LEARN · CHARCOAL BASICS · TEMP GUIDE
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The things I wish someone had told me before my first cook: how to light a charcoal BBQ, how to control the heat, and when it's actually done.
CHARCOAL BASICS
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The snake method: low and slow brisket and pulled pork on a kettle
How to set up the snake method on a charcoal kettle for 120–150°C cooks that run up to 12 hours: brisket, pulled pork and smoked cheese.
Read it →Charcoal BBQ for beginners: how to light it and cook on it
How to light a charcoal BBQ in four easy steps, set up hot and cold zones, and use the vents to hold the temperature.
Read it →QUICK TEMP GUIDE
Cook to temp, not time.
Internal temperature, in the centre of the thickest part. Use a meat thermometer. This is a guide, not a rule: cuts, thickness, thermometers and coals all vary, so there's some give in every number.
| DONENESS | °C | °F |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 60°C | 140°F |
| Medium rare | 60–65°C | 140–149°F |
| Medium | 65–70°C | 149–158°F |
| Medium well | 70°C | 158°F |
| Well done | 75°C | 167°F |
| WHAT | °C | °F |
|---|---|---|
| Pork steaks, chops | 70°C | 158°F |
| Pork roasts | 70–75°C | 158–167°F |
| Cook right through: chicken and all poultry, mince, burgers, sausages, rolled or stuffed roasts | 75°C | 167°F |
| Fish or when it flakes easily | ~63°C | ~145°F |
| Low & slow: brisket, pulled pork for tenderness, until a probe slides in easily. It's safe well before this. | 90–96°C | 194–205°F |
Take it off early.
Meat keeps cooking after it comes off the coals, by up to 5°C (about 9°F). Pull it 3–5°C short of your target and let it rest: steaks 3–5 minutes, roasts 10–20.
Based on Australian guidance from the Food Safety Information Council and Australian Beef / Australian Lamb.
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