Expert Grilling Tips

As spring draws near, a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of...grilling? Well, he might have other things on his mind, but Americans are now cooking outdoor year round to get that wonderful flame-broiled flavor. Grilling food over an open flame just seems to make it taste better, and using proper grilling techniques can add to the flavor and enjoyment of your grilled food. Choosing the best cooking method for the food you are grilling ensures the most satisfying results.

The grilling technique you use is more important that whether you use a gas or charcoal grill. Charcoal grills take some time to heat up, but some people who prefer this method will claim that you get better flavor. Propane or LP gas grills are much more convenient to use, and you can use various types of wood chips along with the briquets to add flavor to the food. The choice is really a personal preference; you can produce excellent results with either type of grill when you use the proper techniques.

There are two methods of grilling: direct heat and indirect heat. With direct heat, the food is placed directly over the heat source. This works best for thin cuts of meat, hot dogs, kebabs, and hamburgers. The indirect method is more suitable for thicker cuts of meat, roasts, and whole chickens or turkeys. With this method, only one side of the grill is ignited and the meat is placed on the unlit side of the grill. The cover is closed to circulate the heat around the food.

First clean the grill grates and inside of the lid of any coals or residue that have accumulated from previous grilling adventures. Use a grill-scraper brush designed for this purpose to make the job easier. To keep foods from sticking, spray the grate with non-stick cooking spray. Only spray a cold grate, never after it has been heated since the propellants in the spray may combust. You can also wipe the grate with a little cooking instead of using the non-stick spray.

Watch the temperature on your grill, if it has a thermometer, and don't let flames get too high. If they do, spread out the coals or turn the gas down. Keep a spray bottle filled with water handy for flare-ups.

Grilling Steaks and Chops

Choose prime cuts like New York Strip, T-bone, or top sirloin. These cuts are marbled with fat and will stay moister as they cook. If you're feeding a crowd and want something more economical, choose a flank steak or London broil, but marinate them before grilling for juiciness and flavor.

You can speed up the grilling time of thick, boneless steaks or chops by using a butterfly cut. Slice the meat horizontally at the thickest part, cutting to within an inch of the other end. Open the meat and lay it flat. This creates a larger surface that sauces and marinades will adhere to, and will cut down on the cooking time.

The amount of cooking time will vary upon the thickness of the steak and the preference of the person eating the steak. It is recommended to cook meat until there is no pink in the middle to avoid bacterial contamination. The risk is not as great with steaks, since the bacteria remains on the outside of the steak and will be killed by the heat, but pork, chicken, hamburger, sausage, or other ground meats should always be cooked to well done.

Grilling Fish

Using a grill basket makes it easier to turn fish without having it fall apart. Tongs or a spatula will work if you handle the fish carefully. Fish should be cooked ten minutes for each inch of thickness (measure at the thickest part), and it is done when it becomes opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Shrimp is great for grilling, but you'll definitely want to use the basket. You'll save time turning each one individually, and the basket will keep smaller shrimp from falling through the grate into the flames. Shrimp is done when it turns pink. Be careful not to overcook seafood, which will make it dry and rubbery.

Grilling Chicken

Avoid flare-ups by removing as much skin and fat from the chicken as possible. On an open grill, place chicken pieces around the edge where the heat is moderate, and turn after five minutes. After 10 minutes, move the pieces to the center and turn every five minutes. Brush on barbecue sauce during the last ten minutes of cooking. It will take about 30 minutes to grill chicken pieces using this method.

For closed grilling, keep the bottom vents open, and the top vents closed about one-fourth of the way. Place thinner pieces like wings, legs, and boneless breasts over direct heat, and use the indirect heat method for larger pieces. Turn the chicken frequently and baste with sauce as you turn it. This method will take about 40 minutes.

Grilling Vegetables and Kabobs

Soak vegetables in water for about 30 minutes before placing them on the grill. This will allow them to cook without drying out. Wooden skewers for kabobs should be soaked in water for about 15 minutes before meat or vegetable chunks are threaded on, so the ends don't burn off.

Grilling Roasts

Use the indirect heat method on a covered grill to cook roasts. The heat will circulate around the roast and allow it to cook more thoroughly on the inside. The grilling time will vary with the size of your roast, so use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature before removing it from the grill to be served.

More Expert Grilling Tips

Use tongs or a spatula instead of a cooking fork to turn meats. Piercing the meat will allow juices to run out.

Wrap meat and vegetables in foil before placing them on the grill. This will help keep them from drying out while cooking and reduce the amount of clean-up required.

Trim away visible fats to avoid flare-ups.

Frequently basting with marinade as the meat cooks will seal in flavor and keep the meat moist.

After removing food from the grill, allow it to stand for a few minutes before serving to enhance the taste and juiciness.

Meats can be marinated in the refrigerator for several hours to add flavor and tenderness. If you are going to use the marinade as a basting sauce also, set aside part of the marinade or boil it after removing the meat to destroy any harmful bacteria.

To cut down on grilling time, you can precook the meat indoors. Have the grill ready to cook so the meat can go directly from the stove or oven to the grill.