When preparing a barbecue, it is common to focus on the choice of meat, but managing the fire is also essential. We have prepared some tips to help you impress at this time. Check them out!

Although it is possible to grill with wood, we will focus our tips on fire made with charcoal.

1 – Calculate the amount of charcoal

The most common calculation is: 1 kg of meat = 1 kg of charcoal + reserved amount.
It is important to always have extra because some factors greatly influence the amount of charcoal used, such as wind, type of meat and the grill itself.

2 – Light the fire ahead of time

Plan to light the fire 30 to 40 minutes before preparation.

3 – Take care with the distance between the coals and the meat

For smaller pieces of meat, a good distance is 15 to 20 cm. For larger cuts, the ideal distance is 40 to 50 cm.

4 – Leave space between the pieces of charcoal

When they are farther apart, the air circulation between them improves.

5 – Choose a technique for lighting the fire

These are not the only ways to light a barbecue fire, but they tend to be more practical for those just starting out. The important thing is to get good embers, with an intense red color.

Newspaper volcano: roll sheets of newspaper in a glass bottle until they form a thick layer. Then position the bottle with the paper in the center of the grill and place the charcoal around it. Take the bottle out and set the newspaper on fire.

Alcohol pellets or alcohol gel over 70°: The pellets should be placed in the middle of the charcoal, and alcohol gel can be applied at different points. Attention: liquid alcohol should never be used, to prevent the risk of burns.

6 – Use a blower

It uses air flow to make it easier to light the charcoal and get the fire to the ideal point. A great tip is to use the Tramontina Blower. After setting the charcoal on fire, just point the end of the blower tube to the base of the flame and turn the crank. It is important to keep the blower at least 30 cm away from the fire.

There you go, now you can impress at the next barbecue with your friends and tag us on social networks.