How to light a barbecue: different ways to follow
Meat ok, beer ok and friends almost arriving. Only one thing is missing: you learn how to light the grill! It may seem like a banal and commonplace thing, but there is a correct way to light the barbecue, capable of preserving your safety and still providing a first-class barbecue.
So, without further ado, let’s get straight to the point: discover once and for all the tricks to properly light the barbecue:
How to light the barbecue with alcohol
Popularly, there are different ways to light a barbecue, however, one of the safest and recommended methods for the quality of your barbecue is lighting with alcohol.
And it’s not just any alcohol, okay? The ideal alcohol to light the barbecue is gel, both for safety reasons and for practicality.
Alcohol at 70%, widely used in the past, has a large amount of water, which ends up making it difficult to light and also increases the risk of accidents due to burns, since it is more flammable than the gel version.
See the step by step to light the barbecue with alcohol gel:
- The first step is to make sure the charcoal is completely dry. Therefore, it is always recommended that the charcoal bag be stored in a place protected from moisture. Always choose to buy good quality charcoal of recognized origin, even if it costs a little more. Poor quality charcoal will burn faster and is harder to ignite.
- Then, with the charcoal inside the grill, take a loaf of bread and remove the core. In place of the crumb, put the alcohol in gel and with the help of a match set the bread on fire. When the bread starts to catch fire, place it in the middle of the grill between the charcoal.
- Wait about 40 to 50 minutes before starting to put the meats in. This time is important to ensure proper ignition of the charcoal. A tip is to always observe the color of the ember: the brighter and brighter, the better.
Another way to light the grill is to throw alcohol directly on the charcoal that is on the grill and, after a few seconds, enough time for the alcohol to be absorbed, light the fire carefully, keeping a certain distance.
How to light the barbecue with oil
The lighting of the barbecue with oil is very similar to alcohol, what changes is the liquid used for combustion. The advantage of using oil to light the grill is that it catches fire faster. However, the oil tends to release a toxic smoke and to keep the flame you have to fan it.
Check out the step-by-step guide to light a barbecue with oil using toilet paper, one of the best known and most used ways:
- Roll toilet paper in your hand to form a cone;
- Then, place this paper cone inside the barbecue, opening space between the charcoal;
- Put cooking oil inside the cone;
- Build a pyramid around the cone so that it facilitates the spread of fire;
- Set fire;
- Finally, just wait until the grill is ready to put the meats.
How to light a barbecue using the volcano technique
Another widely used way to light a barbecue is using the volcano technique. To light the barbecue with this method you will need newspaper and a glass bottle. Follow the step by step:
- Have several strips of newspaper in hand and with them start rolling the bottle, except for the bottom and the mouth;
- Then, after completely wrapping the bottle with the newspaper strips, place it in the center of the barbecue;
- Remove the bottle keeping only the newspaper strips, so that they are in the shape of the bottle;
- Wrap this paper structure with charcoal inside and out;
- Set fire to the newspaper.
The advantage of this technique is that the fire lasts longer, keeping the ember burning longer. However, it releases toxic smoke, in addition to dispersing ash throughout the environment (hence the name volcano).
Optimal amount of coal
Now the question remains: how much charcoal do you need to make a barbecue? The answer varies a lot and depends on the type of meat that will be roasted, as some take longer and others less, the amount of meat, the model of your barbecue and the duration of the barbecue.
But, let’s assume a simple barbecue, for about ten people. In this case, 5 kilos of good quality charcoal is enough. Just in case, have at least two more bags of 5 kilos to cover any unforeseen circumstances (or some guests who arrive extra).
A tip to make the charcoal yield more is to place the larger pieces at the bottom of the grill and always keep a space between them, spreading them out evenly on the grill. This facilitates air circulation and, consequently, combustion.
It is also important to have extra charcoal to feed the coals during the barbecue. Whenever you notice the ember slowing down or cooling down, add more charcoal.
The right time to put the meats
It’s no use getting the way to light the grill and not waiting for the right moment to start roasting the meats.
Therefore, the tip is always to wait between 40 and 50 minutes to put the meats on the grill. This time is necessary to ensure proper cooking and to preserve the texture and flavor of the meat.
It is also critical to ensure a constant ember, this means constantly feeding the grill with charcoal. Remembering that meats don’t need flames, but hot embers.
Right height between the coal and the grill
Another factor that directly interferes with the quality of your barbecue is the height between the ember and the grill with the meats.
Here it is necessary to evaluate two important points: the type of meat and the point you want to give it. For those who prefer grilled meat, the recommendation is to keep the grill about 15 cm from the coals and preferably use smaller pieces of meat such as rump, sausage and chicken thigh and thigh (with the skin).
Larger, whole meats such as sirloin steak, flank steak and ribs need to be placed at a greater distance from the grill, about 40 to 60 cm.
For those who do not have a barbecue with height adjustment, the trick is to keep the ember glowing, without creating flames.
Now, with all these tips, just go there and start preparing your barbecue!
