What’s a Two-Zone Fire? What’s a Three-Zone Fire?

In a Two-Zone Fire, you spread the coals out in a single layer over about two thirds of the bottom grill grate, leaving one third of the grate coal free (use a grill hoe or garden hoe to rake the coals). The zone with the coals is your cooking area—use it for grilling simple foods for a small number of people. The coal-free zone is your cool or safety zone. To control the exposure to the heat, move the food closer to or farther away from the lit coals.

In a Three-Zone Fire, you rake half of the coals into a double layer so they cover one third of the grill and spread the remaining coals out in a single layer in the center of the grill, leaving one third of the grill coal free. This arrangement gives you a high-heat zone (over the double-thick layer of coals) for searing; a moderate heat zone (over the single layer of coals) for cooking; and a cool, coal-free or “safety” zone. To control the exposure to the heat, start by searing the food over the hot zone, then move it to the moderate zone to cook it through. Should the food start to burn or if you get flare-ups, move the food to the cool zone.