Charcoal grilling requires a lot of fuel, a few matches, and if you're safety conscious, some type of anti-fire technology like a water hose (you get a 1-up if it's actually hooked-up to the spigot). It's imperative for you to know that the purpose of charcoal in this process is to serve as a soaking agent for fuel. Other agents can, or may, include stacks of dry wood and old warehouses down by the docks.

Like a good steak, charcoal has to be seared to produce the best taste (this helps to contain the gassy-fuel fumes inside the brick, I think) and that can only be done by soaking the bricks in lighter fluid.

This is done by simply by pouring an entire can, sometimes two, all over the bricks — think Splash Dance. If fuel begins to drip out of the bottom of the grill it's time to make fire with said matchstick. Don't worry about the left over fuel because you can later squirt it into the fire producing these magnificent Sammy-Hagar-Cabo-Wabo-style fire plumes.

Repeat this step as necessary and remember, if at first you torch the bricks into instant ash don't fret. Like the classic bag of hot dog buns to package hot dogs ratio there are always more bricks in a bag of charcoal than you can safely fit into a grill. It's like a two-fer in every bag. That said, after years of using a gas grill I don't think I'd go back to charcoal

In closing my lawyer has advised me to add that engaging in this ritual should be done at safe distance from children, pets, your abode, and Jehovah's Witness.

Technorati Tags : Airbag, charcoal, grilling, bbq, barbecue