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