Or, if timing worries you, keep meats and vegetables on separate skewers. Cut foods in roughly equal sizes for even cooking. If you don't have metal skewers, disposable bamboo will do fine, especially for quick-cooking foods like vegetables and thin strips of chicken, beef or pork. Soak bamboo in water for an hour before cooking to keep them from burning. Hot coals are barely covered with gray ash.
Medium coals glow through a layer of gray ash.
Low coals are covered with a thick layer of gray ash. More Grill Advice Assemble everything ahead of time to avoid unnecessary trips back to the kitchen. Scrub rack with a wire brush between grilling and oil regularly. Use vegetable cooking sprays to coat the rack and help keep foods from sticking. Use the microwave as a time-saver.