On any Grill

You can generally shorten the cooking time by covering the grill. If you do this on a charcoal grill, all vents should be wide open. Covering the grill is useful for grilling a thick steak, spatchcocked chicken, or small whole fish using the direct method.

One final rule of thumb: The small or thinner the food you’re grilling, the higher the heat you can use. Cook thin steaks, chicken breasts, fish fillets, and sliced vegetables directly over a hot fire. Cook thicker steaks, chicken pieces or half chickens, whole fish, or thick vegetables over more moderate heat. You can sear them first over high heat, then finish cooking them over the lower heat. If you try to cook a thick piece of meat solely over a hot fire, you’ll burn the exterior before the center is cooked through.