Prepare extra coals. Remove a few hot coals with tongs before you start cooking. Place them in a chimney starter (it looks like a coffee can with a grate and a handle) set on a nonflammable surface; cover them with fresh charcoal. If your fire dies too quickly, you can transfer the reserved, red-hot coals to the grill.
Have all your tools and ingredients ready next to the grill before you begin. That way, food won't burn while you run inside to get the basting sauce.
Add flavor by scattering dried herb clippings--both sprigs and whole stems--over the coals. The gentle sweetness of basil and thyme are especially good with fish. Or try tossing on broken cinnamon sticks, allspice berries and fennel seeds for a more intense flavor that pairs well with jerk spareribs. Spices and herbs also create a lovely fragrance in the air; it's like outdoor incense.
Prevent flare-ups by marinating and basting carefully so oil won't drip onto the coals. If the heat is too intense, move food from hot spots, usually in the center, to cooler areas.
Don't waste good coals. If they're still glowing, wrap vegetables in foil--beets, potatoes, parsnips, whole garlic heads, fennel bulbs--and throw them on the grill to roast, with the lid on. Feel free to leave them there until the embers die.
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