#4. Get Your Ingredients Ready For The Grill
There will be times when all you have to do is season some steaks with some salt and pepper and throw them on the grill but did you remember to take them out of the refrigerator 15 to 25 minutes before you start grilling? Grilling foods, especially meats, is much more efficient when they start out at room temperature.
What about brines, marinades and rubs? Are you planning on using any or all of these techniques? Brines are popular now. The idea is to soak poultry and lean meats like pork in a salty solution to help them hold their moisture resulting in juicy, tender food.
How long you brine your ingredients depend on what you are cooking but remember to rinse off the brine before cooking or you may end up with over salty results.
Marinades are used for tougher cuts of meat so think of meats you will be grilling on indirect heat. Marinades usually have an acetic element like wine or vinegar along with fresh herbs and spices. Oil is another popular ingredient used in marinades.
Depending on the cut of meat, marinades can work in as little as 30 minutes but most times you’ll do better if you marinate over night in the refrigerator.
Rubs are blends of spices and herbs that are applied to foods before grilling to give them more flavor. If a liquid is used like an oil, it is called a wet rub otherwise if no liquids are added, it’s called a dry rub.
A good example of a popular rub is Cajun rub that might include pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and salt. Like a marinade, rubs can be added 30 minutes prior to cooking or the night before so the spices can permeate the meat.
So depending on what you are cooking and what you are planning to use to add extra flavor, remember to plan ahead so you’re not scrambling at the last minute.
You left out probably the most important thing in grilling like a pro tips. Since nearly everything is done to a stage or (doneness), a thermometer for internal temp is required to ensure tremendous success. With a thermometer a novice can actually cook a 2 lb rib eye to perfection better than a restaurant. I’m finding out at my over middle age that nearly all people that grill get lucky if they happen to cook with success and do not use such a simple tool.
That’s a good point that a gas grill will only get as hot as it’s rated in btu’s. Charcoal lets you control the heat more directly. You can also take charcoal wherever you go.
Good points Larry. Thanks for sharing.
Some great points – especially “don’t play with your food”. That was one of the things I had hard time with when I started grilling. I would get worried it was burning so I kept moving it around, flipping, etc. Just leave it be! 🙂
Great points!
If you haven’t ever tried Porter & York Brand Meats, you might want to give it a try. They ship their meat out in special packaging designed to keep the fresh, never frozen, beef that has been raised naturally (grass fed, grain finished). I was able to cut one of their filet mignon’s with a fork. Delicious.
I’m planning on getting my husband a new grill pro for his birthday. So thanks for the suggestion that he should use some oil or something else to grease up the grill unless what you’re cooking has already been using oil for something. I’ll be sure that the hamburgers and hot dogs we make on his birthday with his new pro tool are cooked on an oiled up grates.
I am getting my husband a grill for his birthday and I wanted to include some tips with it so he can learn how to grill like a pro. These are all wonderful tips! I didn’t know about grill zones before! That’s cool that you can get direct heat and indirect heat to help cook the food. Thanks for the tips! I’m sure these will help my husband cook like a pro!
You are welcome. I’m sure he will be thrilled with his new grill.
Wonderful points especially on grilling techniques. Surely using charcoal is more convenient in managing the heat transfer, but both have advantages and disadvantages. thanks for sharing.
You are welcome Hilmy.
One reason to not use olive oil is that it smokes/burns at a lower temperature than Canola or Safflower.