The Setup You Should Use When Grilling Potatoes
Potatoes lend themselves so well to a variety of different cooking methods it is almost impossible to choose which one is best, but grilling would certainly be in the running. There is nothing quite like the char and texture you get from cooking spuds on the grill. Whether they are tossed in foil or cooked directly on the grate, grilled tubers are a great addition to any meal. And for the best results, you want to be using a two-zone setup.
The two-zone setup works across the fuel spectrum of dry wood, propane, and charcoal. Essentially, you split the grill into two heat zones, with one zone over direct heat (your burner or charcoal pile) and the other zone over indirect heat. This zone is cooler as it uses the radiant heat of the other zone to regulate its temperature. This setup is ideal for reverse searing, smoking, and resting.
How to use a two-zone grill and which types of potatoes to use
Setting up your two-zone system is incredibly simple. If you have a propane grill, use only use half of the burners to set up the hot side and a cool side. Using charcoal is a little more technical. If you're using a chimney starter, pour the hot coals out onto one-half of the lower grill grate. If you don't have a chimney starter, pile briquettes on one side of your grill and get them hot. One side of your grill should be piled with white-hot coals, while the other is coal-free. You can carefully move over any stray briquettes with your grill tongs.
When it comes to the types of potatoes you should for grilling, Russets are considered the best because they yield large pieces, have thick skins, and have excellent starch content. Fingerling, red, and golden spuds are also excellent options. Whichever you decide to use, prep the tubers for the grill by parboiling them for a few minutes just to get them partially cooked. Season the potatoes how you wish and grill them over direct heat until they get a good char. Once finished, move the spuds over to the indirect side of the grill. This way you can continue cooking in the direct heat zone while the potatoes stay warm without burning anything.