Grilling over hot coals is simple—but it takes patience. The key is to cook the meat slowly over low heat, something that most people don’t do well. Set a timeframe of 4 hours. If you finish sooner, the barbeque can stand at room temperature for a long time and will actually improve.
Start late in the morning for an evening meal. It won’t hurt to finish several hours before eating. Don’t try to time it too closely, or you will get yourself all agitated and jumpy, like a horse with a burr under its saddle. Nobody wants to be around you when you’re like that. You can’t grill well if you rush it.
How do you keep the heat low? You can use small amounts of charcoal-amounts that seem too small for the impatient. If, as is very common, the fire is too hot or if it starts to flame up because fat is dripping into the coals, squirt a little water on them from a plastic squeeze bottle. You will forget about the squeeze bottle until you see the flames engulfing your ribs. Don’t worry about it. Grilling is very forgiving. Simply go get the squeeze bottle and douse the fire without putting it out. The fire will start up again and this time, have the squeeze bottle handy. If you pour water from a pitcher or beer from a bottle on to the coals, the meat will get coated with ash. Use the squeeze bottle or sprinkle the coals lightly.
Turn the meat often. It will gradually brown without burning. During the last 15 minutes, start glazing with Daddy Sam’s Bar-B-Que Sawce. All Bar-B-Que sauce will burn if you put it on too soon. Be patient and glaze the meat only at the end of the cooking process.
Grilling, like life, is not exact (Even cowboys can be philosophical). Temperature and meat thickness are different every time. You have to show some culinary judgment. Be confident and taste the meat occasionally until it is the way you want it.
Grilling is simple—you just have to be patient. A word of advice, however. Never, never, never, ever tell anyone that grilling is simple. Bask in the glory of this elegant skill, but keep it a secret. After all, it is best that some things remain shrouded in mystery!