Here's How To Set Up Your Charcoal Grill For A Properly Cooked Burger

One of the great things about a gas grill is the ability to create different heating zones. Most grills have three to four burners, allowing you to create three to four zones of heat. You can grill burgers on one side, move them to a different zone to melt the cheese, and toast buns on a third zone. But grilling traditionalists argue that nothing tastes quite the same as a charcoal-grilled burger. Since charcoal can reach higher temperatures than gas, hamburger meat can get a better sear and a smokier flavor. But by placing your coals in the right configuration, you can have the best of both worlds.

Setting up different zones on a charcoal grill allows you to cook with both direct and indirect heat. Direct heat is when you cook directly over the heat source, i.e. the flames or hot coals. This is the best method for small, individual portions of food which cook quickly, such as burgers, chicken parts, and fish fillets. Because the pieces are small, the heat can get to the center so everything is cooked. Indirect heat is similar to roasting; the food is close but not directly on top of the heat source. Indirect heat cooks more evenly so it is better for larger portions of food that need more time to cook — think whole chickens or fish, a large steak, or racks of ribs. Using direct heat on these foods risks burning some parts while leaving others undercooked.

Even if you're cooking burgers, you probably want to use both direct and indirect heat. The hotter part of the grill helps you satisfy the friends who request their meat rare or medium while the cooler part lets you cook burgers longer for your friends who like theirs well-done (but without drying it out). You can also move the burgers to the cooler part to melt the cheese without adding too much additional heat to the burger.

To cook with both direct and indirect heat, you need to configure the grill into different zones. For a dual-zone fire, you simply move the briquettes to one side, leaving the other side empty. If you want even more flexibility, try creating three zones: One with the briquettes piled two or three high, a second with one layer of coal, and a third without coals. Some suggest first spreading the coals evenly over the bottom grate of your grill, lighting the coals and waiting until they are white hot before pushing them over to their sides, keeping in mind that one of the mistakes you can make when charcoal grilling is placing the meat over the coals too quickly. By learning the two- and three-zone methods with a charcoal grill, even a beginner can become a grillmaster — you just need to find the right grill for you.