Six Rules of Grilling
Before you fire up the grill for the season, read these tips to help you tame the flames.
1. Preheat You wouldn't bake in a cold oven, and you can't sear on a cold grill. Preheating is vital. Turn the grill to high (even if the recipe calls for a lower setting), close the lid, and let the grill warm up at least 15 minutes. Adjust the heat before grilling food.
2. Clean For good results, start with a clean cooking grate. Clean grates prevent "off" flavors, soot on food, and help keep food from sticking. The easiest way to get rid of charred-on debris is to scrape preheated grates with a stiff wire brush. Finish cleaning with a lightly oiled paper towel—this will pick up grit and dust that the brush leaves behind.
3. Seasoning Oiling the grate helps keep food from sticking. Swab an oil-dipped paper towel on the grill just before putting on the food. Use enough oil to coat the grates but not so much that it drips onto the flames and causes grease fires or flare-ups. Like your favorite cast-iron pan, the grates will blacken, or "season," over time.
4. Turning Know-How The proper way to turn food on the grill is with tongs or a spatula. Never stab meats with a carving fork to turn them. Piercing leaves holes that allow flavorful juices to run out of foods. So not only do you lose flavor and dry out the food, you also start clogging up the gas ports on the grill.
5. Quadrillage While it doesn't actually make food taste any better, quadrillage, or "crosshatching," does make food attractive. To do this, arrange the food at a 45-degree angle to the grill grates. Cook for half of the required time on that side, then rotate each piece 90 degrees for the remaining time. Flip and repeat.
6. When It's Done, Let It Rest It's important to allow meats and poultry to "rest" before carving or serving. All this means is to let grilled meat sit about 3 minutes per pound. The meat will continue to cook slightly by means of residual heat. As the meat sits, the juices redistribute, making it much more tender and juicy.
Tags: Equipment, Meat
FAQs
Get the temperature right.
Give food enough time out of the fridge so it loses its chill and starts to approach room temperature. If ingredients are cold, the outside may burn before the inside is cooked. A good rule of thumb is to remove raw food from the fridge when you light the barbecue.
What are the rules of grilling? ›
Get the temperature right.
Give food enough time out of the fridge so it loses its chill and starts to approach room temperature. If ingredients are cold, the outside may burn before the inside is cooked. A good rule of thumb is to remove raw food from the fridge when you light the barbecue.
What are the safety rules for grilling? ›
Safety Tips
Place the grill well away from the home, deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it. Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the grilling area.
What is the secret to grilling? ›
Keeping the lid closed while grilling helps to trap heat and smoke, which adds flavor and helps to cook the food more evenly. Only open the lid when you need to flip or move your food. Baste or brush with sauce. If you are adding sauce or extra marinade to the meat, don't add it too early as the sugars can burn.
What are the principles of grilling? ›
It is important to understand three scientific principles behind heat transfer as it refers to grilling. Conduction, convection, and radiant heat (radiation) will be described below so you will be able to apply these ideas to your next grilling experience.
What to consider when grilling? ›
Top 10 tips
- Always make sure your grill is hot. ...
- Start with a clean grill. ...
- Oil the grill grates. ...
- Don't move food around and don't open the lid on the grill! ...
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check for a safe and desired temperature. ...
- Always let meat rest after removing it from the grill.
Gas grills
And that is a big plus, because research has shown that grilling with gas is thought to be safer than grilling over charcoal, according to Healthline. There is less smoke and heat with gas grilling – two things that can spur the creation of those cancer-causing compounds.
How to make grilling safe? ›
Fire department provides tips for safe grilling
- Look for any signs of wear and tear or damage to outside grills.
- If it's a charcoal grill, make sure it is not rusted through, as a hot ember could slip through a hole and start a fire.
- Only use approved charcoal lighter fluid, never gasoline or kerosene.
Grilling can create cancer-causing chemicals
When cooking over high heat, especially an open flame, you are exposed to two main carcinogens: heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
How to perfectly grill a steak? ›
Place the steaks on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue to grill 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (an internal temperature of 135 degrees F), 5 to 7 minutes for medium (140 degrees F) or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well (150 degrees F).
7 Tips That Will Help You Grill Like a Pro
- Set up a tool mise en place. ...
- Set up heat zones. ...
- Dark meat fares better. ...
- Don't forget the vegetables. ...
- Take food off the grill when it's done. ...
- Make the center of your burger slightly thinner. ...
- For small or chopped veggies, grab a grill pan or basket.
Whether you have a charcoal grill or a Big Green Egg, Pinch A Penny is here to help with tips that will change your grilling.
- Clean Your Grill. A clean grill help food to cook evenly and avoid sticking. ...
- Don't Use Meat That is too Lean. ...
- Don't Handle it too Much. ...
- Let it Rest. ...
- Cook for the Right Amount of Time.
Grill Cook Requirements:
Previous restaurant experience, preferably as a cook. Positive attitude and ability to thrive in a fast-paced kitchen. Strong communication skills. Availability to work evening and weekend shifts.
Do you close grill when starting fire? ›
Just remember to keep your grill lid off while your coals are being lit because the more air flow the better. If you close the lid during this lighting process, you will kill the fire and have to start over.
When you grill do you close the lid? ›
The heat doesn't build up and intensify the way it would if the lid was down. Thin pork chops, shrimp, and burgers tend to cook quickly. Leaving the grill lid up will slow the cooking process by reducing the temperature around the meat. For thicker cuts, you want to close the lid to keep the temperature high and even.
What is the 4 hour BBQ rule? ›
The 2 Hour/ 4 Hour Rule tells you how long freshly potentially hazardous foods*, foods like cooked meat and foods containing meat, dairy products, prepared fruits and vegetables, cooked rice and pasta, and cooked or processed foods containing eggs, can be safely held at temperatures in the danger zone; that is between ...
