Grilling on an iron fire pit While walking home yesterday, I found a discarded fire pit (I initially thought it was a portable grill, but then then realized that it had only a mesh cover).
Some details:

it's essentially an iron bowl with no bottom vents
the lip is ~23&quot;, including the outer rim. ~22&quot; excluding it
the grate inside is ~11&quot;

I would like to use this while spending as little money as possible. I assume the biggest downside versus an actual grill is that without a solid cover, I hit lower temperatures, and I'll lose some smoky flavor.
Some questions:

Should I get a wider grate that rests on the lip instead? Or can I get by with having a few coals that the small grate can rest on?
Should I try to find a solid grill cover instead of the mesh?
What would I miss out on if I don't have a cover?
Any other equipment I should have to avoid surprises?
Is it ok that I don't have any bottom vents? Unfortunately I sold my drill a while ago and don't have access to one right now.

Note that while I cook a lot, I grill very rarely and this will be the first time I grill without someone experienced with me - so I'm not looking to get into anything complicated right away; I'm hoping that this will help me practice some basics.
This can easily work as a grill.  A cover is not necessary. You simply need a grate that fits over the surface. I would go for a grate that fits over the rim, you don't want to worry about shifting and balance while cooking.  Holes in the bottom for air flow would be nice, but again, not necessary.
Start a fire, burn down to coals.  You can use the &quot;hand test&quot; to check the temperature.  Grill your product.
In a grilling situation, the flavor is initiated from drippings hitting the coals, it is not necessarily a smoking situation, though you will pick up some smoke depending on your fuel.