Stop giving the tongs to people who don’t know what to do!
Are you really a grill master if you make these barbecue mistakes?
Here are some ways you can preserve your position at the grill:
- Be sure to preheat your grill; this prevents your food from sticking and uneven cooking.
Even before you preheat your grill, be sure to clean it. To clean it, use a brush or wooden scraper and an oiled paper towel. Keep the grill on for 30-60 minutes after removing food, then brush off the residue.
- Rub and an onion on your hot grill grates to help clean AND season it.
Don’t over season your meat!!!
- Salt and pepper can be enough, with maybe a squeeze of lemon juice for seafood.
- Keep your grill lid closed so that the grill doesn’t cool off.
Hot surfaces cool down when they’re exposed to colder temperatures. Even if you’re cooking on the most sweltering of days, the air outside is colder than the heat of your grill, so if you leave the lid of a gas grill open, the grates will gradually cool down. This means it will take longer for your food to get the sear it needs in order to have that distinctive grilled flavor, which can end up drying it out.
- Defrost your meat, and don’t put frozen meat on the grill.
- Brine your lean meat.
To make a brine, combine a quarter cup of kosher salt and a quarter cup of sugar with two cups of boiling water until the granules are fully dissolved. Then stir in two cups of ice water. - Don’t add your sauce to early!
Wait until your meat is done cooking to slather sauce on your food. Once the sauce goes on, stay near your grill, keep a close eye on your food and be ready to pull it off the flame the moment things start burning.
Happy summer days and hope to see you with a loaded paper plate soon!
Susan Saunders 6/30/23
