Setting up a two-zone fire
How to build a hot side and a cool side on an open braai and a kettle, when to move food between them, how to sear and finish, and how to handle flare-ups.
A two-zone fire gives you two kinds of heat on one grid. This guide shows how to set one up on an open braai and on a kettle, when to move food from one side to the other, and how it helps with flare-ups.
What two zones means
- The hot zone has a deep, packed bed of coals under the grid. It browns the outside of the food fast.
- The cool zone has a thin layer of coals, or none at all. Food there cooks through slowly without burning.
Most braai problems come from having only one kind of heat. Chicken that is black outside and raw at the bone comes from a fire that is too hot everywhere.
On an open braai
- Make your fire to one side, or rake the finished coals across once they are covered in grey ash.
- Pile about two-thirds of the coals into a bed 2 to 3 coals deep under half of the grid.
- Spread the rest thinly over the other half, or leave a strip of the braai empty.
- Set the grid about 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches) above the coals and let it heat for 5 minutes.
- Check each side with your hand. The hot side should be 2 to 3 seconds and the cool side 6 to 8 seconds. See reading your coals.
On a kettle
- Light the charcoal or briquettes in a chimney starter.
- Pour all the lit coals onto one half of the charcoal grate, or into one basket pushed against the side.
- Leave the other half empty. Put a foil drip tray there if you are cooking anything fatty.
- Fit the cooking grid and put the lid on with the top vent over the empty side. This draws heat and smoke across the food.
- Keep both vents open while you sear. Close the bottom vent partway to lower the heat for a longer finish.
With the lid on, the cool side of a kettle sits at about 160 to 200°C (320 to 390°F) with a medium fire. For coals on both sides with the food in the middle, see setting up a kettle braai for indirect cooking.
When to use each side
| Food | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Thick steak, over 3 cm (1 1/4 inches) | Hot side, 2 to 3 minutes a side | Cool side until it reaches your temperature |
| Thin steak and lamb chops | Hot side only | Move to cool side if they are done before the rest |
| Chicken pieces on the bone | Cool side, skin side up, for 25 to 30 minutes | Hot side for the last few minutes to crisp the skin |
| Boerewors | Medium heat at the edge of the hot zone | Cool side if the fat starts to flame |
| Anything with a sugary basting | Cool side until cooked | Brief turn over the hot side to glaze |
Move food to the cool side when the outside is the colour you want but the inside still needs time. Use a thermometer to know when it is done: chicken at 74°C (165°F), wors at 71°C (160°F) and whole cuts at 63°C (145°F). The details are in safe braai temperatures.
Sear first, or sear last
- Sear then finish. Brown the meat over the hot side, then move it across to cook through. This is the usual way for steaks, chops and chicken.
- Reverse sear. Cook thick cuts on the cool side until they are about 5 to 8°C (10 to 15°F) below your target, then sear them hard over the hot side for a minute or two a side. The inside cooks more evenly, and the crust forms just before you serve.
Either way, rest the meat for a few minutes before you cut it.
Dealing with flare-ups
Fat dripping onto hot coals catches fire. The flames leave soot and a bitter taste.
- Move the food to the cool side straight away and wait for the flames to die. Do not pour water on the coals, because it throws ash onto the food.
- Trim thick fat from chops before they go on.
- Turn meat with tongs, not a fork.
- On a kettle, closing the lid for a minute cuts off the air and puts the flames out.
Two zones also help with timing a big braai. Food that is ready early can wait on the cool side while you finish the rest. For the order to cook things in, see braai timing.