When dripping fat causes a flare-up on the grill, move the meat at once to the zone without coals. Once the flame is separated from its fuel, the dripping fat, it goes out within a few seconds. Brief, occasional flare-ups are normal, but a sustained flame coats the meat with soot and darkens the outside with a bitter crust. The best way to reduce flare-ups is prevention: trim excess fat from the meat and remove excess marinade before grilling.
Flare-ups are caused by fat melting out of the meat. As lamb chops, chicken wings, fatty meatballs, and skewers with tail fat heat up, they release fat; when it drips onto the coals, it catches fire and the flames engulf the meat. A flare lasting a few seconds gives the surface a roasted flavor and is harmless. The problem is when dripping fat keeps the flame burning and licking at the meat. The surface then develops a layer of soot and a smoky flavor, and the outside darkens before the inside cooks. Turn the meat with tongs, not a fork; a fork pierces the surface and lets more fat drip onto the coals.
The key to control is setting up the grill in two zones. Pile the coals on one side to create one hot zone and one zone without coals. When the flames rise, move the meat immediately to the no-coal zone with tongs; once no fat remains beneath it to burn, the flames go out quickly. Leave the meat there for a few seconds, then return it to the hot zone. On a single-zone grill with coals spread across the entire base, the meat has nowhere to move, and controlling flare-ups is much harder.
Prevention reduces flare-ups from the start. Before grilling, trim some of the thick layer of fat from the edge of the meat; the thin layer left behind is enough for flavor. Drain meat from a fatty marinade and wipe off the excess before putting it on the grill, since an olive-oil marinade also fuels the flames. Pat the marinated meat lightly dry with a paper towel too. If you oil the grill grate, apply a thin layer with a cloth dipped in oil; do not pour oil over the grate. Letting the coals fully mature until they are covered with a thin layer of gray ash also reduces flaming.
Do not try to put out a flare-up by sprinkling it with water. Water poured on the coals raises a dense cloud of ash and steam; the ash sticks to the meat and the coal temperature drops unevenly. If water hits a large grease fire, burning oil can splatter. On a covered grill, close the lid for a few seconds to reduce the oxygen inside and put out the flames; open it to check the meat. On a grill without a lid, moving the meat to the no-coal zone is always the safest approach. If the flames grow, no one should lean over the grill; remove the meat from the side with long-handled tongs.
The grill itself also requires safety precautions. Use a grill only outdoors; burning charcoal in an enclosed balcony, garage, or tent produces an invisible, odorless gas. Keep lighter fluid, paper, and plastic away from the grill, and never add lighter fluid to lit coals. Use long-handled tongs and gloves. After cooking, do not leave the grill unattended until the coals are completely out; cover the coals with the lid to extinguish them, then let them cool on their own.
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