Sidon's Guide to Charcoal Grilling

Grilling food over hot charcoal is popular all over the world, especially in the Middle East. Here at Sidon, we have a charcoal grill that we use to cook all of our kabobs and several other dishes. Using hot coals gives food a unique flavor that can't be replicated in a normal kitchen. This method of cooking is perfect for summertime because you can cook outside while enjoying nature and the company of loved ones. We prepare food with hot charcoal every day for almost twelve hours; keep reading for some advice to perfect your grilling skills!

Before getting started, you want to make sure you have the right tools for the job. Pick up some metal tongs and a heavy duty metal spatula with long handles. If you’re planning to make kabobs, you can pick up some nice metal kabobs at Middle East Market, located right next door to Sidon. A chimney starter can be really useful for lighting your charcoal, but you can use lighter fluid or other firestarters if you don’t have one. Finally, get a metal poker or another set of metal tongs to help you manage the hot coals. As for the charcoal itself, we recommend using hardwood lump charcoal, but briquettes will get the job done.

Now that you have your supplies, it’s time to cook some food! Some dishes require low heat, while others require high heat. To manage temps while grilling, use the two-zone method: keep your coals on one side of the grill so you have two separate areas to cook. Food that requires high heat should be placed directly over the coals, while food that requires low heat should be placed off to the side so it cooks slower. Some examples of dishes that are better when cooked with high temps include burgers, steaks, chicken wings, and anything else that cooks relatively quickly. Dishes that do better with lower temps include vegetables, whole chickens, chicken legs, and anything else that typically takes a longer time to cook. For the dishes that are better suited for lower temps, you can start them out on high heat for a short period to get a good sear, then move them to the low heat zone to finish cooking.

Here at Sidon, we love our charcoal grill and all the delicious food that our team prepares. Grilling food with friends and family is such a fun and relaxing way to spend time together. Once you get the hang of it, you can experiment with cooking so many different types of food with different marinades and blends of spices. A great place to start is at Middle East Market’s Meat Department, where we have steaks, kabobs and various marinated meats that are ready to go right on the grill. If you haven’t done so already, we hope we’ve inspired you to do some grilling at home!