It’s summer. Time for fun, sun and grilling! While grilling isn’t the most difficult method of cooking food, these grilling tips can put you on your way to being a grill master.
Make use of heat zones. Some foods cook better on hot, while others need just a medium level heat. Rather than just dumping in charcoal or turning your gas grill up to high, try utilizing heat zones for optimal cooked meat. Push the bulk of your white charcoal to one side, making a hot side and a medium side. This allows you to cook different food at the same time.
Clean your grates. You may have heard that dirty grates equal more flavor. The truth is, dirty grates are just … dirty. Food just cooks better on a clean grill. When you clean then doesn’t matter. You can choose to clean after you cook, or right before you grill again. What matters is that you grill on clean grates.
Preheat your grill. Think of your grill like you do your oven. You wouldn’t want to use the oven without preheating it, and you don’t want to use the grill without doing so either. Preheating will provide a stable cooking heat from start to finish, and can help keep the meat from sticking.
Leave your meat alone. I know it’s tempting to check on your food, but consider this: if you’re too busy looking at it, you’re not coking it. The best course of action is to put your meat on and let the (clean and preheated!) grill do the work.
Add sauce last. BBQ sauce should be used as a condiment, just like mayo or ketchup for your burgers. About 10 minutes before your meat is done, lightly coat with BBQ sauce. Wait about 5 minutes or so and lightly coat again. This will give your meat a nice set in flavor, and not a burnt BBQ sauce result.
Have the right tools. Not every type of food does well with the same set of tongs. If you are grilling fish, go with a fish spatula. Use a big, wide spatula for burgers and tongs for hearty steaks. Proper tools will help keep your more delicate food from breaking, and make it easier to work with the sturdy foods.
Grill some avocado. I know, not really a grill-using tip. But I’m willing to bet grill avocado isn’t something your guests have often. Not a straight-from-the-rind type of avocado eater? Add them to your kabobs or use them as toppings on your burgers. Nothing says summer like a fresh, ripe piece of avocado.
With summer upon us, I’m sure many of you will be gearing up for grilling. Follow these tips to ensure that your bar-be-ques are successful and your grilled food delicious!