do some burgers and hotdogs (either slit the dogs down the middle or poke holes in it...) If you want to try something a little harder, like fish, you should rap it up in tin foil with some butter and spices (some lightly steamed vegtables if you want) and cook it inside the tin foil (works for corn also, Its the only way I'll eat corn, you can cook the shuckled ear(in tin foil) or an unshucked ear of corn on the grill (no tin foil). What I found best is to experiment some. There is nothing like a great BBQ. Try new spices and different ways of cooking, you'l find something you really like and you can keep building on that. Be sure to have plenty of beers (sodas...) as well, It is part of the BBQ experience.|||Easy. 1. Stacking. 2. Lighting. 3. Waiting. First, stack the charcoal up as tall as you can. No lonely coals--they should all be touching. Second, use a lighting fluid, or better, some wadded up newspaper, to get the coals lit. Try to light them in several places so they come to glow about the same time. Third, most commercial charcoal takes about 30 minutes to get to optimum cooking temperature. They will turn white around the edges, and on top, and in the center it should have a bright redorange glow. Once they get to this point, spread them out a bit, still touching, and put the grill over the coals. You're set! They can be extinguished with water, and even re-used if large pieces remain, after they're thoroughly dried out in a few days.|||Use loads of bbq bricketts and then then the same with bbq lightin fluid, when you light it wait about half an hour for the charcoal to turn wite hen start cookin. Don't use really fatty stuff or cheap sausages because they set on fire flare up and u will get disgustin sausages that are really burnt.|||All right, grilling and BBQing ate two different things, at least in Missouri. Grilling tends to refer to direct heat, and stuff cooking relatively quickly; BBQ is indirect heat and may take about 8 hours. One thing I do recomend is to turn on the t.v. and watch Bobby Flay. Yes, I know he is an asshat, but you will learn a ton by watching since you are new to this. He really does know what he is talking about. Sorry. A good book is Grilling: Where There's Smoke There's Flavor by Treuille and Erath. It has some really good recipes (including things you normally might not try on a grill, like desserts), and will prime you on everything you need to know about grilling, including how to build the fire if you are using charcoal. It also has big full color pictures, which I love in a cookbook. As for BBQ? Well that's step 2, my friend. Haha, we take it seriously down here, so once you have grilling down then you can try the Sacred Art of BBQ (trust me, it shouldn't take long), but if you grab the book above and try out the recipes you should be busy for a while. Yes, you too will soon be able to debate the merits of Charcoal Vs. Propane with authority, lol. The most important thing is to have fun; that's what being outside cooking in great weather with friends is all about. Delicious food just happens to be a bonus.|||You know everybody has their own style of barbecuing on a charcoal grill. And I do prefer the charcoal grill over the gas...better flavor I don't care what anyone says. Look on FOOD NETWORK TV for tips and check out some grilling books by Bobby Flay. Basically make a pile of charcoal in the middle of your grill. Douse good with lighter fluid, making sure some gets squirted to the inside of your pile and light. To light start at the base of your pile in the back and light in several areas, make sure to light the inside of the pile, too. Let it burn until most of the coals have a nice coating of white on them. Then spread them out in a small area, not over the whole grill. They will still be somewhat layered and if they begin to cool off you can stir them up and spread again. (Make sure you remove the food before stirring) You can add more charcoal after a while as long as your coals are still hot, and have a red glow to them, move the coals around and cover the new coals with the hot ones. Never add more lighter fluid once you have started cooking. Your food will taste like lighter fluid because it will not burn away like it does when you started your fire. The best way to learn is to cook on the charcoal as often as you can. Experience breeds perfection and excellence. Good luck!! p.s. Charcoal and a can of lighter fluid work better than the charcoal with the fluid predone. You don't know how old they are and if the fluid is still as good. We find Kingsford to be the best charcoal. The cheaper just doesn't work as well for us. Try some of the charcoal with different flavor wood chips inside. Great!|||LITE YOUR CHARCOL ABOUT 45 MINS BEFORE U COOK YOU FOOD. THE CHARCOL IS READY WHEN ALL THE CHARCOL IS WHITE ASHY LOOKIN. SPRAY THE GRILL WITH SOME PAM COOKING SPRAY PRIOR TO GRILLING AND LIGHTING . WHEN COOKING A STEAK..NEVER KEEP TURNING IT OVER..I LIKE MINE MEDIUM-WELL..7 MINS ON EACH SIDE. DONE! CHICKEN...9-10 PER SIDE..THEN ADD BBQ SAUCE AFTER CHICKEN IS COOKED...COVER AND COOK ON LOW FOR 5-10 MINS SO THE BBQ SAUCE THICKENS. ONIONS,GARLIC,PEPPERS ETC. I ALWAYS USE FOIL AND MAKE POCKETS AND TOSS ON GRILL WITH VEGGIES INSIDE...15-20 MINS GOOD LUCK..DONT FORGET THE MEAT TENDERIZER AND MONTREAL STEAK SEASONING FOR THE STEAKS|||Figure at least 20 minutes for your coals to turn ashy-white color (and red hot). For steaks, my rule-of-thumb is: if you can place your flat-open palm of your hand right over the grill for 2 seconds before it gets too hot to bear (ouch), then the heat is just right. When you cook your meat, use a meat thermometer to get it perfect. For slower cooking (like 1 hour or more -- roasts, chicken, turkey), make more coals than you think you need, and lower the coal pan down (or raise the grill up). Don't use the 2-second rule. Cover the grill, and put the meat off the side to where it is not directly over the coals. Cook for the recommended amount of time, as in a cookbook. .|||If you need help with grilling times you might try charcoalbob.com. Just enter the items you will be grilling and it will give you printable instructions for how to grill steaks, chicken breasts, pork chops, etc. to your desired doneness. It also has grilling tips like how to build and start a charcoal fire.|||Dump your charcoal in the grill and cover them with the lighter fluid. Build it into a pyramid and put some more fluid on it. Then light it. The pyramid helps the coals burn quicker to make them ready faster. After the coals have ALL turned white, spread your coals out evenly across the bottom of the grill. Put the top rack on and let it get hot. Then you put your meat on the grill. Be careful about how much coals you use though. Too many, the grill gets too hot and the food burns or cooks too fast. Not enough and you may be finishing it in the microwave. I am from the south and we do like it slow cooked. There is more flavor that way. Especially in that Boston Butt when we pull it for BBQ pork.