How to Use Kamado Grill: A Complete Guide
If you have a kamado grill and you do not know how to cook food on this grill. The cooking way is the same as charcoal and gas grill but there are some tips and guidelines which are necessary to follow to cook the delicious food on a kamado grill. We will guide you step by step so that you can get the best result from using it.
What is the mean of kamado grill?
Kamado is the word of Japanese its means stove and cooking range. We can say kamado means a “place for the cauldron “it is being used in the US as a cooker and barbeque grill. The ceramic constructed kamado grills are heavy and retain the heat efficiently. You can make anything at a high-temperature. You can cook everything on a kamado grill.
The lighting of the kamado grill
The unique feature of the kamado grill is that you can cook food directly over the fire. You have to set the coals and burn the coals to cook your food. You should learn How to set the right temperature of a fire in a kamado grill. You can do grilling over the fire or on the low smoking heat of charcoals.
Both are the different techniques of cooking in kamado grill you can learn it in different steps.
Direct grilling in a kamado grill is the method in which food will be directly placed over the fire this method is suitable to sear meat, hamburgers, and hot dogs. You can cook the meat perfectly on the high heat of the fire. This method is perfect for meat only for some food we need slower heat this is the time when we prefer indirect grilling.
In indirect grilling, two zones of heat are created. The first zone is set over the fire. Nothing will be placed over the fire zone. The other zone is where you will place meat but there will be no heat under this zone. The fire will create heat just like the oven which will be sufficient to cook your food. The difference between direct and indirect grilling is that in indirect grilling the meat layer will be protected from high heat.
Arrange the charcoal into the lower chamber of the kamado grill set the fire starter in the charcoals. The charcoal will take time to reach the desired temperature. Place the lid on the grill let the coals to burn. This process will take 10 to 20 minutes. Check the inner temperature of the grill.
This lighting method is also called top-down because the fire starts from the top and burns downwards. This type of fire will remain for 10 to 12 hours. This method is best to use in the kamado grill because the insulation material is good.
When the grill is ready then adds the smoking stone to the grill. This stone will modify the heat away from your heat.do not forget to set the grill grate. Wait for some minutes for the fire to settle. Do not open the lid it will change the temperature in your grill then add the food into the indirect zone of the grill.
The direct grilling method is the same as the normal charcoal grill. Arrange the charcoals in the chamber and then place the fire starters between the charcoals. Cover the lid so that the grill could heat up quickly according to the target temperature. Adjust the vents to set the temperature level. If you open the vents then the temperature will increase if you close one vent then it will drop accordingly. Then place the food on the surface and start grilling.
Controlling temperature in a kamado grill
You do not need to monitor the temperature level in the kamado grill the temperature is already set. The intake damper at the bottom and the exit damper at the top. The air enters the grill from the bottom and exits from the top damper. These dampers can be adjusted to control the air inflow and outflow. The more oxygen into your grill will increase the heat level in the grill.
You will learn the use of a damper easily as you use this grill a few times. When the grill has reached the desired temperature you can close the top vent. When you see the temperature is below the target temperature then you can open the damper.
Use of kamado deflector plate
This is the circular-shaped plate that protects the food from flare-ups. This plate set with hooks and places it underneath where you set the grill grates. This deflector plate is used when you are making pizza in a kamado.it will protect the crust of pizza from burning.
Cooling down the kamado grill
When the grilling process is finished close to the bottom vent of your grill so that no more oxygen can enter the grill. You can see the temperature on the temperature gauge. Once the temperature falls below 400 degrees Fahrenheit close the top damper of your grill. Open the top damper slightly so that smoke can go out from the grill.
When the dome of the grill is cool then you can cover it or remove the grates for cleaning. You have to wait because the kamado grill retains heat very well.
Conclusion
We hope that this article will provide you with guidance on how to use a kamado grill. you will love to eat the grilled food cooked on this kamado grill. Spent time in understanding the grilling method direct zone and indirect zones. The food which requires more heat use the direct heat zone and the food which needs less heat use the indirect zone. The cooling down of kamado takes much time as compared to other grills because of the thick insulation wall.