Tips & Techniques To Avoid A Grilling Fail
With Father’s Day right around the corner, a lot of folks are sure to be doing some grilling. While many consider the grill more of an art than a science, there’s still a lot of established form and technique than can help to ensure your cookoff ends in success, and not in you ordering a pizza.
First make sure your grill is clean. Some steel wool and hot water will remove caked on char from your grill grate, but be sure to avoid any soap or kitchen cleaners as even the tiniest traces of those left behind when you start cooking will result in awful flavor transfer to your food. If you’re using charcoal, removing all ash from your tray will improve airflow and provide you with a cleaner burn.
Speaking of charcoal, if you haven’t invested in a chimney starter, we really cannot recommend it enough. Besides providing a cleaner cook without any of that nasty lighter fluid flavor, it’s also infinitely easier; just pour your briquettes in the chimney, light a bit of newspaper and walk away. 10-15 minutes later, you’ll have hot, white briquettes.
Spread your briquettes, placing roughly ⅔ of them on one half of the grill and the other ⅓ on the other. Creating a “hot zone” and a “cool zone” will give you more control while you cook, allowing you to slow down meat that’s cooking too quickly so everything finishes at the same time.
Obviously if you’re using propane, you don’t need to worry about all of that, but the next step is crucial regardless. Once your grill is lit and hot, you’re going to need to sterilize it. It’s a very simple process, just get the grill as hot as you can, close the lid and wait about 10 minutes. From there, use a grill brush to scrape off any loose char and you’re good to go.
When it comes to actually grilling your meat, everyone has their own rules and style, but ultimately the logistics of it are pretty simple. No matter if it’s steak, burgers, chicken, hot dogs or sausages, once you’ve put it down, try to flip it as little as possible. Keep in mind that precooked meats like hot dogs, won’t take much more than a minute or so on each side to warm up and score some grill marks, while raw meats will all vary depending on thickness. When it comes time to flip, if you try to get your spatula under it and you find that it’s sticking, just leave it alone. This means that your meat hasn’t developed a deep enough sear, which is to say that it both isn’t done enough on that side, and that trying to get your utensil under there is just going to make a mess of the meat and of the grill. Give it another minute or two and the grill should “release it” without a problem. When your food looks done, check it with a meat thermometer and you’re good to go.
Whether you’re using propane or charcoal, there really might not be a better way to enjoy the summer than in great company with great food prepared on a hot grill. No matter what you’re cooking, the experience is half the fun. We’re wishing you and yours an excellent time this holiday weekend.
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