I'm trying to slow-cook using indirect heat on my kettle-style grill, and having some temperature issues.
Most of my experience with my grill follows one of two patterns:
- First cook the food item (almost always meat) sous vide. Dump an inordinate amount of white-hot coals from the chimney into the kettle. Sear the meat for about 30 seconds for a quick crust without affecting the perfectly-done interior. Rest and serve
- Sear first (following method above), then cook indoors.
But, as much as I like the consistent results I get from cooking sous vide without having to pay attention, I am trying to improve my BBQ game.
So, I tried using fewer coals, preheating them a bit less, and reducing the air flow. Even still, low and behold, I got a fairly hot fire going that I really didn't want this time.
So, how do I cool it down? I'm trying to get from over 300 down to under 200. I think water will do the trick, but I worry it will put out the fire. I already have the airflow restricted--again, I'd be afraid of closing it off too much and killing the coals. What tricks are available to drop the temperature to a range I can start maintaining.