| Just about everyone loves great grilled food. Cooking | | | | problems. With the grill open, the only significant heat |
| in the outdoors and the smokey, rich flavors of food | | | | your food is exposed to is the direct radiant heat |
| cooked over a hot fire make for both great food and | | | | coming up from the heat source. While this high, direct |
| great times. However, most people know very little | | | | heat is good for searing the surface of the meat, it is |
| about how to really get the most out of their grill. Sure, | | | | not good for cooking the center. |
| we can all fire it up and cook up a mean hot dog or | | | | By the time the middle of your food is done, the |
| burger, but grilling is capable of so much more! To | | | | undersurface will be charred into oblivion! By closing the |
| really make the most of your barbecue, you need to | | | | lid on your grill, you retain ambient heat and smoke, |
| be comfortable both with the operation of your grill as | | | | which swirls around inside your grill, surrounding your |
| well as basic grill cooking principles which help to | | | | cooking food, much like convection heat does in your |
| ensure the best results. | | | | oven. This allows for more even roasting of larger cuts |
| The purpose of this article is not to teach you | | | | of meat that you want to cook through. So for |
| everything there is to know about grilling. Instead, I have | | | | everything but the thinnest cuts that you just want to |
| chosen five things that seem to be missing from many | | | | sear briefly, close that lid! Check your food and move it |
| grillers' repertoire. There are also misconceptions and | | | | minimally, allowing all that great ambient heat to roast |
| misinformation that gets perpetuated about grilling | | | | your food to its succulent best! |
| which I want to help correct. With these tips, you can | | | | Indirect Heat Cooking |
| hopefully start to take your grilling to a new level. | | | | A similar concept to the using of your grill lid to roast |
| Get Your Grill Hot Enough | | | | foods is the use of indirect heat. Direct heat is the high |
| A basic mistake I see grillers make is not knowing how | | | | heat that foods are subjected to from the direct |
| to manage their grill heat. I've seen so many people | | | | radiant heat from the heat source just below. But as |
| struggle to get their food to cook right and all they | | | | I've said already, this high heat can burn food quickly. |
| needed was more heat in the first place. Whether you | | | | Foods that need time to cook through completely, like |
| use a charcoal chimney, charcoal iron or even lighter | | | | chicken, turkey or pork roasts, can take quite some |
| fluid to get your fuel going, make sure you start out | | | | time to cook. By the time the middle is cooked, the |
| with enough briquettes. How much do you need? That | | | | outside is charcoal! Rather than using direct heat, |
| all depends on the size of your grill. However, people | | | | create a spot on your grill that does not have charcoal |
| seem to often underestimate the amount of charcoal | | | | (or a burner) directly beneath it. Some people push the |
| they need. Once your coals are glowing red and | | | | charcoal into two piles on either side of the grill, others |
| covered with ash, spread them out on the charcoal | | | | simply push it all to one side. Your food is then placed |
| grate. | | | | in the area that does not have heat directly below it. |
| After putting the grilling grate on, your coals should be | | | | Rather than the direct radiant heat cooking your food, |
| giving off enough heat that it is very uncomfortable to | | | | the ambient heat which builds up in your barbecue |
| hold your hand about four inches over the grill for more | | | | slowly roasts the food without exposing the surface to |
| than a few seconds. If it is not hot enough, simply add | | | | high direct heat that could burn it. Again, remember to |
| more briquettes and wait a bit for them to get started. | | | | close your lid! You wouldn't roast a chicken in your |
| It is much easier to adjust your heat at this early stage | | | | oven with the door open would you? With this method, |
| before adding any food to the grill. Later on, you will be | | | | you can cook larger roasts for extended periods of |
| struggling with food that simply will not cook or is not | | | | time without burning them. Not only do you avoid |
| developing that nice caramelized surface you are | | | | burning the surface, you also get more succulent, |
| looking for. If you are using a gas grill, many take a | | | | tender and juicy roasts that don't dry out as easily! I |
| while to warm up, particularly those that have lava | | | | strongly recommend this method for any larger roasts |
