Grill marks are literally the maillard reaction, which is literally an added, deeper flavor profile. If you tried to achieve that on foil, you'd have to overcook the inside of the burger to get the same effect.
Lol ok buddy. I don't use foil I get the Millard reaction on the whole meat not just sections of it to get a dumb ass grill mark.
Edit: old parts and their grill marks lmao. Bet they only flip once too
No what it does is redistribute the heat so you don't get super high heat areas it ends up stopind flares. I do it all the time. Learned here on reddit years ago and it works.
I’ve heard that salt suppresses the flames without cooling the coals. It doesn’t redistribute heat. Throwing dirt on the coals would probably have a similar effect, but it might snuff the coals entirely.
Check out t-roy and bbqpitboys on YouTube for some inspiration and guidance on starter tips and cooking zones etc.
You shouldn’t have to keep adding coal unless you don’t have enough to start with. Also why the foil? You want your grill it with direct heat from the coal
What you gain from cooking over foil (easier cleanup) is worse than what you lose (better crust, smoky flavor from juices falling on coals and flavoring burger). If you want easy clean up, just go cook your burger in a pan on the stove and don’t bother with grilling it.
Foil on fire releases metals you don't want in your body. Also, direct heat on meat creates the Maillard reaction, which is umami for the soul. Cooking on foil is more like boiling meat than grilling it. Heat coals, when they are gray all over place burgers around the outside of the grates, not center. Cover 6 min. Then flip. Time varies on coals and heat, but 6ish minutes covered. Add cheese. Remove 1 min after you see fat start to bleed from burger. Not juice, white fat. Remove, cover, and rest 5 min minimum. While burgers rest, toast buns. 💋
Wait, like, anytime? Just put it down on current bricketes and you're gtg? So if I feel I need more heat, I can just add some lump to my already lit bricketes?
Briquettes have chemicals which you have to wait to burn off before you start to grill. If you’re low on lump charcoal, you can always add more and they’ll catch fire pretty quick. I guess you can add the lump charcoal to your briquettes after they are ashy or else you’ll end up covering them up without being able to see if they’re ashy yet.
Agree with everything except 30 minutes. While there will be variations based on weather, type of charcoal, starting medium, and whether you are drinking whiskey or beer, 15 minutes should do it.
Lol I like this rule of thumb.
-Stairway to Heaven, Led Zepp
-Stranglehold by Ted Nugent
-November Rain by GnR
-American Pie by Don McClean
~ 30 minutes later
"Wait...but..."
Too many variables to just do a set time. I set a 12 minute timer, so I don't forget while doing other prep, and then do 2 or 3 minute increments until the top is 33%-ish grey. Dump, put on the grates and the hood, and it will be fully grey when the grates are ready to brush.
You must be drinking beer. Beer always takes longer. ;-)
I time only because I can get distracted with other tasks and the chimney burns through the charcoal too fast if I forget.
No, by the time the top ash, the bottom are done.
When the heavy smoke stops and the top 6 to 8 coals are just starting well.
When you dump those go to the bottom.
Like others mentioned, letting that charcoal ash up (a chimney is the easiest and quickest way) and getting rid of the aluminum foil will do wonders. Also, how you’re using your vents will go a long way towards controlling your temps.
Looks like you don’t have enough coal and they aren’t hot enough. Get a chimney starter and load that up fully, add to grill when they are completely ashed over. Use the vents on the grill to control the temp. And definitely lose the foil. You’ll learn as you go. Lots of good tips and recipes on here as well as r/smoking and youtube.
Get the foil out of the way and slap them burgers on the grate. Get the coals hot as hell and cook direct for 4 or 5 minutes per side, less if you want it under medium well. You want the sear.
You know you're supposed to use the grill to grill right? Using foil removes the entire reason of using a grill. You want the smokiness of the charcoal or the flavors of meat getting vaporized in a gas grill's flavorizer.
Good use of hot and cool zones. Ditch the foil and use the cool zone when it flares up (and it will flare up). But you want the drippings to atomize on the charcoal, rise and reattach to the burger.
