Grill Charcoal

What is the best way to cook on a charcoal grill?

HI, I just bought a small charcoal grill. I am cooking Hamburgers. I was wondering how to i Capture the rich smoky taste. Do I put the hamburgers on the grill right after I light the coals or should I wait?
What if you cook it when the coals are black? Is'nt that where the flavor comes from?

firstly, no. i wouldn't put them on straight away.

the best thing to do, depending on the size of this small grill, is to lay all the coals out flat, then stack up one side of the BBQ so one side looks like the plains, the other side looks like a mountain.

this way you can have searing heat if you want it or you can have a lower constant heat from the other side.

the flavour doesn't come from black coals, unless you accidentally drop your food onto them.

if you want a smokey flavour, you'll need to put something onto the coals, like a handful of fresh herbs (try thyme or rosemary because its woody and will burn) or some wood chips. if the BBQ has a lid, i'd put it on to smoke them a bit.

utilize the heap and the flat for different things. steaks dont need cooking for long so you can sear them, fish in foil on the other hand needs a bit of time so cook that on the cooker side.

the only last thing have to say is if you're doing a BBQ, please make the food interesting. burgers and hot dogs are the chips and beans of the BBQ world.
get yourself a Caribbean food book and try some of the recipes or have a look on the internet for something really different to cook and show off a bit to your mates.

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