Reading your coals
How to tell hot, medium and low coals apart with your hand, and how to change the heat without relighting.
Every recipe on this site is marked hot, medium or low coals. This is how to tell which you have.
Wait for coals, not flames
Food is braaied over coals, never over flames. Flames burn the outside and leave soot on the meat. The fire is ready when the wood or charcoal has broken down into glowing pieces covered in a thin coat of grey ash.
The hand test
Hold your open hand, palm down, at the height of the grid. Count the seconds until you have to pull it away.
| Coals | Seconds you can hold your hand | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Hot | 2 to 3 | Steak, lamb chops |
| Medium | 5 to 6 | Boerewors, chicken, sosaties, fish |
| Low | 8 to 10 | Braaibroodjies, roosterkoek, keeping a potjie simmering |
The test is a rough guide, because everyone’s hands are different. Use it to compare one fire with the last one, and you will learn what your own count means.
Changing the heat
- Too hot: raise the grid, spread the coals out, or wait ten minutes.
- Too cool: lower the grid, rake the coals closer together, or add fresh coals from a second fire.
- Flare-ups: move the food to a cooler part of the grid until the flames die. Water throws ash onto the food.
Build two zones
Pile most of the coals on one side and leave a thin layer on the other. The hot side browns the food and the cool side lets it finish without burning. It also gives you somewhere to move food when fat starts to flame.
Keep a second fire going
For anything that cooks longer than half an hour, such as a whole chicken or a potjie, keep a small fire burning to one side. It gives you fresh coals to add when the cooking fire starts to fade.