Hey all. BBQ/PBC rookie here. I've done four cooks so far. I hung pork loin, ribs, and flat iron steak. They all came out great. There was still a lot of charcoal to burn when I was done, so I thought I'd use less to do burgers. (I'm cheap.) They took forever and didn't come out all that well. Yesterday I geared up to do a flank steak, for tacos al carbon, on the grill. I loaded up the charcoal and opened the damper full out, let the lid off, no rods in. Couldn't get a good sear, though the meat was done easily enough, about seven minutes a side.
I've read here that the fire gets hotter if a) you use lump charcoal, or b) if you put the burning coals in the basket first, then the rest. I've already thought of getting something to elevate the basket.
Any suggestions? Did I do something wrong? Too impatient? Thanks for any feedback.