Summer may not officially start for a few more days, but the temperatures and summer spirit say otherwise. Besides that, grilling is a pastime that can be enjoyed year round, even with snow on the ground. Do you want to master your grill this season? Read these Secrets of the Grill Masters and get out there with your tongs and rock the grill.
Secrets of the Grill Masters
Baste it. Herb infused butters and olive oil will not only give your meats flavor and keep them tender, but will also keep them from drying out on the grill. Baste with a brush before and during grilling. Give it even more flavor by making your own basting brush. To do this, simply tie a bundle of herbs onto the end of a skewer.
Create heat zones. Grill masters seem to prefer charcoal over propane hands down. One of the tricks they use when cooking with charcoal bricks is to pile them up on one side for cooking and spread out a single layer on the other for keeping grill items warm while waiting for everything to finish.
Keep grill grates oiled. Clean grates very well before starting up the grill. Right before you place your meat, veggies, and fruits on the grill, oil the grates down well to keep food from sticking and infuse flavor in them. My personal favorite trick for meat and veggies is to cut an onion in half, coat the flat side in oil, and use it to grease up the grates.
Let your meat rest. For best results, you need to let that mouthwatering t-bone steak hang out and rest for 10 minutes. The reason that you do this is because when you grill a steak the juice all pushes to the center. If you cut it immediately all that moist and flavorful juice runs out. That’s no good, but letting it rest redistributes the juices throughout the steak keeping it moist and tender.
Use thick cuts. Most professionals prefer to buy large cuts of meat like a pork loin and cut it into smaller portions after grilling. Using thin cuts will cook your meat fast but you will not get the more complex flavorings or the grill lines and beautiful golden coloring. Same goes for steak. Choose thicker cuts over thin for best flavor results.
Know when it’s done. Know what temperature is ideal (and safe) for each type of meat to reach when you are grilling and be sure it gets there. Invest in a good meat thermometer so you don’t have to guess.
Add barbecue sauce last. Many people want to slather on loads of sauce before the meat even hits the grill. The sugars in the barbecue sauce will burn and turn the texture gooey. Now, true diehard grill masters may feel if you need to add sauce then your meat wasn’t prepared or seasoned right to begin with. This is purely preference and I think it can enhance the flavor. Adding sauces about 20 minutes before removing from grill and after meat is thoroughly cooked is just about right.
More Grilling Tips:
How to Save Money When Grilling
Leave a Reply