| rocks or ceramic briquettes in them to hold heat. Start | | | | that you want to cook through to the middle at least |
| your fire early and let it warm up a while with the lid | | | | somewhat. This includes whole poultry, ribs, pork |
| closed before throwing on your food. You should hear | | | | roasts, leg of lamb and others. |
| a nice sizzle when your food is added. If not, your grill | | | | Let Your Meat Rest (Before and After) |
| was probably not hot enough yet. | | | | This tip is really two in one! Before cooking most |
| Use Good Fuel | | | | meats, particularly beef steaks, it is best to take the |
| People with nice cars are willing to spend a bit extra | | | | meat out of the refrigerator a while before you are |
| for higher octane gasoline. If you are serious about | | | | going to start cooking. The goal is for the meat to |
| your grilled food, and you have bought some nice | | | | come up to about room temperature before throwing |
| meat and other ingredients to cook, you should take | | | | it on the grill. Why? These types of cuts are usually |
| the same viewpoint! Don't skimp on your fuel, it is what | | | | served only slightly done in the middle, as for a rare, |
| is cooking your food and is almost as important to | | | | medium-rare or medium done steak. If you throw a |
| good cooking as is the raw ingredients! Most charcoal | | | | cold steak on the grill, the middle will take quite a long |
| grillers use the basic briquette charcoal you can find in | | | | time to warm up. In the meantime you may burn the |
| huge bags in any grocery store. Sure, they supply heat | | | | surface. A good thick steak only needs a few minutes |
| and light easily, but do you really want that cooking | | | | per side to get a nice sear with grill marks. But you |
| your food? Most of them are not made from real | | | | don't want the center of your meat to still be cold! By |
| hardwoods so there is no natural wood aroma and | | | | making sure that the meat is up to room temperature |
| flavor imparted to your food. | | | | first, you can more quickly hit the desired interior |
| Also, most of them use chemical binders and | | | | temperature (and thus doneness) so that the outside |
| kerosene-like petroleum products. All those chemicals | | | | and inside of your steak are perfectly done at the |
| can have weird aromas and who knows what they | | | | same time. That brings us to the second part of this tip. |
| do to your health! Instead, use real, natural, lump | | | | After your meat is cooked to your liking, don't just drop |
| hardwood charcoals. The pieces look like real chunks | | | | it on a plate and serve! Most cuts of meat will benefit |
| of wood which have been charcoalized. They have no | | | | from a rest period, sitting on a serving tray, covered by |
| additives and are made only from real hardwoods like | | | | foil in a warm spot, after taking it off the grill. The larger |
| mesquite, hickory and oak. They give off good, intense | | | | the piece of meat, the longer the rest it needs. The |
| heat. They tend to be more expensive than the cheap | | | | reason for this is that when you take meat off the grill, |
| briquette charcoal, but it is worth it! Also, for added | | | | the surface is the most hot with the center a bit cooler. |
| smoke flavor, consider adding smoking wood chips or | | | | For this reason, moisture in the meat is moving toward |
| chunks to your grill. In either a charcoal grill or a gas grill, | | | | the surface. Serving right away leads to an |
| smoking woods add aromatic smoke that helps to | | | | inhomogeneous piece of meat, with the texture and |
| flavor your meat. Many types such as mesquite, | | | | temperature varying from surface to middle. |
| hickory, pecan and apple wood are available in most | | | | After resting, the moisture and temperature equilibrate |
| grilling supply stores. | | | | so that you have a uniform, succulent piece of meat |
| Use Your Grill Lid | | | | that is ready to serve and enjoy. The interior will even |
| Many grill owners treat their grill lid as if it is just a | | | | continue to cook a bit while resting as the heat |
| cover to protect the grill between uses. Rather, the lid | | | | equilibrates throughout the meat. While small steaks |
| is one of the most important parts to the functioning of | | | | may only need 5 to 10 minutes of rest, a large roast, |
| your grill! For high-heat searing of meats, your grill lid | | | | like a leg of lamb, can benefit from a half hour or more! |
| does not need to be on. But for cooking foods | | | | I hope these tips help to improve your grill cooking. Try |
| thoroughly, leaving your grill open causes several | | | | them out next time you fire up your barbecue! Enjoy! |