When to Start Cooking:
Gas grills are ready to cook on in just minutes
after lighting. For best results, pre-heat for
about 10 minutes.
For charcoal-burning grills, you must wait
for the flames to die since it is preferable to
cook over coals rather than flames. Start
grilling when the coals have a uniform gray
ash coating. This coating usually forms after
about 30-40 minutes for a hot fire, 40-45 minutes
for a medium fire and 45-50 for a low fire.
These times are approximate and can be affected
by weather, altitude, covering of the
grill and distance of the rack from fire.
Preparing the Grill:
Clean your grill with a
wire brush before each use. Contrary to popular
belief, black build up on the cooking rack
does not add to the smoky flavor of the food;
it simply encourages the food to stick.
Just before placing food on the grill, lightly
brush the hot cooking rack with oil to reduce
sticking of the food. Use a brush since oil
drips can cause flare-ups. OR A good way to
oil your grill’s grid before using: Chop an
onion in half, dip the cut side in vegetable oil,
and rub it all over the grid.
Open or Covered Grill:
If your grill is open,
the coals will tend to be hotter and prone to
flare-ups. The food will cook quickly on the
outside, sealing the juices in on the inside. As
a rule, if the food is less than 1 1/2 inches thick
and will cook sufficiently on the inside before
burning on the outside, it is suitable for open
grilling. Covering your grill prevents oxygen
from flaming the coals and allows the heat to
circulate around your food, cooking it more
evenly. Foods that are more than 1 1/2 inches
thick or are fatty should be cooked on a covered
grill.
Direct Heat vs. Indirect Heat
There are primarily two methods of using a
grill. Cooking directly over the heat source is
known as grilling over direct heat. The food is
cooked for mere minutes on a hot grill, and the
lid is rarely if ever closed. Thin cuts of meat,
fillets, kabobs, sates, and vegetables are good
candidates for this method. Indirect heat is
used for larger pieces of meat, such as thick
steaks, roasts, and whole fish. In this method,
the food is cooked just off the heat at about 350
º F (175 º C). The lid is closed, and the cooking
times are somewhat longer. On a gas grill this
generally means firing up the two outside
burners, and cooking the meat over the middle,
unlit burner. When using charcoals, the coals
are pushed to the sides of the grill, leaving a
place in the middle to cook. Traditional barbeque
is a form of indirect heat using very low
temperatures over long periods of time. You
really should try indirect heat, you will be surprised
at how wonderful your food tastes.
Selecting Proper Meat Cuts for Grilling:
Beef: Since grilling is quick, dry-heat cooking,
tender cuts of beef are best; purchase cuts
labeled “prime” or “choice”. Look for bright
red, firm meat with marbling, which provides
an internal basting liquid.
Veal: Rib and loin cuts of veal are best
suited for the grill because veal is low in fat, it
cooks very quickly.
Lamb: The best cuts include the loin, rib
and leg of lamb, either boneless butterflied or
bone-in.
Pork: The pork loin, particularly the center
cut, is most tender and therefore better for
grilling. Boned pork loin roasts are also superb
when marinated and grilled. Pork ribs,
including country-style, baby back and spare
ribs are grill favorites.
Chicken: All chicken is suitable for grilling.
Boneless chicken is great for quick meals because
it has the smaller mass necessary for fast
grilling.
Fish: The best types of fish to grill are those
sold as steaks, such as tuna, salmon, and
swordfish. Because of their thickness, they are
easier to turn and less likely to fall apart. More
delicate fish or fillets are best grilled in a rotisserie
basket.
The resealable plastic bag was made for marinating.
Basting meat with leftover marinade
during cooking is a good idea. Using leftover
marinade as a finishing sauce is not. Because
of the raw-meat juice, of course.
To clean your grill grate, use a little soapy
water at the beginning of the season. Then hit
it with a wire brush, when it’s still warm, after
each use. That’s it.
To test food for doneness, a cake tester or
metal skewer can make you look like a genius.
Stick it into the middle of whatever meat
you’re grilling, then hold it to your chin. If it’s
cool, keep cooking. If it’s warm, you’re at
medium-rare. If it’s pretty hot, yank the food
off the grill.
Charcoal is ready when 80 percent of the coals
are ash-gray.
If the fire gets too weak (you can hold your
hand just above the grill for four or five seconds),
try pushing the coals closer together.
If
it’s too hot (two seconds, max), spread the
coals out and move your food to the edge. If
the coals start to burn down and disappear, add
more — but remember, that brings the temperature
down, too.
You can put barbecue sauce on just about anything.
But only do so in the last ten or fifteen
minutes of cooking — the sugar in the sauce
can char.
Add just about anything to mayonnaise for a
sauce or a spread. Hot sauce, lemon zest, basil,
mustard, whatever. Hard not to make it taste
good.
An interesting steak sauce: Dijon mustard,
melted butter, Worcestershire.
The basic marinade: an oil (olive, canola,
grapeseed, etc.), an acid (vinegar, lemon juice,
yogurt, wine, etc.), herbs, and spices. Experiment.
And a smashed garlic clove never hurts.
Always salt beef a good half-hour before
grilling. You’re not flavoring. You’re tenderizing,
and tenderizing takes time.
To grill fresh sausage: First, precook it by poking
it with a fork and simmering it in water
until just about cooked, ten minutes tops.
Then grill it till it’s browned and a little bubbly,
probably five minutes.
A kebab secret: If you want the meat medium rare,
pack it tight on the skewer. For medium well,
space the pieces out.
Written by www.ohacg.com