grilling basics for direct cooking,indirect,grill tips by texascook.com

For direct cooking, food is placed directly over the coals. Make sure there
is enough charcoal in a single layer to extend 1-2" beyond the area of the
food on the grill. Pour briquets into the grill to determine quantity needed
then stack them into pyramid to start until you can "just tell by lookin".

For indirect cooking, food is placed over a drip pan and the coals
are banked to one or both sides of the pan. This method is recommended
for large cuts of meat, such as roasts, and fatty meats to eliminate flare-ups
On a 26" grill, it will take approx 30 coals on each side of pan to cook for
45 minutes. Add 9 or 10 coals every 45 min. for additional cooking time.

How Hot is the Grill? If you don't have a grill thermometer and
(most don't). Here's a quick way to estimate your heat. Hold your hand
palm-down, just above the grill. Count "one-thousand=one" etc....
If you can keep your hand in place before pulling away:
2 seconds-it's a hot fire.......(375)
3 seconds-it's medium hot...(350)
4 seconds-it's medium........(300)
5 seconds-it's a low fire......(250)