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Grilling on a charcoal barbecue grill can be fun and help you create many delicious meals. At the beginning of grilling season, or when you buy a new grill, there are a couple of things you need to do before cooking on it for the very first time.

Most grills look clean and shiny when they are new, but can quickly turn disgusting after one or two uses. Before you use the grill, you will want to make sure it is clean of any leftover manufacturing oil or grime, which can negatively affect the taste of your food.

When using a charcoal grill, there are several steps you should take to prepare the grill. Many of the steps required are the same as one would need to take when using a gas grill. To begin, look closely at the grate on which you will put your food to cook.

If there is a bunch of rust on your grill, you will want to use a stiff wire brush to clean off as much as possible, before cooking on the grill. Don’t be afraid to use an oven cleaner on your used grill, to remove any leftover materials from its last use.

You may also want to heat up the grill and brush away any dirt and grime from previous uses. This will help you make sure it is completely clean before you put any food on the cooking surface. Once you know it is clean, and there are no leftover ashes in the bottom, add enough charcoal to cook your planned meal.

Typically you will use 13 charcoal briquettes for every pound of meat you are going to cook. You should stack the charcoal briquettes in a pile to start them. Or, you can use one of the innovative fire starting chimneys you can now find on the market, into which you place all the briquettes before lighting them.

Once the charcoal is lit, whether you use lighter fluid or ready to light charcoal, you want to wait until the charcoal is coated with a white powder before you start cooking the food. The white color indicates all of the lighter fluid is burned off.

When the coals turn white, you need to spread the hot coals evenly on the grill, as at this time they will be giving off an even heat. Before adding the meat on the grill, you can also spray the cooking grate with anti-stick cooking spray. This will help you avoid leaving some of your food on the grate. Using an anti-stick cooking spray will also help cleaning up the grate once you’re done cooking.

Part of being successful in using a charcoal grill revolves around properly preparing the grill before using it. By ensuring the grill is clean before you start cooking, by being extremely patient and waiting for the coals to turn white and by using anti-stick cooking spray, you can ensure your charcoal cooking experience yields excellent results.