I’m not seeing a bottom charcoal grate. There should be two metal round grates (the large top one to cook on, and a small one on the bottom to hold the coals a few inches above the bottom so airflow can get underneath the fire). If you don’t use the bottom grate, the charcoal will never light properly or get air to heat to 400+ degrees. Also, no foil. Let the flames and heat cook the burgers. Open top and bottom vents to full open. Let the fire preheat for 20 minutes till white hot and ashes over.
I have never understood the aluminum foil between the food and charcoal. I get it keeps it cleaner on the grill, but I feel like the juice that drips down is flavor when it heats up. Just my thought.
Oh Buddy. Heat up the coals till they’re white hot, scrape the grill with a blade or a lemon and just drop those suckers on the grate and cover it with the lid ‘cause those suckers look pretty thick.
I'll add to the get-rid-of-foil chorus. If you're worried about the meat patty falling through the grate throw it in the freezer for 30-60 min before grilling to firm it up.
I think we’re all making assumptions due to lack of information on your part and no one’s really providing you with a good “why” especially pertaining to the foil, which is probably why you’re posting here - to learn. It doesn’t feel like you’re getting a fair shake so I’ll try to help a little more in depth.
I didn’t see anyone say this, but my assumption on your use of foil is because your grates aren’t clean. It’d be best to clean your grates first, but in a pinch or on a public grill, you could slot your aluminum foil (cut in between the grates and fold under). Either way you really don’t want aluminum foil redirecting all that direct heat around your meat to the top of the grill, if that makes sense.
Also seems like you’ve got your coals stacked under the aluminum foil, which you’ll want to look into direct/indirect heat and hot/cool zones for. But again, under a sheet of aluminum foil is probably the least optimal possible. If they kept going out, they either weren’t getting enough air and were suffocating or weren’t going enough in the first place. Having a grill that gives ambient temperature inside the closed grill can help with this. You don’t want to keep opening and closing, you’ve got to give it time to build up and stabilize to figure out your grill’s airflow and charcoal. It’s literally trial and error for every grill so as much as we love to give best practices, experience and enjoying what you get is a part of the process.
I hope this helps. Look into those things and if you have any questions feel free to DM. Most of all, enjoy the journey!
1st get rid of the foil lol no need for that.
2nd, making an indentation on the middle of the patty with your thumb, sort of like a donut but don't break a hole in the middle. Just leave an indentation a bit and cook the burger with indentation face up first and then flip over when you need to. The indention helps so the burger doesn't ball up and helps the burger stay flat
1. Get rid of the foil
2. Make sure the coals are hot
3. Get some Sweet Baby Rays bbq sauce on those patties
4. Cook them burgers throughly
5. Make sure the bbq sauce is cooked on the patties
6. Add cheese to patties 1 minute before you take them off the grill (close the lid for that last minute to melt the cheese)
7. Remove patties
8. Bun, condiments, meat, plate and enjoy
If your fire is made correctly and hot, then you have a cooler side to move the burgers, so you can do without the foil. If this is your first time, then it's ok and looking closely it looks like you didn't properly clean the grill grate so I'm assuming it's not a new grill. Clean it and burn off the old junk next time but the foil can give you some space to firm up the burger to later move to the grill and let the fat drip and burn off.
Kettle grills lose heat rapidly with the lid off. If you aren't putting your burgers directly on the grate then put the lid on, check every few minutes. This looks like a Smokey Joe or an 18inch kettle, these smaller kettles can choke out easily if there isnt proper airflow.
What are your vents on the bottom set to? fully opened? is the ash cleared out of the bottom?
I can see it’s your first time. Lose the foil, it defeats the whole purpose of grilling. Also, it looks like you waited way too long till you put the meat on. The coals are going out.
More hot coals, and get a quality grate scrub brush to clean that biohazard zone. If the grill is yours, get a ripping fire going with lid on to kill any nasties, clean and oil the grate, then place those awesome looking burgers directly in the grill grates ….. ps. Invest into a nice instant read thermometer.
https://www.weber.com/GB/en/blog/charcoal-barbecuing/how-to-control-the-temperature-of-your-charcoal-barbecue/weber-257648.html
For grilling tips, check out the link. Weber will also tell you how to setup your grill for various types of cooks (direct high, indirect high, etc).
