With Memorial Day coming up this weekend and summer right around the corner, I bet a lot of you will be firing up the grill come Saturday. And although many believe the grill is the domain of men, I for one (as a Spirited Woman) like to take command of my own Weber! I don’t know about you, but I think there is something very satisfying about cooking over an open flame. It makes me feel closer to the food I’m cooking . . . it simplifies things . . and, if done well, can really amplify the flavors of any food.
That said, I have to admit, I’m no grill master. I do OK, but I am always in search of new tips and techniques to help increase my success. Recently, I’ve found some really good grills in a variety of cooking magazines (they’re all gearing up for grill season) . . . so many in fact, that I’m going to do two posts on the topic – one geared toward grilling advice, the other to cooking advice for the grill. Here are my favorite tips for how to grill like a pro, from Steven Raichlen, host of TV’s Barbecue University:
Wood = Flavor – According to Steven, wood is the only fuel that adds real flavor to food (so skip charcoal and gas). If you can’t use wood logs and get a wood-burning grill, go for hardwood chunks in your regular grill or add some wood chips to your charcoal.
Hot, clean and oiled – That’s the secret to a great grill. It will prevent food from sticking and give it great grill marks. Before putting your food on, scrub the hot grate with a wire brush and rub it with a tightly folded paper towel dipped in oil. When you’re finished cooking, scrub the grate again to get rid of debris.
Salt is your friend – Especially when it comes to grilling steaks. Contrary to popular belief, salt does not “bleed” the juices out of raw meat – instead it helps steak form a great crust as it cooks. Sprinkle a generous amount of coarse salt and pepper on each side of the steak just before grilling.
Don’t over-flip – In fact, if you want to ensure restaurant-style grill marks, you should only flip meat once. This is also the best way to accurately determine cooking time (to ensure you don’t over-cook).
Grip food, don’t stab – Chefs use tongs to turn meat or move it on a grill (not a fork or knife). This is to ensure the juices stay in the meat.
Poke, don’t cut – Instead of cutting open the meat, which lets juices run out, use your fingers to test for doneness. For steak, poke the meat – if it feels soft and squishy, it’s rare; yielding, it’s medium-rare; slightly yielding, it’s medium; and firm means it’s well-done. For large cuts, use a meat thermometer (just don’t let it touch bone as you’ll get a false reading).
Let food rest -- When you grill a piece of meat, its muscle fibers contract and drive the juices to the center of the cut. Serving it right away – off the grill – means the muscle fibers don’t have time to reabsorb the juices and the meat will taste drier. Give steaks, chops, etc. about 3-4 minutes and give big cuts like pork shoulder or beef tenderloin about 15 minutes.
And, if you’re looking for a few new recipes to test out your new skills, check out Food & Wine’s:
- Sticky Gilled Drumsticks with Plum Sauce
- Mexican Spice-Rubbed Rib Eyes with Lime Butter
- Cheddar BLT Burgers with Tarragon Russian Dressing
Do you have any favorite grilling tips? Love your comments.
- Sharen Santoski, www.SignalRockCommunications.com
Click here for more of Sharen's posts.
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