Get two things first
Before your first cook, buy a chimney starter and an instant read thermometer. Together they cost little and they remove the two things beginners get wrong: lighting the fire, and knowing when the food is done. With those two, you are most of the way there.
Light it properly
Fill the chimney with charcoal, put a couple of firelighters or some newspaper underneath, and light it. In twelve to fifteen minutes the top coals will be grey and ashy. That is the moment to tip them out. No lighter fluid, ever, and no cooking over black, flaming coals.
Build a two-zone fire
Pour the coals to one side of the grill, not spread evenly. This gives you a hot side to sear on and a cool side to retreat to when something is colouring too fast. It is the single most useful thing a beginner can learn, and it turns cooking from a panic into something you control.
Cook something forgiving
- Chicken thighs: hard to dry out, and the skin crisps beautifully.
- Sausages: cook them gently on the cool side, then colour over the coals.
- Vegetables: peppers, corn, courgette, almost impossible to ruin.
- Avoid, for now: a whole brisket, or a thin fillet steak you will overcook in seconds.
Every cooking time is an estimate that depends on your fire, the weather and the food. A thermometer tells you the truth. Chicken at 75°C in the thigh, sausages cooked through, a steak at 54°C for medium rare. Knowing beats guessing every time.
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