The grill-marks create what is called the maillard effect, tasty marks mmm.
Grill until cooked through unless you know where your meat is from. Don't want no parasites here.
[удалено]
Yeah looks like OP’s family is trying to teach ‘em wrong as a joke. Grill marks OP
The grill is clearly not lit.
Yeah not lit hence the lit charcoal at the bottom and the smoke coming from the top
And dirty AF.
At least OP didn't place them in while the charcoal was still on fire
Grill marks are just dumb. I copk for flavor not for fucking grill marks
Grill marks are literally the maillard reaction, which is literally an added, deeper flavor profile. If you tried to achieve that on foil, you'd have to overcook the inside of the burger to get the same effect.
“Flavor profile” lol. Do you have your own food network show? Tell me about the “mouthfeel” too.
Lol ok buddy. I don't use foil I get the Millard reaction on the whole meat not just sections of it to get a dumb ass grill mark. Edit: old parts and their grill marks lmao. Bet they only flip once too
Nice copking son
Lemme guess you use gas only ?
Grilling with gas is better than not grilling at all
Never have used gas ever I just flip often.
Or if he is afraid of flare ups he can poke many holes in the foil and no flare ups. Or he can put salt in the coals no flare ups.
Wait... Salt stops fat burn?
No what it does is redistribute the heat so you don't get super high heat areas it ends up stopind flares. I do it all the time. Learned here on reddit years ago and it works.
Awesome I buy salt in bulk, so I'll give it a go next time.
I’ve heard that salt suppresses the flames without cooling the coals. It doesn’t redistribute heat. Throwing dirt on the coals would probably have a similar effect, but it might snuff the coals entirely.
Check out t-roy and bbqpitboys on YouTube for some inspiration and guidance on starter tips and cooking zones etc. You shouldn’t have to keep adding coal unless you don’t have enough to start with. Also why the foil? You want your grill it with direct heat from the coal
I'm an Aussie and I love t-roy Helped me learn some things about my WSM
Yeh same. He was we great at understanding the WSM in a friendly chilled out way. I’m from the UK!
This
thank god we have you, u/helicopterworldly215 , to back up this statement with your words of wisdom
*word of wisdom
DO NOT COOK ON FOIL LIKE THIS
😄
There’s a study that says that stuff leaches to the food .
WHY NOT? WHAT'S THE ISSUE IF YOU? WHY ARE WE CAPITALIZING EVERY LETTER? WHATS THE DEAL WITH COOKING FOOD IN ALUMINUM FOIL?
WHY ARE WE YELLING?
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE YELLING ABOUT!!
LOUUUUUUD NOISES
An explanation as to why might be more helpful than just internet yelling with caps lock.
What you gain from cooking over foil (easier cleanup) is worse than what you lose (better crust, smoky flavor from juices falling on coals and flavoring burger). If you want easy clean up, just go cook your burger in a pan on the stove and don’t bother with grilling it.
Cooking anything on foil is disgusting. If they want an explanation, google it!
Foil on fire releases metals you don't want in your body. Also, direct heat on meat creates the Maillard reaction, which is umami for the soul. Cooking on foil is more like boiling meat than grilling it. Heat coals, when they are gray all over place burgers around the outside of the grates, not center. Cover 6 min. Then flip. Time varies on coals and heat, but 6ish minutes covered. Add cheese. Remove 1 min after you see fat start to bleed from burger. Not juice, white fat. Remove, cover, and rest 5 min minimum. While burgers rest, toast buns. 💋
DONT TELL ME WHAT TO DO
Unless you are cooking on a public grill, in that case do not raw dog it lol
Don't need tinfoil- the dripping far will fall on the coals and vaporize giving the burgers more taste
If your family said to put the burgers on foil.. just disregard everything they’ve ever told you
It’s a perfect time to put on a slice of American cheese though. Source: Senator Chuck Schumer.
