Charcoal Grilling ... a new adventure

When we bought our Vestaburg house 11 years ago, tucked in the back shed in a corner was a Weber charcoal grill. We might have tried to use it one time in the 10 years we lived there. When we moved up north, we put the grill on the patio. (And still never used it ... )

 Dinner. 

The other day, Lori said, "Let's grill the steaks on the charcoal grill." And it sounded like a great idea.

Fire it up. 

So, on July 3, we decided to give it a shot. I followed the directions, but the steaks took FOREVER to cook. The steak was good and all, with a great charcoal flavor, but it took a long time. The next day, with a few more steaks left, we did it again. Closer, but not perfect. Apparently, I have to start cooking as soon as the charcoal is ready and the grill is at its hottest point.

Yesterday, I bought a Weber Rapidfire Chimney to get the charcoal ready for the cooking. It's recommended in my Weber grilling book, as well as a couple of websites. I had never seen one before, but if you're looking for them, they're everywhere! I'm going to try that with chicken grilling this afternoon.

If anyone has advice, please let me know.