GREAT GRILL TIPS
December 12, 2007 – 9:33 am
People who consider themselves “grill masters,” are always so proud aren’t they? They possess a certain confidence and panache. Who’s the grill guru in your family? If you’d like to claim that special spot in your backyard, read the simple tips below, call over some friends, and get to grilling!
First: Make sure to get your meat out of the refrigerator and place it on the kitchen counter or in the kitchen sink 30 minutes before you are ready to start grilling. Never grill frozen meat. If you are using frozen meat, let it thaw out prior to grilling.
Keep it simple! Don’t put a sugar based sauce, such as BBQ sauce, on the meat before grilling. The high temperatures of the grilling process will burn the sugar quickly and ruin the taste. Mustard is a great rub for meat, fish and poultry. I like to use Grey Poupon Hearty Spicy Brown Mustard or Grey Poupon Harvest Course Ground Mustard. Put the BBQ sauces on the table for your guests to help themselves.
Clean that thing! Start with a clean grill, especially if it’s the first time you are grilling this season. A stiff wire brush is generally all that is needed to do the job on a regular basis. Just use it to scrape off any debris left on the grill grate.
Prep your grill. Rub cooking oil on the cold, clean grates with a basting brush to prevent the food from sticking. This will make cleaning the grill a lot easier when you are done cooking!
Preheat your grill. Bring the grill to an optimal cooking temperature prior to placing a single piece of meat on the grates. The exact temperature will depend on what type of meat you are cooking. Reference the recipe you are using. Turn gas grills on at least five minutes before starting. For a charcoal grill, let the coals burn for up to 30 minutes.
Prepare a hot zone and a warm zone. With a gas grill turn one side to high and the other to low. With a charcoal grill move the majority of the charcoal to one side. This will allow you to move the meat around periodically to evenly cook all the pieces. For really juicy steak and chops, sear the outside of your meat over the hot zone before moving it to the warm zone to cook it through.
Keep the lid closed. If your meat takes longer than four minutes to cook, (which it generally will unless you are just re-heating pre-cooked meat) keep the lid shut. Also keep the lid shut during preheating.
Quickly clean. As soon as you remove the meat, take a moment to scrape the grates with a wire brush to clean them. It’s best to do this when the grill is still very hot and it’s good to let your meat rest a few minutes anyway to achieve maximum juiciness!