I’m surprised this wasn’t mentioned more.
Get a new family. Period.
You’re doing better than I did my first time. I didn’t even know you were supposed to wait for the charcoal to get ashy 😂
Yooo same lol
Flame on 🔥
If it’s lump charcoal, you don’t.
I was using briquettes, I didn’t know that about lump charcoal though.
You can add lump charcoal as needed. Enjoy your grilling journey bro.
Wait, like, anytime? Just put it down on current bricketes and you're gtg? So if I feel I need more heat, I can just add some lump to my already lit bricketes?
Briquettes have chemicals which you have to wait to burn off before you start to grill. If you’re low on lump charcoal, you can always add more and they’ll catch fire pretty quick. I guess you can add the lump charcoal to your briquettes after they are ashy or else you’ll end up covering them up without being able to see if they’re ashy yet.
Even standard Kingsford that aren't easy light have chemicals? Man, you are educating me and I've been grilling for 25 years. Thanks!
We’re all learning everyday. Enjoy your grilling!
Thanks for the tips and you too man
Buy yourself a chimney. Load it up and let the charcoal light for about 30 min. Dump. Spread. Cook.
Agree with everything except 30 minutes. While there will be variations based on weather, type of charcoal, starting medium, and whether you are drinking whiskey or beer, 15 minutes should do it.
We use the 4 song method. 15 mins seems about right.
Lol I like this rule of thumb. -Stairway to Heaven, Led Zepp -Stranglehold by Ted Nugent -November Rain by GnR -American Pie by Don McClean ~ 30 minutes later "Wait...but..."
My bad, I loaded up Freebird and November Rain, as our starters.
I thought you wait until you see ash on top? So should I just set a timer instead and adhere to 15 minutes?
Too many variables to just do a set time. I set a 12 minute timer, so I don't forget while doing other prep, and then do 2 or 3 minute increments until the top is 33%-ish grey. Dump, put on the grates and the hood, and it will be fully grey when the grates are ready to brush.
I just wait until I see any type of gray at the top. It feels like I'm waiting for 20-30 minutes. I've never timed anything.
You must be drinking beer. Beer always takes longer. ;-) I time only because I can get distracted with other tasks and the chimney burns through the charcoal too fast if I forget.
I always just wait tilI see the flames at the top of the chimney...seems to work well for me
Same, about fifteen to twenty minutes.
No, by the time the top ash, the bottom are done. When the heavy smoke stops and the top 6 to 8 coals are just starting well. When you dump those go to the bottom.
Sometimes it takes 15, sometimes it takes 30. Just look at it.
Don't even spread. Pile up on one side. Great for burgers. Even better when you need two zones.
Yes, always do a 2 zone set up. even when grilling over direct heat.
I mean, you didn't slap a piece of cheese on the raw patty... so you're doing than some people we know.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Why in gods name do u have tin foil?
Aliens 👽 and government espionage
What's with the foil?
😬 it's OK, 1st steps are the hardest. Your on the path of a delicious hobby. Learn your own way and enjoy all you prepare, good luck.
As others have said…lose the foil.
Like others mentioned, letting that charcoal ash up (a chimney is the easiest and quickest way) and getting rid of the aluminum foil will do wonders. Also, how you’re using your vents will go a long way towards controlling your temps.
Lose the foil. It won’t stick to or fall thru the grill. Add more coals if it’s too cool.
Make sure to put the cheese on top when the burger is still cold.
Found Kirk cousins
Make a Hat w the Tinfoil🤨🫠
Looks like you don’t have enough coal and they aren’t hot enough. Get a chimney starter and load that up fully, add to grill when they are completely ashed over. Use the vents on the grill to control the temp. And definitely lose the foil. You’ll learn as you go. Lots of good tips and recipes on here as well as r/smoking and youtube.
Looks like OP is related to Schumer... All that's missing is the cheese in this pic
You want the charcoal to burn down no flames you want the heat from them to cook not the flames
Yes, all gray
"We trained him wrong as a prank"- the family Get your coals white hot before throwing food on. Keep the lid on. Ditch the foil for burgers.
