There’s our favorite two buddies, great pictures, thanks glad to see you on the thread. Things look beautiful and clean no dust.
Oh, the dust is still here! I’ve been working at it for weeks now and it keeps coming and coming - opened my mailbox yesterday and there was a layer of ash at the bottom (which I’d just cleared out two days before).
My car is covered in ash almost daily and every time I drive somewhere I have to clear off the windshield.
We’ve had some light to moderate winds lately and apparently those are picking up the ash from the local fires and depositing it everywhere - a brew with a lot of toxic chemicals.
I spend more time indoors now with air purifiers running 24/7 - I change out the filters monthly and they are almost black. The air is very toxic right now. Hopefully the rain expected tonight will clear some of it out.
My neighbor’s cardiologist told her to stay indoors with air purifiers. I’m heeding that advice.
Almost time-——5 Tips for Grilling Over Charcoal Like a Pro
techniques for the next time you host a barbecue or cookout.
Food grilled over charcoal tastes better. Yes, gas grilling is quicker and more convenient, but when it’s the weekend, charcoal is the way to go. With that said, grilling over charcoal can take some getting used to and a little trial and error. Here are five tips for grilling over charcoal like a pro.
Use a “chimney starter” to light the coals; lighter fluid will end up flavoring food. Just pack the bottom of the starter with newspaper; fill the rest with charcoal. Then light the newspaper at the bottom and let science do the rest. Depending on how much charcoal you’re using, make sure to allow 15 to 20 minutes to let your charcoal properly heat up before pouring it into the base of your grill. Pour the coals into your grill only when they’re ready Resist the urge to rush this step. It’s important to wait until the coals are fully gray before pouring them out of the chimney and into the grill base.
Create temperature zones in your grill. With gas grills, you have the option to customize the temperature on each side with the simple twist of a dial. The way with charcoal is by distributing 75 percent of the coals to one side, creating two different temperature zones. This allows you to cook different foods at different speeds and gives you more options for letting your food rest over little to no heat while you get everything else set up prior to eating.
Preheat the grill before you start cooking. Just like your oven, you should preheat your grill before throwing any food onto the grates (also, make sure those racks are clean before you place anything on them). Once your coals are distributed in your grill, throw the lid on and let it sit for five to 10 minutes before placing food over coals. You want to hear a light sizzle when the protein, fruit, or vegetables hit the grates.
Use grill vents to adjust the temperature. You can manipulate your grill’s temperature by using the top and bottom grill vents. Located on the lid itself and on the very bottom of the base, the vents control the airflow through the grill, and the wider open they are, the hotter it’s going to get.
foodandwine.com