Do You Shut the Charcoal Grill While Cooking Burgers?

A griller worth his charcoal knows when to close the lid and when to leave it open.

Grilling seems a simple act, and in many ways, it is. But there's a science to grilling with charcoal that dictates when to close and open vents, and when to bank the coals or rake them. Grilling, after all, is applying heat to meat, fish or vegetables. Open grills operate at higher temperatures than closed ones, and different kinds of burgers cook at different rates. Should you always close the grill when cooking burgers? The short answer to that question is -- perhaps, but it depends.

What Grilling Does

Grilling cooks food in a manner uniquely satisfying to human palates. Have you tried those grill- or smoke-flavored sauces? They don't work -- and they'll never work as well as grilling for two reasons: osmosis, and what scientists call the Maillard reaction and everyone else calls "browning." When meat is heated, protein molecules unwind and tenderize the cut. Brining increases this effect (through osmosis) by breaking down fiber proteins and retaining additional water. The Maillard reaction occurs between 300 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit, when proteins on the surface of the meat are caramelized and converted to sugars -- browning the meat and enhancing flavor.

Why Shut Grills

Lit charcoal requires oxygen to burn. Charcoal in an open grill burns at high temperatures. This contributes to flareups and charring when dripping fat hits superheated briquettes. Shutting the grill reduces oxygen levels and results in a more controlled burn. Alternate between an open and closed grill to reduce flareups and control temperature levels. Grills equipped with bottom or side vents are able to regulate temperature more efficiently. Charcoal in a closed grill without vents will eventually stop burning.

Arranging Charcoal

Indirect cooking prevents charred, dry meat.

Grilling with charcoal is a form of cooking with radiant heat. Heat rises from the coals and sears meat on the grill. You can arrange the coals to produce different temperatures on the grill, or even stack the coals to one side for indirect cooking (placing meats on the opposite side of the grill). Different temperatures allow for quick searing and a slow finish as meat is moved to different areas of the grill. Anything that takes longer than 25 minutes -- whole chickens, loins or a massive burger -- should use the indirect cooking method.

Burger Strategies

Burgers are best when cooked quickly at high temperature on an open grill.

Wood chips added to charcoal in grills boost flavor by smoking the meat. Over an even bed of charcoal, burgers will cook for 4-1/2 to 6 minutes per side on an open grill. Burgers cooked longer than this risk drying out as more moisture leaves the meat. Close the grill in the event of longer cooking times. This will lower temperatures and prevent your burgers from drying out. Note that uneven charcoal will affect cooking times. Light the charcoal bed before grilling and leave it alone for 15 to 20 minutes until white ash covers the briquettes.

References

• "Joy of cooking: All About Grilling"; Irma von Starkloff Rombauer; 2001
• Science 2.0: The Science of Grilling
• Exploratorium: What Gives Meat Its Flavor?
• Serious Eats: Arranging the Coals

Resources

• Serious Eats: A Hamburger Today
• Epicurious: 21 Top-Rated Burgers
• Gourmet Magazine: Our Best Burgers
• Food Reference: The Art and Science of Grilling
• Grill Grates: The Science of Grate Grilling