LOL, this post is definitely ragebait.
Get the foil out of the way and slap them burgers on the grate. Get the coals hot as hell and cook direct for 4 or 5 minutes per side, less if you want it under medium well. You want the sear.
You know you're supposed to use the grill to grill right? Using foil removes the entire reason of using a grill. You want the smokiness of the charcoal or the flavors of meat getting vaporized in a gas grill's flavorizer.
Good use of hot and cool zones. Ditch the foil and use the cool zone when it flares up (and it will flare up). But you want the drippings to atomize on the charcoal, rise and reattach to the burger.
My guess is this is your first time here. Welcome! This group will steer you in the right direction. You'll make the best bbq of your life!
Get rid of the foil. The grill is there for a reason. If it’s dirty clean it before cooking in it. You’re boiling or steaming the burgers.
Mmm steamed hams
You'll figure it out. Welcome to the club.
I’m not seeing a bottom charcoal grate. There should be two metal round grates (the large top one to cook on, and a small one on the bottom to hold the coals a few inches above the bottom so airflow can get underneath the fire). If you don’t use the bottom grate, the charcoal will never light properly or get air to heat to 400+ degrees. Also, no foil. Let the flames and heat cook the burgers. Open top and bottom vents to full open. Let the fire preheat for 20 minutes till white hot and ashes over.
Put the cheese slices on now
baby steps keep on going!
You gotta lose that tinfoil or you're not grilling, you're baking.
Baked burgers. Mmmm
Get rid of that foil and let the grill do its thing. You're just frying with extra steps here.
Whippin up dem Schumer patties.
I had a neighbor who used to grill on foil. I still don't understand it.
Please remove that foil :)
I have never understood the aluminum foil between the food and charcoal. I get it keeps it cleaner on the grill, but I feel like the juice that drips down is flavor when it heats up. Just my thought.
Chuck Schumer?
Looks like chuck schumers grill
It’s up to you to break the generational trauma. 😂
I think someone is afraid of a flare up.
Undercooked.
Burgers go right on the grate.
Looks like the secret Shummer method to me, but you need to get the cheese on them now.
The troiliest post if there ever was a troll post for grilling. Where's the slice of American Cheese to go on top of those raw burgers, Chuck?
Get rid of the foil
Get rid of the foil. Clean or replace grill. Patties look good.
Not enough charcoal there. The only thing you cook in foil on the bbq are select vegetables.
Get rid of the tinfoil
This is baking outside.
Please please please loose the Foil!!! Why is foil even there? Dude?dude? Why?
I was surprised that no one mentioned anything about a grill brush
Love the Little Joe for on the go cooks!
You need YouTube help, not Reddit help. Get rid of the foil if your grilling burgers it's not necessary
Howed they turn out bud
Get rid of the foil
Oh Buddy. Heat up the coals till they’re white hot, scrape the grill with a blade or a lemon and just drop those suckers on the grate and cover it with the lid ‘cause those suckers look pretty thick.
Wtf is with the foil
Gonna have to put the meat on the grill in order to grill.
It shows
I'll add to the get-rid-of-foil chorus. If you're worried about the meat patty falling through the grate throw it in the freezer for 30-60 min before grilling to firm it up.
That's a great little grill. I had one for about 8 years and it was awesome. I even smoked pork butts on it.
How long did it take to cook burgers on foil?
Lookin’ ain't cookin’
https://www.weber.com/CA/en/grill-skills/charcoal/weber-33332.html
Wth
You need to cook the burgers directly on the grill grate. Not foil.
yeah you need more coals than you might expect.
