Grilling: Direct vs. Indirect Heat

There are many techniques that grill masters swear by to prepare the best barbeque. A common method that grillers use, and one that you may have heard of, is the use of direct and indirect heat. In this article, we will talk about why they use this method, the benefits, and how to properly use direct and indirect heat.

Direct and Indirect Heat

Direct Heat

The difference between direct and indirect heat is pretty straightforward. Using direct heat is when the food is placed and cooked directly over the fire. Direct grilling is a high heat method used to cook relatively small or thin pieces of food quickly. This method will get you those aesthetically pleasing deep grill marks. Popular foods that use direct flames include steaks, chops, chicken breasts, fish fillets, vegetables, and bread.

One question you may be thinking about is how do I set up your grill for direct grilling. No worries! There are two common ways to set up your grill for direct grilling. Using the coals to spread in an even layer to make a single zone fire over the food that you will be grilling. This method is good when you are cooking a small amount of food.

The second method, which is better when cooking with a larger amount of food, is building a three-zone fire. These 3 zones consist of a hot zone, medium zone, and cool zone. Take half the coals and build a double layer that covers one-third of the bottom of the grill. Use the Middle of the grill to pile a single layer of coals for the “medium zone”. Finally, keep the remaining third of the grill without any coals. Use the double coal zone for searing, the single-layer coal zone for cooking, and the zone with no coals for keeping the food warm or keeping the food from burning.

Indirect Heat

Indirect grilling is used to cook larger or tougher foods that would burn if it’s directly over the heat. The grill’s lid needs to be closed, so the heat will stay in the firebox. Indirect grilling is best for cooking large pieces of meat, like pork shoulders and whole chickens. It also cooks tough cuts of meat that require long, slow cooking at low or moderate heat. Indirect grilling allows you to work over a more moderate temperature. these lower temperatures make it easy to introduce the wood flavor to the smoke. This low temperature is best when cooking ribs, pork shoulders, briskets, whole chickens and turkeys, and other large pieces of food.

Zone Grilling For Gas Grills

If you have a gas grill, this zone method is a little easier. To set up a gas grill for zone grilling, you just have to adjust the burners. On a two-burner gas grill, set one burner to high and one burner on medium. using the warming rack as your safety zone. Then on a three or four-burner gas grill, set one burner on high, one or two burners on medium, and leave the last burner off.

More Info

There are many American Barbeque System grills that are perfect for the 3 zone grilling method! ABS has grills for both the at-home cook and the professional caterer. If you have any questions or inquiries about any of our products be sure to contact us!

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