Charcoal

• If you are using charcoal for your Weber grill, place the charcoal briquettes in the form of a pyramid on the grill grate. Add a considerable amount of lighter fluid until they are well soaked. Place a piece if newspaper near the grill grate and use an extended lighter to light the newspaper. This will light your charcoal. When they turn an ash gray (in about 25 minutes) you'll be ready to grill. Never pour lighter fluid on charcoal that is already lit.
  
  

Grease and Catch Pan

• Both charcoal and gas Weber grills have a catch pan for grease. The purpose of the catch pan is to keep grease as far away from the flame as possible. Before you start grilling, make sure that the catch pan has been completely cleaned and grease-free. Also, do not put a foil liner on the base of the grill. This will stop the grease from naturally dripping away from the flame and could cause a fire. Never put out a grease fire with water. Keep a box of flour, salt or baking soda nearby or a fire extinguisher.
  
  

Direct vs. Indirect Grilling

• There are two types of grilling methods: direct heat or indirect heat. Determining which method you should use depends on what type of food you are cooking. As a general rule, indirect heat should be used for food that takes longer than 25 minutes to cook. This would include ribs, roasts and any meat you want to cook over a long period of time, like a Thanksgiving Turkey. For this method the coals are placed to one side of the grill, and the meat on the other. If you are using a gas grill, then the burners opposite of the meat will be turned on. If you are cooking steaks, hot dogs, hamburgers or sausages, you want to use the direct heating method. The coals or gas burners are directly beneath the meat so it cooks quickly. The meat should be turned or rotated once during cooking.
  
  

Meat Thermometer

• The tough part about grilling is knowing when the meat is ready. You can remove the guesswork by using an internal thermometer. The thermometer is placed inside the meat with the gauge on the outside. Place the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat so it is not resting against the bone. See the "Resources" section for recommended meat temperatures.