I think we’re all making assumptions due to lack of information on your part and no one’s really providing you with a good “why” especially pertaining to the foil, which is probably why you’re posting here - to learn. It doesn’t feel like you’re getting a fair shake so I’ll try to help a little more in depth. I didn’t see anyone say this, but my assumption on your use of foil is because your grates aren’t clean. It’d be best to clean your grates first, but in a pinch or on a public grill, you could slot your aluminum foil (cut in between the grates and fold under). Either way you really don’t want aluminum foil redirecting all that direct heat around your meat to the top of the grill, if that makes sense. Also seems like you’ve got your coals stacked under the aluminum foil, which you’ll want to look into direct/indirect heat and hot/cool zones for. But again, under a sheet of aluminum foil is probably the least optimal possible. If they kept going out, they either weren’t getting enough air and were suffocating or weren’t going enough in the first place. Having a grill that gives ambient temperature inside the closed grill can help with this. You don’t want to keep opening and closing, you’ve got to give it time to build up and stabilize to figure out your grill’s airflow and charcoal. It’s literally trial and error for every grill so as much as we love to give best practices, experience and enjoying what you get is a part of the process. I hope this helps. Look into those things and if you have any questions feel free to DM. Most of all, enjoy the journey!
One of us!
Buy a new grate. They aren't that expensive. Cook on the grate. Then clean the grate after you cook.
1st get rid of the foil lol no need for that. 2nd, making an indentation on the middle of the patty with your thumb, sort of like a donut but don't break a hole in the middle. Just leave an indentation a bit and cook the burger with indentation face up first and then flip over when you need to. The indention helps so the burger doesn't ball up and helps the burger stay flat
1. Get rid of the foil 2. Make sure the coals are hot 3. Get some Sweet Baby Rays bbq sauce on those patties 4. Cook them burgers throughly 5. Make sure the bbq sauce is cooked on the patties 6. Add cheese to patties 1 minute before you take them off the grill (close the lid for that last minute to melt the cheese) 7. Remove patties 8. Bun, condiments, meat, plate and enjoy
I is confuse
Chuck
I was literally doing this when I was 12 years old and a beer in my hand. Don’t over think it, don’t over cook it.
Without the tin foil I bet it’d be delicious
If your fire is made correctly and hot, then you have a cooler side to move the burgers, so you can do without the foil. If this is your first time, then it's ok and looking closely it looks like you didn't properly clean the grill grate so I'm assuming it's not a new grill. Clean it and burn off the old junk next time but the foil can give you some space to firm up the burger to later move to the grill and let the fat drip and burn off.
Dont need the tin foil bro
Kettle grills lose heat rapidly with the lid off. If you aren't putting your burgers directly on the grate then put the lid on, check every few minutes. This looks like a Smokey Joe or an 18inch kettle, these smaller kettles can choke out easily if there isnt proper airflow. What are your vents on the bottom set to? fully opened? is the ash cleared out of the bottom?
No shit!
I can tell it's your first time: you used foil.
I can see it’s your first time. Lose the foil, it defeats the whole purpose of grilling. Also, it looks like you waited way too long till you put the meat on. The coals are going out.
More hot coals, and get a quality grate scrub brush to clean that biohazard zone. If the grill is yours, get a ripping fire going with lid on to kill any nasties, clean and oil the grate, then place those awesome looking burgers directly in the grill grates ….. ps. Invest into a nice instant read thermometer.
https://www.weber.com/GB/en/blog/charcoal-barbecuing/how-to-control-the-temperature-of-your-charcoal-barbecue/weber-257648.html For grilling tips, check out the link. Weber will also tell you how to setup your grill for various types of cooks (direct high, indirect high, etc).
the grill looks disgusting.
The grill-marks create what is called the maillard effect, tasty marks mmm. Grill until cooked through unless you know where your meat is from. Don't want no parasites here.
yum yum
Gotta get those coals going properly, a chimney coal-starter thing is awesome. Wanna wait until they are all covered in gray/white ash
Why do people grill on foil?
Its just like the deflectors in the big green egg type of grills
Would yall stop tripping about the foil, jeeze lol
No shit!
What's with the foil? You don't need foil. Trick to charcoal is to put enough; put it to one side only. Stays warm. Don't spread it out.
I can tell
What in the hell are you doing?
You're making me sad.
You're not grilling if the food isn't on the grills.
Smash those burgers down more (to thin them out)
Overdid the black pepper
Don’t smush them with the spatula. Makes for dry burgers.