How to Grill Burgers

Lift the lid and check the inside of the kettle for ash or debris from previous cooks. Clear anything stuck so air can circulate freely.

Place your charcoal baskets on either side of the bottom grate and load them with briquettes. Direct grilling means coals sit right under the food, so anything cooking under 20 minutes - burgers, dogs, steaks - belongs over this setup.

For burgers, set the grill up for direct cooking - charcoal directly under the food. Light the coals and wait until they're glowing with a layer of grey ash on top.

Put the cooking grates on, close the lid, open the vents, and set a 15-minute timer. This is the most important step. A properly pre-heated grill sears the meat instead of letting it stick.

Use 80/20 ground chuck. The 20% fat is where most of the flavor and juiciness lives, so don't go leaner.

Instead of stacking toppings after cooking, mix them into the meat: a splash of Worcestershire, ketchup, barbecue sauce, plus bacon and finely chopped onion. Whatever you'd put on top, work it in. Use your hands and stop as soon as it's combined - over-mixing turns the meat dense.

Divide the meat and shape each portion into a patty about 3/4 of an inch tall. Same height across all of them so they cook in the same time.

Press a shallow thumbprint into the middle of each patty. As burgers cook, the middle puffs up - the dimple cancels that out and you end up with flat burgers instead of meatballs.

Once the pre-heat timer goes off, grab a stainless steel bristle brush and scrub the grates clean. Doing it after pre-heat (not before) loosens any leftover residue from previous cooks.

Run the brush in a few firm passes across each section of the grate. You're done when the bars look clean and dark.

Lay the patties down on the hot grates and start a 4-5 minute timer for the first side. Don't move them. Don't poke them. Resist the urge.

Watch the smoke. White smoke means the grill is doing its job. Dark smoke means it's too hot - close the damper to lower the temperature, or slide the burgers to a cooler indirect zone until things settle.

When the timer goes, slide the spatula under each patty and flip it - just once. The first side should have dark grill marks and a real crust. Set another 4-5 minute timer for the second side.

If you're adding cheese, drop a slice on each burger one minute before they come off so it melts without going greasy. After pulling them, let the burgers rest for 30-40% of the total cook time. A 10-minute cook gets a 3-4 minute rest. Skip the rest and the juice runs out the second you bite in.